Referral of the proposed subsidy to UDX Development Company Limited by the Department for Culture Media and Sport
The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request for a report providing advice to the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) concerning its proposed subsidy to UDX Development Company Limited (UDX).
Administrative timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 12 August 2026 | SAU鈥檚 report to be published |
| 14 July 2026 | Deadline for receipt of any third-party submissions |
| 30 June 2026 | Beginning of reporting period |
Request from DCMS
30 June 2026: The SAU has accepted a request for a report from DCMS concerning the proposed subsidy to UDX. This request relates to a Subsidy of Particular Interest.
The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of DCMS鈥� assessment of whether the subsidy complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.
Information about the subsidy provided by DCMS
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is proposing to award a 拢400 million grant to UDX Development Company Limited to enable their expansion to the UK where they intend to build a new theme park and resort in Bedfordshire. This subsidy will secure UDX鈥檚 multi-billion pound inward investment of over 拢6 billion, which will require significant upfront capital investment to build the theme park and resort.聽
The grant, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade via the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund (eRGF) under Section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, will be a contribution towards site-wide high-cost capital expenditure elements,聽required to enable park opening. This subsidy is part of the UK government鈥檚 support on the project. The other elements of support fall outside the scope of this referral to the SAU.
It is anticipated that the proposed theme park and resort deliver significant benefits to the region and the UK. It would be one of the biggest of its kind in the world and is anticipated to bring in more than a million more visitors to the UK on an annual basis, as well as substantial national and local economic benefits including an estimated 拢50 billion boost for the economy. It is also projected to create around 28,000 jobs in total across creative, hospitality and construction industries.聽
As one of the key investment commitments in The UK鈥檚 Modern Industrial Strategy (2025), this project directly supports the UK government鈥檚 ambition to increase business investment in the creative industries, delivering on the government鈥檚 Plan for Change, which will create growth and opportunities across the country.聽
The proposed subsidy would be governed by a Grant Funding Agreement which would clearly set out the funded activities and eligible expenditure, and these would both be closely monitored during delivery. The grant will be payable on the official 鈥淕rand Opening鈥�, but no earlier than April 2031.
Information for third parties
If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU鈥檚 evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the proposed subsidy to UDX please send your comments on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Please send your submissions to us at sau-universal2026@cma.gov.uk, copying the public authority: enquiries@dcms.gov.uk.
Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).
Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission
The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with DCMS. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to DCMS together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to grant or modify the subsidy or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with DCMS using the email address provided above.
The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.
For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Contacts
- SAU project team: sau-universal2026@cma.gov.uk
- CMA press team: 020 3738 6460 or聽press@cma.gov.uk