Long Term Strategic Investment Partnership Opportunity for the Funding of the Development and Further Expansion of UKAEA’s Culham Campus

UKAEA is an executive non-departmental public body, focused on fusion energy research with the aim to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion power. It operates Culham Campus for the primary purpose of supporting the delivery of fusion energy and developing the growth of the fusion sector. The Culham Campus is already internationally recognised as a fusion centre of excellence and the aim is to build on this to drive economic benefit for the UK.

The UK is regarded as a leading global player in the fusion industry. It has advanced funding programmes and R&D support, a well-developed regulatory framework, and a strong cross-sector innovation ecosystem centred around Culham Campus and Oxfordshire generally.

Culham Campus benefits from an existing cluster focused around UKAEA’s research which combines world-class publicly funded fusion research with commercial research and technology capabilities, providing the nucleus of a global centre for innovation.

UKAEA own the freehold of all land and property at Culham Campus, extending to circa 190 acres (77 ha), providing both recently completed and older accommodation including offices, labs and light industrial. The campus is already home to a community of both public and private science, technology, and innovation related businesses.

UKAEA is considering a process to secure a long-term investment partner to contract with via a non-corporate Strategic Investment Partnership to fund the development and further expansion of the Culham Campus as an internationally leading fusion and fusion related technology cluster in South Oxfordshire. It is the current intention that UKAEA shall seek to its appointed long-term investment partner to initially develop a commercial masterplan and delivery strategy for Culham Campus based on UKAEA’s goals and a shared vision between UKAEA and the investment partner. Thereafter the investment partner will be responsible for securing funding to facilitate the delivery of development, redevelopment, refurbishment and repurposing for the growth of the campus in line with the masterplan and delivery strategy on a plot-by-plot basis. This will also include the branding and international marketing of the campus to attract commercial occupiers in relevant sectors that complement and benefit from the established campus activities.

The continued development of Culham Campus is supported within the Adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan (STRAT 8) and on 11th December 2024 the Secretary of State approved the HIF Clifton Hamden Bypass which shall provide improved accessibility to the campus. This PIN is to establish third party interest in this opportunity and enable potential parties to register their interest for the opportunity.

The Authority reserves the right to cancel all or part of this PIN at any stage and at any time; Amend, clarify, add to or withdraw all or any part of the PIN at any time.