What York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority does

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) is a statutory local government body established in 2024 through a devolution deal between the UK Government, City of York Council, and North Yorkshire Council, making it the largest geographic combined authority in England. Led by directly elected Mayor David Skaith, the authority coordinates regional economic development, skills, housing, transport, sustainability, and policing/fire oversight for the York and North Yorkshire region. Its operating model is commissioning-and-coordination: YNYCA does not deliver services directly at scale but distributes public funding through the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, a network of FE colleges, commissioned delivery partners (UMi, SQW, Better Connect, University of York), and grant programmes including the Mayoral Challenge Fund (£27m), Skills Innovation Fund, Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, and Business Innovation Fund sub-programmes (Get Exporting, Great Ideas, Get Funded).

Revenue mechanics are entirely public-sector: confirmed and prospective funding streams total over £1bn across the devolution period, anchored by £540m over 30 years and a £456m four-year transport capital settlement, supplemented by central government grants (DWP Local Net Zero Accelerator, Department for BEIS Growth Hub designation) and the Adult Skills Fund. No commercial pricing exists; the authority charges residents and businesses nothing for most services and instead disburses grants ranging from £2,000 (Grow Yorkshire Business Sustainability Programme) to £60,000 (Great Ideas) per recipient. Distribution channels span the yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk portal, the Growth Hub at ynygrowthhub.com, social media (X, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), email newsletter, high-profile events (Lloyds Tour of Britain 2025/2026, Great Yorkshire Show, Yorkshire Regional Defence & Security Cluster launch in Wakefield), and a newly proposed Mayoral Development Zones programme in Scarborough, Selby, and York Central.

Core technology assets are limited: the authority runs a government website (WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, GDPR-registered), the Growth Hub portal, and has invested £112,831 in Feasibly's externally developed geospatial AI platform for renewable energy site planning. Other AI/ML capability is supplied via grants to training providers for AI, 3D printing, and electronics skills rather than through proprietary R&D. The principal outputs are quantified policy outcomes — 60,000 new homes targeted (including 25,000 affordable), 7,000+ new jobs projected in Selby, 1,000+ learners supported through Skills Innovation Fund Phase One, £62.3m cumulative economic impact attributed to the 2025 Tour of Britain, and an ambition to become England's first carbon-negative region by 2040.

Name

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

Legal name

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

Website

https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is a UK statutory government body that distributes over £1bn in devolved central government funding across skills, business, housing, transport, and net zero programmes for the region's 800,000+ residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Government Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Rail Infrastructure Authorities (Track, Stations, Grade Crossings) (BPAIALAG)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Public sector funding
• Skills training programmes
• Transport infrastructure investment
• Carbon negative initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Northallerton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Devolution Funding: The Combined Authority receives £540 million over 30 years through its devolution deal with the UK Government. This funding supports the Mayoral Investment Fund comprising the Mayoral Challenge Fund (£27 million) with four grant programmes: Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, Skills Innovation Fund, and Business Innovation Fund.
2. Devolved Transport and Skills Funding: The Combined Authority manages devolved funding streams including a £456m four-year transport capital funding settlement and the Adult Skills Fund (£10m), which it allocates to training providers and regional programmes.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is a statutory local government body created by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council that coordinates regional economic development, transport, skills, housing, policing and fire, and net zero policy across York and North Yorkshire. It administers a portfolio of grant and funding programmes (totalling over £540 million over 30 years through its devolution deal), operates the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub for business support, and delivers services such as the Adult Skills Fund, Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, and Skills Innovation Fund.

Product overview

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority operates as a government body created by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, providing a diverse portfolio of funding programmes and support services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Growth Hub for business support, multiple funding programmes under the Mayoral Investment Fund (Business Innovation Fund, Skills Innovation Fund, Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund), and various training and employment initiatives. The authority manages funds exceeding £540 million over 30 years through its devolution deal, supporting skills development, business innovation, sustainability, and regional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub: One of 38 Growth Hubs set up by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, providing free business support for businesses across York and North Yorkshire.

Products and services

• York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub One of 38 national Growth Hubs, providing free business support for businesses starting or growing across York and North Yorkshire. Works closely with City of York and North Yorkshire Council. Available at www.ynygrowthhub.com.
• Skills Innovation Fund £2.4 million funding programme from Mayoral Investment Funding to support skills development across York and North Yorkshire through two phases, aiming to innovate and build capacity in training providers. Phase One supported 420 learners and 150 tutors with 15 courses and improvements to seven teaching facilities.
• Business Innovation Fund Multi-programme fund under the £27m Mayoral Challenge Fund comprising Get Exporting, Great Ideas, Get Funded, and Spin-Out & Start-Up initiatives to support business innovation, productivity, and export growth across the region.
• Get Exporting Export funding programme under the Business Innovation Fund offering grants between £3,000 and £10,000 to help businesses in York and North Yorkshire sell products or services internationally, with total support of up to £900,000 across three rounds.
• Great Ideas £2.5 million business innovation programme offering personalised innovation support and grants of up to £60,000 to help businesses in York and North Yorkshire implement innovative ideas.
• Get Funded SME funding support programme backed by £200,000 and delivered through business support specialist UMi, offering webinars, workshops and one-to-one coaching to help small businesses understand finance, unlock growth opportunities and secure grants, loans or investment through December 2027.
• Adult Skills Fund Devolved fund supporting adult learners to gain skills leading to meaningful employment or further learning, with priorities including widening access, basic skills, and flexible provision. Delivered through approved training providers across the region.
• Skills Bootcamps Part-funded flexible training programmes of up to 16 weeks designed to support employers and adults building sector-specific skills, with a new programme launching August 2026.
• Mayor's Active Travel Fund £4 million fund to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier and safer across York and North Yorkshire, currently supporting 39 active travel projects totalling £3.4 million.
• Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund First of four initiatives under the £27 million Mayoral Challenge Fund, supporting long-term regeneration of high streets through ambitious local projects led by partnerships of businesses and community organisations.
• Carbon Negative Challenge Fund £6.75 million fund supporting innovative projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the region's journey to becoming England's first carbon negative region by 2040. Recipients include SeaGrown (£673,100), HECK! (£104,000), North York Moors National Park, Pickering Town CIC and others.
• York and North Yorkshire Net Zero Fund Predecessor to the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, supporting sustainability projects with £7 million funding across 23 successful projects.
• Employer Support Programme £1.1 million programme providing free expert support to employers creating inclusive workplaces, with seven specialist organisations delivering tailored support in HR, wellbeing, and neurodiversity.
• Access to Banking Fund Fund supporting projects that improve access to cash, banking services, and financial wellbeing in rural communities where traditional bank branches have closed.
• Local Net Zero Accelerator Programme backed by £2.8 million in government funding to develop full business case for low-carbon projects including wind power, building retrofitting, rooftop solar, and ground heat, supporting the ambition to make Yorkshire England's first carbon-negative region by 2040.
• Live Links System Technology enabling witnesses to give evidence remotely in court proceedings, particularly valuable for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors to avoid facing abusers.
• Digital Adoption Programme Grant programme supporting businesses to adopt new technologies and resources to increase innovation and productivity, with 28 projects successfully funded.
• Grow Yorkshire Partnership recognising food and farming as vital sectors, supporting bio-fibre development, precision agriculture, and funding for farmers including the Business Sustainability Programme (£2,000–£49,950 grants). Includes bio-fibre and precision agriculture special interest groups.
• Get Britain Working Economic Inactivity Trailblazer DWP-funded initiative with three aims: engage people out of work due to ill health, help employers provide good work, and join up systems and services. £1.1m second year funding launched in 2026.
• Community Fund Fund supporting community-led projects across York and North Yorkshire.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000 new homes delivered including 25,000 affordable units over next decade
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yorkshire Regional Defence & Security Cluster (YRDSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Launched by Yorkshire's four regional mayors (David Skaith - York and North Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin - West Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard - South Yorkshire, Luke Campbell - Hull and East Yorkshire) to position Yorkshire as a leading player in UK defence sector, connecting businesses, universities and public sector organisations to defence procurement opportunities.
• British CyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Partnership agreement between British Cycling and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to grow cycling and tourism links in the region. Includes hosting stage 4 of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men from Helmsley to Leyburn, bringing the UCI ProSeries race to North Yorkshire.
• Feasibly (Yorkshire Tech Start-up)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Yorkshire-based tech start-up founded by Durham University graduates, received £112,831 funding to develop geospatial AI platform for renewable energy site planning, supporting the Combined Authority's ambition to become England's first carbon negative region by 2040.
• Jan Thornton MBE (Grow Yorkshire Chair)minorOthers · 9 February 2026Newly appointed chair of Grow Yorkshire farming advisory panel. Previously received MBE for services to rural communities and joined the panel when it was formed in 2019.
• FE Colleges ConsortiumcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 29 May 2025Partnership of all further education colleges delivering in York and North Yorkshire (Askham Bryan, Craven, Harrogate, Selby, Darlington, Scarborough TEC, York College) plus adult learning services, working together to deliver Skills Innovation Fund Phase One supporting 420 learners and 150 tutors.
• Better ConnectcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 29 May 2025Not-for-profit organisation leading Step Up programme with 32 delivery organisations to engage people disengaged from education, weaving numeracy, literacy, digital and independent living skills into creative activities. Aiming to develop and deliver 50 courses training 120 disengaged learners.
• University of York and York CreativescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Joint programme called Extending XR providing creative technology skills training (immersive technologies, AI, games, virtual production) across the region for 338 learners and 20 tutors, with York Creatives establishing Creative North Yorkshire as a 'one-stop-shop' for creative practitioners.
• UMi (Business Support Specialist)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAppointed by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver the Get Funded programme (£200,000) helping small businesses overcome funding challenges through webinars, workshops, and one-to-one coaching until December 2027.
• SQW (Public Policy Experts)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned by the Combined Authority to understand barriers that talent from the three Yorkshire universities face when turning ideas into businesses, developing an action plan for universities.
• City of York CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the two upper-tier local authorities (alongside North Yorkshire Council) that created the Combined Authority. Provides governance partnership and works with the authority on economic development, housing, and regional strategy.
• North Yorkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the two upper-tier local authorities (alongside City of York Council) that created the Combined Authority. Provides governance partnership and delivers services including adult learning through Adult Learning North Yorkshire.
• Ministry of DefencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUK Government department whose programmes and supply chain partnerships are made accessible to Yorkshire businesses through the Yorkshire Regional Defence & Security Cluster membership.
• Adult Skills Fund Training ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of approved training providers including Askham Bryan College, B2W Group, York Learning, Craven College, Darlington College, Enterprise Made Simple, Heart of Yorkshire, Middlesbrough College, West Lancs College, LSTM, Adult Learning North Yorkshire, SCL Core Skills, TEC Partnership, Stockton College, Portland Training, York College University Centre, Think Employment, WEA, and Harrogate College delivering Adult Skills Fund training across the region.
• Grow Yorkshire PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership recognising food and farming as vital sectors within the region, investing in growth and development with strategic remit across environment, innovation, skills and wellbeing. Includes bio-fibre and precision agriculture special interest groups.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority: Direct peer — Mayoral Combined Authority operating under a devolution deal with similar governance structure and programme portfolio (housing, transport, skills). Comparable in size and rural-urban mix challenges.
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority: Direct peer — Mayoral Combined Authority covering Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield with a directly elected mayor and shared devolved powers in transport, skills, and economic development. Co-founder of the Yorkshire Defence Cluster.
• West Midlands Combined Authority: Direct peer — Mayoral Combined Authority covering Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. Operates a similar portfolio of devolved transport funding, adult skills budget, housing programmes, and business innovation funds.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Direct peer and the largest English Mayoral Combined Authority. Operates devolved transport, skills, housing, and business growth functions funded through a multi-billion-pound devolution settlement — directly comparable governance model.
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Direct peer — another English Mayoral Combined Authority with an elected mayor, devolution deal funding, and overlapping remits in transport, skills, housing, and economic development. It is also a co-founder of the Yorkshire Regional Defence & Security Cluster with York and North Yorkshire.
• Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority: Direct peer — newly established Mayoral Combined Authority covering Hull and East Yorkshire. Co-founder of the Yorkshire Regional Defence & Security Cluster and operates comparable devolved programmes.
• Tees Valley Combined Authority: Direct peer — earlier-wave Mayoral Combined Authority with devolved powers over transport, skills, and economic development. Operates similar grant-funded regeneration and skills programmes.
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority: Direct peer — Mayoral Combined Authority with devolved transport, skills, housing, and business growth functions. Operates a comparable portfolio of grant programmes and a Growth Hub-style business support model.
• North East Combined Authority: Direct peer — Mayoral Combined Authority covering Newcastle, Sunderland, and surrounding areas with similar devolved responsibilities in transport, skills, and economic development.

Others

• North Yorkshire Council: Constituent local authority (alongside City of York Council) that created the Combined Authority. Provides governance partnership and delivers complementary services such as Adult Learning North Yorkshire — closely coupled operating counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YNYCombined
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ynycombined
• Facebookfacebook.com/YNYCombinedAuthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ynyca
• Instagraminstagram.com/ynycombinedauthority

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority