Day: September 26, 2018

A new system is being rolled out today (27 September 2018) as a first step towards supporting the continuity of funding for UK organisations which have been awarded grants from the European Union’s flagship programme for science and innovation, Horizon 2020.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is asking recipients of Horizon 2020 grants to input basic information about their awards into a bespoke portal. This will ensure that UKRI can keep UK researchers and businesses informed of the next steps if the government needs to underwrite Horizon 2020 payments.

The UK and the EU’s intention is that UK researchers and businesses will continue to be eligible to participate in Horizon 2020 for the remaining duration of the programme.

This is set out in the Financial Provisions of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, which has been agreed by both UK and Commission negotiators, and was welcomed by the other 27 EU countries at March European Council.

As a responsible government, however, the UK government is planning for all eventualities to ensure that cross-border collaboration in science and innovation can continue after EU exit.

Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:

It is imperative that we support our world-class researchers, businesses and scientists to continue to collaborate with EU partners after exit.

While we do not want nor expect no deal, it is right that we plan for every eventuality. The launch of the new UKRI portal today is the next step in our commitment to the recipients of Horizon 2020 funding that we will guarantee funding for the duration of the programme.

The UK government announced 2 years ago that it would underwrite UK funds for all EU-funded projects successfully bid for while the UK is a still a member of the EU.

In July of this year an extension to that guarantee said that funding for UK participants successfully bid for from exit day until the end of 2020 would also be guaranteed by the UK government, in a no deal scenario.

Last month the UK government announced that if the underwrite needs to come into effect, UKRI is the partner of choice to deliver it.

To ensure UKRI is ready for that eventuality, specialist teams have developed a bespoke portal designed to capture basic information about recipients’ grants and identify a relevant contact at the participating organisation for the project, likely to be the LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative), so that they can be informed of the next steps in the process.

Those in receipt of Horizon 2020 grants need to input their information into the system as soon as possible.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport, said:

It is extremely important that, if required, the underwrite guarantee for Horizon 2020 funding is administered effectively and UKRI is committed to putting in place the mechanisms that will support this. I urge our partners in research and business to work with us to capture the information we need via this portal.

Offenders will be able to learn vital skills to help them back into work after release thanks to £2.4 million funding announced today (27 September 2018).

Grants have been awarded to 13 charitable organisations and social enterprises as part of new Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) funding.

The grants have been awarded to a wide range of organisations providing everything from support into employment for female abuse victims to training for prisoners in computer programming.

Evidence shows having sustainable work on release significantly reduces reoffending; the support provided by these charities will help prisons promote employment opportunities for those who have been in custody.

Earlier this year the Secretary of State, David Gauke, announced the Education and Employment strategy, which will provide a new focus on work as having the potential to provide a foundation for a better life for people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system.

Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said:

I am delighted to be able to award this funding and have such a wide range of innovative organisations on board and ready to support offenders both in and out of prison.

This investment shows that we are committed to supporting the role of the third sector in delivering vital rehabilitative services.

Charities and social enterprises are crucial in helping us to provide better rehabilitation, promote wellbeing and ultimately reduce reoffending and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these grants over the coming years.

Digby Griffith, Executive Director for Rehabilitation and Assurance, and Chair of the HMPPS Grants Board said:

We received a high calibre of applications and it is fantastic to be able to give these voluntary sector and social enterprise organisations the opportunity to test their innovative ideas within a HMPPS setting.

I am delighted to award this funding and I look forward to seeing the projects progress over the next 2 years.

The organisations were asked to submit innovative bids that met with seven key themes aimed at improving rehabilitation, promoting wellbeing and reducing reoffending.

As part of a comprehensive bidding process which saw over 200 applications for funding, the 13 successful applicants can be announced today, they are:

• St Giles Trust
• Barnardo’s
• NEPACS
• National Autistic Society
• Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (Darlington & County Durham)
• Shared Enterprise CIC
• No Place Productions
• Birth Companions
• Samaritans
• Design Against Crime Research Centre
• Code4000
• Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
• Safer Living Foundation

The new money will be invested over 2 years, allowing a wide variety of voluntary sector and social enterprise organisations to develop their projects in a range of different environments across England and Wales – from Camden to Kirkham.

Code4000 will teach prisoners computer programming skills, Design Against Crime Research Centre will work with offenders to design and pilot new anti-vandal and safe cell furniture, while the Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (Darlington & County Durham) will support women who have experienced sexual violence to help them find employment on release.

The aim of the HMPPS grant programme is to improve the lives of offenders by applying the expertise, skills and ideas of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

Community based organisations are often best placed to identify local needs and respond flexibly to engage with hard to reach groups, such as offenders and those at risk of offending.

This has been proven through the Grants Programme which has been the starting place for several activities, projects, products and ways of working which now form part of HMPPS core business.

Thanks to grant-funding, many projects are now embedded into HMPPS approaches. These include the Prison Listener Scheme, work undertaken by Unlock to help prisoners open bank accounts, family engagement workers, mentoring schemes and National Prison Radio.