Plastic pollution is creating an environmental crisis in the oceans.

According to the United Nations (pdf), more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the water every year, killing up to 1 million sea birds and 100,000 mammals, turtles and fish.

Unless significant action is taken, the amount of plastic in the seas will triple by 2025.

New investment partnership

To tackle the plastics problem, Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures have joined forces to offer UK businesses £6 million in simultaneous public and private funding.

Innovate UK will provide up to £3 million in grants to enable the UK to lead the fight against waste, catalyse new ideas and quickly get products and services to market. Part of this is from the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund – a £20 million programme led by UK Research and Innovation.

Sky Ocean Ventures will offer the same amount in private investment. Set up by Sky, the firm looks to support young companies and create meaningful change by highlighting environmental disaster caused by plastic pollution in the oceans.

This follows a recent report by Beauhurst that companies receiving both Innovate UK grants and follow-on equity typically raise more money and achieve higher valuations.

Ideas to reduce plastic waste

The first part of the funding competition is inviting applications from projects that reduce plastic waste and pollution of wider environment and promote a circular economy.

Projects could include:

• developing new, sustainable polymer materials
• developing sustainable plastic alternatives
• alternative business models and supply chains that use less plastic
• supporting circularity through improved resource use and design
• new product designs
• technology-enabled models that change consumer behaviours
• new recycling processes, including collecting, sorting and processing of waste plastics
• increasing the value of recycled polymers
• scalable, technology-enabled remedial solutions

Applications should identify where revenue generation and growth will occur in the UK as a result of the innovation being developed and exploited.

Workable solutions before it’s too late

On the competition, Energy and Clean Growth Minister, Claire Perry said:

Heart-breaking images of wildlife suffering due to plastics waste have been a stark reminder that harmful pollution can have a devastating impact on our oceans.

That is why, this time last year, the Prime Minister committed us to eliminating all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.

We are investing more than ever before to find alternative materials to harmful plastics. We want innovators and businesses to get behind this too, helping us find new ways to cut down waste and pollution while growing their business to have global impact.

Ian Campbell, Interim Executive Chair of Innovate UK, said:

Plastic waste has created a crisis that needs a global resolution. We need businesses, investors, government and researchers pulling in the same direction, creating workable solutions that people will be able to see on the shelves before it’s too late.

Fred Michel, Group Director, Impact Investment and Sky Ocean Ventures, added:

Our aim is to enable entrepreneurs to support innovative new ideas at the earliest stages with both investment and mentorship. We will use the reach and voice of Sky’s platforms to highlight their solutions and help consumers change behaviours.

Competition information

• the first part of the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 13 March 2019
• micro and small businesses are eligible to apply, working alone
• applicants must be based in the UK and intend to carry out the work here
• we expect projects to have total costs of between £100,000 and £200,000 and to last up to 12 months
• funding is for feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development
• successful applicants could get up to 100% of their project costs. This will be split between Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures

DVLA staff are gearing up for another jam-packed year of fundraising.

Kindred Spirit (LT1048) is a 13 metre stern trawler owned by Roger Klyne and skippered by Stephen Fisher. The court heard that the vessel had overfished its non-sector quota for anglerfish in both July and August 2017. The total value of the overfish was £10,575.44.

Two charges for exceeding monthly quota limits were brought before the court. The defendants pleaded guilty to both charges.

Mr Klyne was fined £10,000, ordered to pay £3,014.74 in costs and a victim surcharge of £170. Mr Fisher was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40.

A spokesperson for the MMO said:

In cases like these the MMO will always take proportionate and appropriate action, including prosecution, to ensure offenders do not profit from such illegal activity and to protect fish stocks for the wider fishing industry and future generations.

In following national guidelines for sentencing environmental crimes, the court set a level of fine that was expressly aimed at depriving the defendants of the economic benefit of the offences. The court said it wanted to make it clear that it should not be cheaper to offend than to comply with the law.

Published 11 January 2019

New figures released today (11 January 2019) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed exports (goods and services) in the year to November 2018 were worth £630 billion, growing by £13.9 billion since the previous year.

There has now been 32 consecutive months of export growth on a 12-month rolling basis.

As the UK considers future Free Trade Agreements with the likes of the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), goods exports to these countries continued to boom:

• USA: up 6.9% to £54.9 billion

• Australia: up 2.9% £5.1 billion

• New Zealand: up 3.8% to £869 million

• CPTPP: up 4.2% to £28.4 billion

With other notable goods exports growth to non-EU markets including Nigeria (up 29.2%), India (up 27.3%), and Thailand (up 18.5%).

The news comes as London retained its position as the top tech investment destination in Europe earlier this week. According to Pitchbook and London & Partners, the capital received £1.8 billion tech investment in 2018, more than Berlin and Paris combined.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

Today’s statistics once again show UK businesses are exporting with more confidence than ever before, as total exports rise to a record high of £630 billion. As my colleagues and I have witnessed on ministerial visits up and down the country, businesses are simply keen to continue meeting demand for their produce from all corners of the world.

As we start the new year, I encourage all businesses to mark 2019 as a year for overseas expansion. Whether you are a small business seeking help to sell abroad for the first time, or an established exporter looking to break into new markets, my international economic department stands ready to offer its full support.

Last August, the Department for International Trade launched its ambitious new Export Strategy, seeking to move exports as a percentage of GDP from 30% to 35%.

The strategy set out a range of support which will help businesses make the most of significant export opportunities around the world.

Notes to editors:

New figures show continued export growth, totalling £630 billion in the year to November 2018.