The Government’s £700 million Strategic Sites Accelerator launched today (Monday 2 November 2026), aiming to unlock up to 10 major industrial and commercial sites across the UK. The scheme was flagged in last week’s Budget, which we covered in what the Budget means for UK manufacturers. Today’s announcement sets out how it will work and where it’s looking, including Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.
What is the Strategic Sites Accelerator?
According to GOV.UK, the Accelerator will put around £700 million into commercially viable sites with strong investor demand that are being held back by things like planning, grid connections and access to finance. Support can come as loans, equity, targeted grants and technical expertise. It’s run by the Office for Investment and the National Wealth Fund, with CBRE as National Delivery Partner.
- £700 million of public money, with an ambition to crowd in up to £2 billion of private investment.
- Six to 10 sites is the stated ambition, in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital and tech, defence and life sciences.
- Where: it is already working on potential sites in Glasgow, Burgess Hill and Sheffield, and exploring opportunities in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, South Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, the North East, Glasgow City Region and Cardiff Capital Region. It’s open to sites across the UK.
- Timescale: CBRE says the money will be deployed over the next three years, and the first call for projects is open until 20 January 2027.
It’s worth keeping in proportion. The Government says each investment is subject to commercial assessment, due diligence and approvals, and that jobs will depend on which sites actually come forward. This is a pipeline, not a list of approved projects.
What it means for manufacturers and buyers of steel parts
- A northern pipeline. Several of the regions named are in the North, so manufacturers here may see more site and expansion projects over the next few years.
- Steelwork comes before production. New and expanded industrial sites typically need brackets, guards, walkways, platforms, handrails and machine parts. These are often needed quickly when an install date is fixed.
- Plan your supply chain early. If you’re an equipment maker or contractor bidding for this kind of work, line up a UK source for cut and folded parts now rather than when a programme is already tight.
UK-made in Shaw, Oldham
At Kaizen Engineering we laser cut, fold and fabricate made-to-order steel parts, including Hardox wear parts, at our works in Shaw, Oldham, from one-offs to regular repeat batches. We offer same-day quotes and same-day laser cutting. See our steel fabrication, laser cutting and press braking services.
Send us your drawing
Email your drawing to sales@kaizen-eng.com with the material, thickness and quantity, or use our request a quote page, and we’ll come back with a quote the same day.
Kaizen Engineering, Thomas Street, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8PG
Made Up North. Built to Last.
Sources
- Department for Business and Trade, “Mayors and local leaders work with No10 North to drive search for ‘top 10’ biggest strategic investment sites across country”, GOV.UK, 2 November 2026: gov.uk
- CBRE UK, “Strategic Sites Accelerator Enters Next Phase of Delivery”, 28 October 2026: cbre.co.uk
