The Levelling Up Fund is a government initiative designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK. In both rounds, the fund supported projects under three categories: town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, or cultural and heritage assets.

The final round 2 bid was a two-component cultural project using the full constituency allowance. There were several gateway criteria that needed to be met for the bid to be eligible including sign-off from the constituency MP, an acceptable element of match funding and ability for the project to spend in the current financial year.

The heart of the bid makes the case that investment in DLWP and Sidley Recreation Ground is designed to be catalytic in that it will provide a step change in the economic and social fortunes of Bexhill-on-Sea and become an important economic and cultural asset to the region, levelling up the economic performance of an underperforming town.