A city deal is an agreement between government and a city, and an important first stage of devolution.
According to government, city deals give the city and its surrounding area certain powers and freedom to:
• take charge and responsibility of decisions that affect their area
• do what they think is best to help businesses grow
• create economic growth
• decide how public money should be spent
This factsheet explores city deals in further detail, including their scope, their relationship to the local growth landscape and devolution, and their importance for universities.