Place-based collaboration
Working together to build a fairer future for children and young people
The Fair Education Alliance is launching a new, ambitious strand of work that brings together Mayoral Combined Authorities, young people, parents and carers, schools, colleges, third sector organisations, employers, statutory bodies, philanthropists, and our national membership to design fairer systems for children and young people across England.
Place matters. Every region has its own strengths, challenges and opportunities, and our approach recognises that real change starts locally, in partnership with the people closest to the issues.
Through our Place-Based Collaboration approach, we are supporting Mayoral Combined Authorities to create more connected and equitable systems and improve outcomes for children and young people across education, employment and skills - and using that local insight to influence change at a national level.
Why place-based collaboration matters
Inequity doesn’t sit neatly within one policy area. It is systemic, shaped by local variation in education, skills, access to good jobs, family support, health, and community opportunity.
Our Place-Based Collaboration work is designed to:
Bring partners together to co-design solutions across sectors, not in silos
Ensure young people and families shape the systems that affect them
Address the root causes of education, employment and skills challenges
Build evidence that supports national change informed by local learning
This is a bold, collaborative approach, and we’re excited to work with partners across each region to drive long-term change.
Our Approach
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A national learning and innovation network connecting Mayoral Combined Authorities across England.
We convene senior leaders from Mayoral Combined Authorities to share insight, explore challenges, and develop collective approaches to improving education and life outcomes.
The network provides:
Facilitated peer learning – regular sessions focused on key themes such as early years, skills, and post-16 transitions as well as leadership development and innovation
Expert input and research – including drawing on FEA’s national evidence base and membership.
Collaboration fund – a £150,000 shared fund to support joint projects and shared learning.
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At the heart of this programme are three new Collaboration Partnerships - in the West Midlands, South Yorkshire and the Liverpool City Region.
These partnerships bring together a wide coalition of local actors: including young people, parents/carers, schools, colleges, early years providers, community organisations, youth groups, employers, philanthropists, local authorities, FEA members and the Mayoral Combined Authority itself.
Together, we will identify local drivers of inequity, map the landscape of provision, and design, test and scale systemic solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people.
Each region has its own local priorities, but the shared ambition is clear: fairer, more connected systems that support children and young people to thrive.
Each Collaboration Partnership will receive over £500,000 in grant funding and tailored support from the Fair Education Alliance, including a dedicated Head of Collaboration Partnership - linking local insight with national influence and supporting shared learning across the MCA Network.
Meet our three Collaboration Partners (2025-2028)
West Midlands
Focused on post-16 destinations and developing an understanding of what has the greatest impact, resulting in more effective resourcing and delivery to improve outcomes for children and young people.
South Yorkshire
Co-designing fairer, more connected systems across education, skills, and employment - creating stronger opportunities for young people as they move through school and into the future.
Liverpool City Region
Focused on Early Childhood and early years systems change - ensuring every child has the foundations to thrive, through joined-up support across education, health, family support and community.
From local learning to national change
The insights generated through our regional partnerships will feed directly into our MCA Network, our national membership, and our policy and research work — strengthening our collective ability to influence long-term change for children and young people.
This is neighbourhood to national: bringing together grassroots action, regional government and national policy to achieve lasting change.
With a strong track record of partnering with cities across the UK and globally, Bloomberg brings unique expertise in convening leaders and stakeholders to accelerate systemic change. Bloomberg is joined by founding funder UBS, whose support for place-based change has been pivotal in progress for children and young people. Long-term FEA supporters A&O Shearman, Barclays Life Skills, IG Group, Mission44, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation are joined by The Dulverton Trust and Stratton Chase to ensure the success of this ambitious strategy.
Get involved
Want to learn more about our place-based partnerships or connect with the MCA Network?
