Innovative businesses across the UK have received a £15 million boost through our emerging and enabling technologies competition. This is to identify and invest in new technologies with the potential to unlock billions of pounds of value to UK industry and disrupt existing markets.

Eighty high-growth potential projects have been successful in being awarded funding, some of which include:

• Holosphere Ltd will work with Jaguar Land Rover to create an augmented reality car configurator for use in its network of showrooms
• Archangel Aerospace will develop an ultra lightweight laser receiver terminal to bring vast amounts of data from satellites in a low orbit down to earth quickly and reliably. This will vastly improve the scope and quality of services provided by earth observation and scientific satellites
• ‘PlasticARMPit’ a joint project involving ARM, PragmatIC Printing, Unilever and the University of Manchester. This will develop a high-performance energy-efficient processing engine to deliver future flexible electronic devices
• Croda project, which aims to develop advanced antimicrobial coatings to control and prevent biofilm formation that costs the UK economy tens of billions per annum in damage. The project is led by the global market leader in speciality chemicals, Croda, in collaboration with Scanwel and the University of Liverpool, who provide advanced characterisation tools to help optimise the technology and enable its translation to a number of market sectors

Paul Mason, Emerging and Enabling Technologies Director at Innovate UK, said:

The quality and breadth of applications for this competition was excellent. It highlights the appetite and capacity of UK businesses to innovate, and to find new sources of revenue from new products, processes or services.

For a list of winning projects please see the funding competition winners 2017.

A summary (PDF, 98.3KB, 7 pages) of the key results from the Veterinary Medicines Pharmacovigilance Annual Review 2015.

The annual review summarises the 5674 UK adverse events in animals, humans and the environment after use of veterinary medicines and other products reported to VMD in 2015.

Full review

CCS today publishes a statement outlining how it will do more to help public sector bodies to deliver additional social benefits in line with legislation including the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

The legislation requires buyers to consider what additional social, environmental and economic benefits can be delivered through the contract.

Sam Rowbury, Director of Policy at CCS said:

“We recognise that for many of our customers across the public sector, maximising value means both saving money and securing social value for citizens.

“We’re making sure that our customers can use our deals to deliver the specific social value benefits they are looking for.

“Social value benefits could be anything from creating more apprenticeships for young people, to reducing carbon emissions or promoting equality and diversity.”

What we’re doing

CCS will work to increase social value by:

• making sure all relevant new deals offer social value opportunities and give customers the flexibility to specify and evaluate social value at call-off
• reviewing current deals to identify social value opportunities
• providing tools and guidance to help build social value into procurements and measure the social value element of bids received
• listening to customers, understanding their needs and learning from other organisations
• working with suppliers so they are ready to respond to the requirements of public bodies

The most popular 20 frameworks that CCS offers to its customers have already been assessed and are ready to help customers secure social benefits now. This includes the Energy Performance Contracting and Technology Products 2 frameworks.

In future, frameworks will be designed to give customers the flexibility they need to decide their own, specific social value benefits, in keeping with their own social value objectives.

Social value in the communications arena

Social & Local, a micro-enterprise agency with a unique social value model, has been awarded a place on the Communication Services framework (RM3796).

Providing specialist services in areas such as hard to reach audiences, challenging social issues and rapidly changing landscapes, Social & Local is on Lot 1 of the framework for Speciality Consultancy Services.

Stephanie Drakes, CEO, said:

“We were founded as a Community Interest Company (CiC), and re-invest half our profit after tax to enable others to make real socially valuable campaigns, creative businesses and communications projects that promote sustainability, freedom, employment, health and well-being. Many of these projects would otherwise not see the light of day without our funding.”

The government has recruited Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore to co-chair a new Sports Business Council that will bring the government and leading sports figures from the public and private sector together to ensure the sport economy continues to grow and prosper.

The sports economy is already worth billions to the UK’s economy, with around a million people employed in the sport and physical activity sectors, but has traditionally not been supported in the same way as other parts of the economy.

The Sports Business Council will focus on supporting growth for the sports sector, improving access to finance and developing skills. It will look to exploit the UK’s reputation as a global sporting power with expertise in hosting major events and developing international brands like the Premier League, driving exports abroad and seeking opportunities at home.

It will also provide an important channel for representatives from the sports business world to work with government and help to make decisions quickly that have public sector and private sector buy-in.

Membership of the Sports Business Council is being finalised with the first meeting due to take place in the coming weeks, and the Council set to meet every quarter. Industry representatives will lead on specific pieces of work as required between meetings.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said:

Sport makes a major contribution to the economy with major events, sports equipment and media rights generating billions in spend and the sector employing around a million people in the UK. But there is more that we can do to support the sector and spread jobs, prosperity and opportunity around the whole country. The Sports Business Council will bring together key players in the industry to help us do just that. I am pleased that Richard Scudamore, with his long-standing experience at the very top of sport administration, has agreed to co-chair the Council and help this important piece of work.

Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore said:

Sport has long been recognised for the cultural and social benefits it brings to the country. Increasingly, it is apparent that a strong and vibrant sports economy is making a significant contribution to the overall economy, in terms of development, employment and tax, at both a national and local level.

I am extremely pleased that Government has recognised this and am looking forward to helping shape policies that will cement and further enhance the UK’s reputation for sporting excellence whether hosting events, delivering community facilities and programmes, setting standards in governance as well as attracting the investment that makes this all possible.

The Sports Business Council was a recommendation in the government’s strategy Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation.

Economic development is one of the five outcomes in the government’s sport strategy alongside physical health, mental health, individual development, social and economic development.

For further information contact the Department for Culture, Media and Sport press office on 020 7211 6971