Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces New Program to Supercharge the Impact of UK Metro Mayors
New national effort aims to strengthen mayoral capacity, modernize regional services, and help leaders deliver visible results for residents
New York, NY & London, UK – As the United Kingdom advances its devolution agenda—transferring powers from central to local government including those related to infrastructure, economic development, and essential public services—Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced a new training and capacity building initiative to help metro mayors and their Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) accelerate progress and turn newly devolved and broader powers into tangible results for residents. The initiative builds on more than 10 years of work led by Bloomberg Philanthropies to advance mayoral leadership and local government innovation across the globe.
Metro mayors, directly elected to lead MSAs, are now charged with unifying fragmented local systems, driving regional economic performance, and delivering impact in devolved areas including transport, housing, and public safety. Despite the huge potential, new research from the Centre for Public Impact shows MSAs face early challenges including attracting top talent in areas such as finance, data, and strategy; operating with lean teams; and the need to prove themselves quickly with a skeptical public. Strengthening the institutional foundations of these authorities early will be critical to realizing the promise of devolution.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th mayor of New York City, said, “At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we’re big believers in the power of mayors to improve services and make a positive difference in their residents’ everyday lives. We’ve supported mayors across the UK and beyond for more than a decade. Now we’re using that experience and resources to help the new metro mayors hit the ground running – and set their communities up for long-term success.”
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new non-partisan initiative will work directly with metro mayors and their senior teams over the course of three years to strengthen strategic leadership, build high-performing teams, sharpen data-informed decision-making, and modernize the services residents rely on. For the recently established and forthcoming MSAs, many of which are creating governing institutions from scratch, this support will help leaders set up and strengthen the structures, talent, tools, and operating rhythms needed for success. Bloomberg Philanthropies will also fund two data staff within ten MSAs for two years each, helping to ensure mayors and their teams can make strategic, timely decisions informed by the latest and best data available.
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said, “It’s great to know that influential international bodies like Bloomberg Philanthropies recognise the game-changing importance of devolution. This government is committed to shifting power away from Westminster and into the hands of local leaders who understand their communities best and this programme will help our Strategic Authority Mayors build the foundations they need to deliver for local people across the country.”
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said, “Chambers are embedded in their communities and decades of experience has taught us that effective decision-making should sit with those who really know and understand their local areas. It’s great to see Bloomberg Philanthropies providing the support to help make this happen more quickly and effectively.”
This initiative, which has been developed in partnership with the London School of Economics (LSE), Public Digital, and Inner Circle Consulting, will begin in early 2026 and will include opportunities for both the mayors and key members of their teams, ensuring capacity is strengthened across whole leadership structures, not just at the top. Additional metro mayors will be invited to participate as new MSAs are established in the years ahead.
This effort to assist metro mayors and their MSAs is the latest from over a decade of work led by Bloomberg Philanthropies to advance mayoral leadership and the progress of local governments across the globe. Through initiatives that operate today in over 700 city halls, tens of thousands of mayors and municipal officials receive support to better the lives of the hundreds of millions of residents they collectively serve. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, has to date trained 387 mayors and over 2,600 senior city officials—including 8 in 10 of America’s big city mayors and 9 of England’s Mayoral Strategic Authorities. In October 2025, the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative was launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the London School of Economics and Political Science as the first-ever professional leadership and management program designed specifically for Europe’s municipal chiefs. The inaugural class includes 30 mayors from 17 countries.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said, “As Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, I’ve seen first-hand how Mike Bloomberg’s programmes have helped raise the bar and deliver for our residents. As the UK brings more directly elected mayors into the fold, it’s incredibly exciting to see Bloomberg Philanthropies expand its work so more of us can learn from global experience and adopt the best approaches to deliver for the people we serve.”
Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, said, “The support and insights available from Bloomberg Philanthropies have been invaluable. In North East England we are focused on creating opportunity and reducing child poverty and the help from Bloomberg Philanthropies, from mission setting to capacity support, has made a substantial contribution to achieving this goal. Mayors work best when they are delivery-focused. Mike Bloomberg saw this firsthand, and it’s great he is now backing the work of others to create real change.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said, “It is vital that we give directly elected mayors and devolution the greatest chance for success, and I’m thrilled to know Mike Bloomberg and his team are investing in this major reform. I’ve been a partner to Bloomberg Philanthropies since my first year as Mayor and our region has benefitted enormously as a result.”
Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said, “Working with Bloomberg Philanthropies is helping us bring the very best ideas and expertise from around the world to South Yorkshire. Sharing knowledge and turning that insight into action means we can tackle the big challenges we face and deliver real, lasting change for our communities. We’re improving how we plan and invest in public transport, building the capacity we need to innovate and grow, and through our Beds for Babies programme we’ve already helped more than 2,700 children and their families across our region. Together, we’re making sure that the decisions we take today put innovation at the heart of what we do, helping us to build a healthier, happier and better connected South Yorkshire.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This new support from Bloomberg Philanthropies will help Mayors across the world to come together, share innovation, and deliver for the communities we serve. The big challenges of our time – from tackling the cost of living and the climate crisis to investing in transport, skills and housing – demand bold solutions and new ideas. By strengthening our collaboration, we can build stronger, fairer and greener city regions that work for all.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said, “It is vital that we use the opportunity devolution gives us to bring our resources together and drive economic opportunity across the West Midlands. Support from Bloomberg Philanthropies will help metro mayors across the UK step up to that task and deliver for residents. Their work to equip mayors with practical leadership tools is already making a difference in the West Midlands through our work together to use data and evidence to rebalance our region – and bring opportunity to those residents who haven’t had access to it for too long.”
###
About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.
Media Contact:
Amanda Konstam
Amanda@bloomberg.org
Alexander Short
Ashort32@bloomberg.net