The third cycling and walking investment strategy · first published 11 June 2026
CWIS3 (the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy) sets out the government's ten-year plan to make walking, wheeling and cycling safe, easy and accessible for everyone in England by 2035. It commits approximately £4.55 billion of projected public investment across government between April 2025 and March 2030, with Active Travel England (ATE) — an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT) — acting as the main delivery and funding body for local authorities. The strategy funds infrastructure (cycle lanes, school streets, safe crossings), school and community programmes, a national wayfinding system, and a new £10 million Streets Innovation Fund for trials of innovative measures. For small businesses, the strategy signals sustained, multi-year public commissioning in active travel infrastructure, behaviour-change programmes, data and monitoring, planning and design services, and community engagement — predominantly channelled through local and mayoral authorities. The rules bind central government and local/mayoral authorities in England; they do not directly regulate private suppliers, but they shape where public money will flow.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
CWIS3 is one of the largest sustained active travel spending commitments the UK has made, and it is deliberately structured to flow money through local and mayoral authorities — the very bodies that procure from SMEs. The emphasis on building local capability, school-focused programmes, community engagement, monitoring and data, and design guidance creates procurement opportunities well-suited to specialist small firms in planning, engineering, behaviour change, digital mapping and training. The Streets Innovation Fund (£10 million) and the national wayfinding pilots launching by 2026 are near-term, defined funding pots where agile SMEs can compete before larger frameworks lock up the work.
1. Monitor ATE's procurement pipeline and your local/mayoral authority tender portals now — ATE is administering over £760 million of devolved funding and every Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) and large local authority must have a funded, phased active travel network plan in place by 2030. Get on approved supplier lists or dynamic purchasing systems before frameworks close.
SMEs in active travel infrastructure design, planning consultancy and civil engineering — The document states ATE is 'administering more than £760 million of devolved funding for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes' and that 'every mayoral strategic authority and large local authority will have a funded, phased active travel network plan' by 2030.
2. Position your offer around the £135 million school and community programme fund — develop a clear proposition for training children to walk, wheel and cycle, school travel plan development, or community cycling/walking activation, and approach ATE and local authorities with this.
SMEs offering behaviour-change, training, community engagement or school travel planning services — ATE is providing '£135 million of revenue funding over the course of the strategy to support schools and community-focused programmes' that will 'train and support millions of children to walk, wheel and cycle to school' and 'help schools develop travel plans.'
3. Apply to the £10 million Streets Innovation Fund when it opens — this fund is explicitly designed to support trials of innovative measures and is a lower-competition, defined pot that suits agile small firms with novel approaches.
SMEs with innovation in active travel measures, street design or road safety technology — The document announces 'a new £10 million Streets Innovation Fund to support trials of innovative measures intended to encourage active travel and improve road safety.'
4. Target the national wayfinding pilots launching by 2026 and the national network digital platform due by 2030 — watch ATE and DfT procurement notices for mapping, data standards, platform development and signage pilot contracts.
SMEs in digital mapping, GIS, data and wayfinding technology — By 2026 the government will 'launch local pilots for wayfinding and innovative street designs' and by 2030 will 'develop the foundations of a national network by bringing together existing, planned and proposed schemes into a single digital platform.'
5. Build a proposition around ATE's stated priority to 'improve scheme monitoring by providing a consistent approach to the use of traffic counters' — offer monitoring, data collection or evaluation services to local authorities delivering ATE-funded schemes, as this is a requirement tied to future funding.
SMEs providing monitoring, evaluation, traffic counting or research services — ATE priorities explicitly include 'Improve scheme monitoring by providing a consistent approach to the use of traffic counters to strengthen appraisal, evaluation and sharing evidence and best practice.'
6. Familiarise yourself with ATE's design guidance and the updated Manual for Streets (forthcoming) — demonstrating compliance with these standards in bids will be increasingly important as ATE has new statutory planning powers to require high-quality active travel provision in new housing and development.
SMEs in planning, urban design or housing development consultancy — ATE will 'Use new statutory planning powers to secure high‑quality active travel provision in new housing, development plans and spatial strategies in line with departmental design guidance.'
7. Check whether your target local authority has a good or poor ATE capability rating — authorities with lower capability ratings may need more external supplier support, creating more procurement opportunities; higher-rated authorities may have more in-house capacity.
SMEs bidding for local authority active travel contracts in any discipline — ATE is 'running the local authority active travel capability ratings to inform future funding,' meaning ratings will influence how much external support authorities need and how funding is directed.
8. Explore the Tour de France 2027 social impact programme (Joy) procurement — the government has committed £32 million to the Grand Départs and is developing a dedicated social impact programme focused on tackling inactivity, productivity and community benefit beyond 2027.
SMEs in cycling tourism, events management or community sport — The document states 'A dedicated social impact programme (Joy) is being developed to provide lasting impact beyond 2027' funded as part of the '£32 million in funding to support the provision of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs in 2027.'
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
CWIS3 covers the period from April 2025 to March 2030 and sets a 2035 overarching target. (All active travel investment in England, 2025–2030)
“Between 2025 to 2026 and 2029 to 2030 – the period covered in CWIS3”
Total projected government investment in active travel over the 5-year strategy period is £4,555 million (approximately £4.55 billion). (All active travel funding streams, England, April 2025 – March 2030)
“project investment of £4,555 million across the government”
ATE's own direct funding allocation over the strategy period is £1,107 million. (ATE-administered funding, England, April 2025 – March 2030)
“ATE funding £1,107”
Funding from wider DfT and other government department streams (transport for city regions, highways maintenance, CRSTS, etc.) is projected at £3,448 million. (Wider government active travel funding streams, England, April 2025 – March 2030)
“Funding streams within DfT and other government departments £3,448”
ATE is administering more than £760 million of devolved funding for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes. (Devolved funding to MSAs and larger local authorities, England)
“administering more than £760 million of devolved funding for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes”
ATE is providing £135 million of revenue funding over the strategy period to support schools and community-focused programmes. (School and community active travel programmes, England, 2025–2030)
“ATE is providing £135 million of revenue funding over the course of the strategy to support schools and community-focused programmes”
A new £10 million Streets Innovation Fund will support trials of innovative active travel and road safety measures. (All eligible applicants for innovation trials, England)
“launching a new £10 million Streets Innovation Fund to support trials of innovative measures intended to encourage active travel and improve road safety”
The overarching 2035 target is for 55% of all short stages in towns and cities to be walked or cycled. (England-wide target, measured via National Travel Survey, by 2035)
“55% of all short stages in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2035”
60% of children aged 5 to 16 are targeted to usually walk or cycle to school by 2035. (England-wide outcome target, by 2035)
“60% of children aged 5 to 16 will usually walk or cycle to school by 2035”
The strategy targets 5.3 million more people being physically active through active travel by 2035. (England-wide outcome target, cumulative 2025–2035)
“5.3 million more people being physically active through active travel, including inactive people”
By 2026, local pilots for wayfinding and innovative street designs will be launched and a vision and outline business case for a national wayfinding approach will be published. (National wayfinding programme, England, by 2026)
“by 2026 launch local pilots for wayfinding and innovative street designs to reinforce the evidence base of what works”
By 2027, new Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) guidance with enhanced walking network planning will be published. (Local authority planning guidance, England, by 2027)
“by 2027 publish a new local cycling and walking infrastructure plan guidance, with enhanced walking network planning and support authorities to update and integrate with local transport plans”
By 2028, the Traffic Signs and Regulations General Directions (TSRGD) and traffic signs manual will be updated to include active travel signing. (National signage legislation and guidance, England, by 2028)
“by 2028 update TSRGD and the traffic signs manual to include signing for active travel”
By 2030, a single digital platform will bring together existing, planned and proposed schemes to form the foundations of a national active travel network. (National active travel network digital platform, England, by 2030)
“by 2030 develop the foundations of a national network by bringing together existing, planned and proposed schemes into a single digital platform”
Government will regulate in 2026 to make 'unnecessary obstruction of the pavement' civilly enforceable. (Pavement parking enforcement, England, 2026)
“we will regulate in 2026 to make 'unnecessary obstruction of the pavement' civilly enforceable, giving uniformed civil enforcement officers the ability to address the most antisocial cases”
ATE will use new statutory planning powers to secure high-quality active travel provision in new housing, development plans and spatial strategies. (New housing and development planning, England)
“Use new statutory planning powers to secure high‑quality active travel provision in new housing, development plans and spatial strategies in line with departmental design guidance”
Local authorities now have flexibility to invest active travel devolved funds into other local transport priorities, and vice versa. (Devolved local transport funding, England)
“local areas now have the flexibility to invest active travel funds into other local transport priorities. Conversely, local areas will also have the flexibility to invest funding from other transport funding streams into active travel”
ATE will run local authority active travel capability ratings to inform future funding decisions. (Local authorities in England)
“running the local authority active travel capability ratings to inform future funding”
Research cited in the strategy states that people who walk to the high street typically visit twice as frequently and spend up to 40% more compared to those who drive. (Economic evidence cited in strategy)
“people who walk to the high street typically visit twice as frequently and spend up to 40% more compared to those who drive”
The government is providing £32 million to support hosting the Tour de France Grand Départs in 2027, with a social impact programme (Joy) to provide lasting impact beyond 2027. (Tour de France 2027 legacy programme, UK)
“The UK government is providing £32 million in funding to support the provision of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs in 2027”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.