Civic University Agreement
While Salford City Council and the University of Salford have worked in close partnership for years, in January 2026 a Civic University Agreement was put into place to formally announce our collective commitments to the city and its communities.
The purpose of a Civic University Agreement is to strengthen the relationship between the University and local communities, addressing local challenges and opportunities collaboratively. It aims to foster co-operation and shared responsibility for the common good, ensuring that the university contributes to the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of our city.
This agreement has evolved through discussions between leadership teams, and our own local priorities as identified in our overarching strategies, the University’s Innovating to Enrich Lives and the Council’s This is Our Salford.
We agree to create positive change for Salford through five clear goals:
Build a Child Friendly City
Salford has an ambition to become a Child Friendly City. This means ensuring the city is a great place for children and young people to grow up and feel safe, cared for, heard and have quality opportunities to learn, work and play.
Together we will widen access to higher education for young people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds (including those with experience of care). We will empower learners to make informed decisions about their future, whether through education, training or employment.
Through the development of vibrant and accessible public spaces, we will open up the University's estate, facilities and services to welcome local schools, colleges and community organisations onto campus so they can engage with educational, health, wellbeing and cultural opportunities.
Our cutting-edge research will influence policy and support the Council to improve outcomes for children and young people across the city.
Deliver economic growth and skills
The core mission of the University of Salford is to transform lives through education. We play a key role in delivering the city’s Employment and Skills Strategy and Local Skills Improvement Plan, alongside creating jobs through local investment, as demonstrated by the £2.5 billion Crescent Salford regeneration scheme with placemaking partner English Cities Fund (ECF).
Together we will continue to harness the power of our anchor institutions, maximising the full potential of Crescent Salford to create world-class research, innovation and creative facilities that local people and businesses can benefit from.
By working together, universities and councils can supercharge growth and opportunity across the UK. As a foundation partner of the Key Cities Innovation Network, we will strengthen collaboration to drive urban innovation and sustainable growth.
We will prioritise skills, providing a pipeline of industry-ready graduates for growth sectors in the region, growing the number of apprentices being trained in Salford (both within own workforces and through local supply chains), and investing in vocational and technical education through a new lifelong learning strategy that supports adult learning.
We will join forces to develop a strategy which will consider how those who are economically inactive due to poor health and wellbeing could return to work via engagement with a health offer from the University.
Support socially engaged research and innovation
Research at Salford not only meets the highest academic standards but also translates into practical solutions that benefit local people and places. From our unique position at the heart of the community, we empower those around us to transform the everyday lives of people in Salford and beyond.
Together we will maximise funding opportunities linked to local priorities through a coordinated approach and develop a start-up business incubator space in collaboration with partners so students and graduates can grow their social enterprises.
The world is changing fast, so we’ll explore the use of AI and technology innovations to improve service delivery and productivity for local residents. The University’s expertise in net zero innovation through Energy House Labs will also inform local planning policy and climate change projects.
Enhance procurement and social value
Both the Council and University have a direct impact on the economic, social and cultural fabric of the city. Both are large employers, providing high quality local employment, as well as being stewards of local land and property assets which shape the quality and sustainability of the local environment.
Together we will maximise the social value commitments made by third party suppliers to better align with local priorities and increase the number of accredited Living Wage employers within our supply chains.
We will drive opportunity, exploring ways to undertake joint procurement opportunities, creating more routes for local social and community businesses to bid for public sector contracts.
Supercharge culture and creativity
Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017 with the Arts Council England, the University and Council have played pivotal roles in driving the creative and cultural agenda in Salford. We will continue to build on our shared ambition for civic arts, culture and heritage, providing opportunities for students and communities to engage.
Together we will continue to champion creative and cultural careers, supporting young people to understand their pathways into the industry.
2026 marks the City of Salford’s Centenary – we will celebrate this landmark year by bringing in new audiences and supporting cultural moments through collaboration. We’ll deliver the grassroots-led Re-Centre Creative People and Places programme, supported by Arts Council England, the Lowry, Salford Community Leisure and Salford CVS.
We will work together on developing a joint bid to become one of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts - a title given to cities that are committed to placing media, arts and cultural industries at the heart of their local development plan and actively operating at an international level.