making an impact in Dorset

Dorset is a county with tremendous opportunities. As a business-led partnership, we are uniquely positioned to strengthen Dorset’s role as a leader, nationally and internationally, in tackling some of humanity’s greatest challenges. These challenges include addressing healthy ageing, ensuring a dependable food supply, and creating net zero infrastructure.

We are passionate about driving economic growth and productivity as well as attracting funding and investment. We are supporting businesses and developing skills, employment and career opportunities to improve people’s life chances in Dorset. We work with partners to champion Dorset’s capacity to push boundaries, accelerate business growth and develop new markets through developing place-based strategy for our region.

Since launching in 2011, Dorset has generated £326 million of government, European and match funded investment to the region. Our capital investment programme alone has secured £274 million for Dorset - by 2025 we expect to have transformed this into £1.55 billion.

We continue to be committed to identifying future investment opportunities, particularly in relation to net zero infrastructure and healthy ageing solutions, to help realise our future vision for Dorset.

Delivering on our ambitions

Since launching in 2011, Dorset has generated £326 million of government, European and match funded investment to the region.

Our successful delivery of programmes of investment in 74 capital projects to date, business support and skills development are already having a significant impact on communities across Dorset. We have created/safeguarded thousands of jobs and enabled the build of new homes, learning and commercial space. We have supported businesses to become more resilient in the face of - and recovery from - COVID-19, grow into new markets and generated over £1.5 million of innovation funding for local businesses through our bid writing support service. We have one of the most successful careers hubs in the country which continues to outperform the national average in facilitating careers education, working with over 75 schools and colleges, as well as universities, training providers, employers and careers professionals in our region.

Take a look at our ten year history and timeline of achievements and milestone moments so far.