Sunderland City Council shares details of building esports ecosystem in Software City with British Esports

Craig Robinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 06/08/2026

Sunderland City Council published a report today, featuring an in-depth business growth report as part of the UK’s wider Shared Prosperity reporting scheme. In the document, it featured local Wearside industries, ranging from general prosperity of businesses, sustainability, carbon emissions, and other general ideas they want to fulfil, in the report British Esports also featured, thanks to Software City, a colloquial  name, akin to Salford Media City, which is the home of general tech startups and SMEs, including British Esports.

British Esports gets mentioned in Sunderland’s Shared Prosperity Report

The Shared Prosperity report goes into detail on its wider Esports Business Center and its current realisations and ambitions for the system. As it stands, Sunderland views esports and its wider Esports Business Cluster project on establishing the foundations of a local gaming ecosystem across Wearside. British Esports is viewed as the  partner, managing ongoing developments in the city, including its National Esports Performance Campus and the forthcoming British Arena, due to open later this summer.

Most of the report discusses getting business needs and profitability. Yet, Sunderland City Council and British Esports are generally in acceptance that it is in a key ecosystem stage. As it stands, the project is prioritising building connections, visibility, and shared identity across the region’s early-stage creative and digital industries.

The Council also released  early data from the initiative. It highlights significant community engagement throughout Phase 1 and its Transition Year. The highlights are as follows:

• 90 potential entrepreneurs received assistance to become enterprise-ready (60 in Phase 1, 30 in the Transition Year).
• 42 enterprises were provided with non-financial support, including networking and strategic development.
• 29 enterprises were actively supported in expanding into new markets.
• 11 enterprises received direct financial grant funding.
• 4 early-stage enterprises reported an increase in revenue following project support.

Activities brought together freelancers, content creators, micro-businesses, and established digital media SMEs through a range of engagement sessions, networking events, and knowledge-exchange programmes designed to foster collaboration.

We know the British Esports teaching and performance centres are active. The British Arena is soon to open its doors to the public too. It recently held Team Great Britain’s various Apex Legends squads at the facility, where one team became the GB reps, finishing second overall. 

Craig Robinson, Senior Editor

Craig began his career with Esports News UK back in 2015/2016, looking to write about a passion while studying at Manchester Metropolitan University. He stayed there for several years before moving on to other websites to begin his career after graduating. Now he's back, covering esports adjacent topics and UK stories.

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