About the Centre of Expertise
The Centre of Expertise delivers support to low- and middle-income countries seeking to accelerate the development of sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure. It draws on expertise and capabilities from the UK government, private sector, public agencies, NGOs, academia and business.
Areas of work
Focusing on economic infrastructure (transport and mobility, energy, water, waste management, land use), the Centre of Expertise offers technical support to governments across the following areas:
Infrastructure planning, governance and finance
Project preparation including (pre) feasibility studies and impact assessments
Cross-border trade infrastructure
Urban planning and municipal finance
Policy development and regulatory reform
Technology solutions and digital/data strategy development
The UK Expertise Offer
The UK Expertise Offer (UKEO) has been created to respond to demand for operational tools and solutions that enhance the quality of urban planning and resilient infrastructure delivery in developing countries. To this end, the UKEO will develop and refine UK best practice tools and methodologies, offering practical solutions to the unmet needs of our partner governments.
This work will be undertaken in concert with leading academics, government officials, practitioners and FCDO partners including the Department for Business and Trade, the Connected Places Catapult, Transport for London, the Infrastructure Projects Authority, Crossrail International and Oxford Global Projects.
Our principles
Green
We are committed to supporting governments to accelerate their transition to net zero through
both adaptation and mitigation projects. This includes adaptation and mitigation measures that
support the planning and delivery of resilient infrastructure systems and enhance connectivity
within cities.
Resilient
We will support our partner countries to bolster their resilience to natural hazards including urban floods, heat waves, sea level rise and urban population growth. This includes nature based solutions and measures that support governments to prepare for and respond to climate change impacts.
Integrated
We will focus on delivering projects that enhance the quality and resilience of infrastructure and
urban systems rather than single infrastructure assets. Therefore, we will not provide support to
projects that do not form part of a wider infrastructure development plan or system.
Inclusive
We will ensure that women and vulnerable groups (children, people with disabilities, informal
workers and low-income communities) benefit from the projects we support, recognising that their inclusion in the early stages of an urban infrastructure project is essential to maximising
development impacts.
