The UK is seeking to put green technologies at the heart of economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The manufacturing of power electronics, machines and drives (PEMD) required across sectors present a significant global growth opportunity for UK companies.

Further, zero emission vehicle technologies are a key part of the country’s efforts to meet its carbon reduction targets.

The government has launched the £80 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge to help businesses to meet this need.

The Challenge will accelerate the UK’s ability to deliver; next generation electric vehicles, hybrid aircraft, energy generation, smart grids, robotics & industrial drives, consumer products, low-carbon off-highway vehicles for construction and agriculture, low-carbon maritime and rail supporting the realisation of Net Zero targets through clean innovation.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £15 million co-funded from Driving the Electric Revolution and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to support business-led research that will develop supply chains and manufacturing capability for PEMD technologies across all sectors and support the development of new technologies that enable zero-emission vehicles. The funding competition has 2 strands.

Dr Will Drury, Challenge Director for Driving the Electric Revolution said: “This competition is an exciting opportunity for UK businesses to engage with Driving the Electric Revolution, collaborate and innovate delivering clean growth of the UK Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) supply chains.

“The projects that we fund will catalyse the development of manufacturing capability and resilient supply chains for PEMD activities: the building blocks for all sectors undergoing electrification. Driving the Electric Revolution will facilitate the economic growth opportunities from the shift to Net Zero carbon emissions and ensure the UK is placed to deliver and grow the sovereign supply chains of the future.”

Strand 1: Projects must develop PEMD supply chain improvements

Up to £5 million is available to support business-led projects that aim to improve the UK supply chain for power electronics, machines, and drives.

Projects could work on one or more of the following:

• manufacturing process development such as improving productivity, implementing new tools, automating processes, reconfiguring processes to improve productivity or flexibility
• design for manufacture such as designing or redesigning a product for more efficient production, specification of a manufacturing process, improvements in modelling and simulation software, developments to allow manufacture of products with recycling taken into consideration
• circular economy approaches such as scale-up of processes for recycling and recovery of materials, lifecycle and embedded carbon analysis, and waste reduction and process energy efficiency
• innovative testing and validation such as virtual product validation, and scale-up or automation of testing and validation processes

Competition information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 29 July 2020
• businesses of any size may apply and must work with at least one other organisation
• we expect projects to range in size between £100,000 and £500,000 and last between 3 and 9 months
• view the online briefing event

Strand 2: work must target zero or very low emissions

Up to £10 million is available to support feasibility studies and research and development projects looking to develop technologies for zero emission vehicles or that target emissions significantly lower than 75g of CO2 per km. Projects developing electric vehicle charging are also eligible for support.

Projects must build on a previous research project or feasibility study and could work on niche or mainstream vehicles including motorcycles, cars, goods vehicles and emergency vehicles.

Work could include:

• battery technologies
• electrification of conventional powertrains
• hybridisation technologies
• technologies that increase the efficiency of powertrain or auxiliary systems
• hydrogen technologies
• range extender technologies
• EV charging services including charging solutions, roaming, integration and grid services

Competition information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 29 July 2020
• businesses of any size may apply, and they can work alone or with up to 2 other organisations
• we expect projects to range in size between £100,000 and £500,000 and last up to 6 months
• an online briefing event takes place on 22 June 2020

The UK is seeking to put green technologies at the heart of economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Zero emission vehicle technologies are a key part of the country’s efforts to meet its carbon reduction targets.

The power electronics, machines and drivers required are also a significant global opportunity for UK manufacturers.

The government has launched the £80 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge to help businesses to meet this need.

Its aim is to accelerate the UK’s ability to deliver the next generation of electric vehicles, hybrid aircraft, energy generation, smart grids, industrial drives, consumer products, agricultural vehicles, ships, and rail.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £15 million from the fund and from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to support business research into these new technologies and to support the development of a supply chain. The funding competition has 2 strands.

Strand 1: Projects must develop supply chain improvements

Up to £5 million is available to support business-led projects that aim to improve the UK supply chain for power electronics, machines, and drives.

Projects could work on one or more of the following:

• manufacturing process development such as improving productivity, implementing new tools, automating processes, reconfiguring processes to improve productivity or flexibility
• design for manufacture such as designing or redesigning a product for more efficient production, specification of a manufacturing process, improvements in modelling and simulation software, developments to allow manufacture of products with recycling taken into consideration
• circular economy approaches such as scale-up of processes for recycling and recovery of materials, lifecycle and embedded carbon analysis, and waste reduction and process energy efficiency
• innovative testing and validation such as virtual product validation, and scale-up or automation of testing and validation processes

Competion information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 29 July 2020
• businesses of any size may apply and must work with at least one other organisation
• we expect projects to range in size between £100,000 and £500,000 and last between 3 and 9 months
• view the online briefing event

Strand 2: work must target zero or very low emissions

Up to £10 million is available to support feasibility studies and research and development projects looking to develop technologies for zero emission vehicles or that target emissions significantly lower than 75g of CO2 per km. Projects developing electric vehicle charging are also eligible for support.

Projects must build on a previous research project or feasibility study and could work on niche or mainstream vehicles including motorcycles, cars, goods vehicles and emergency vehicles.

Work could include:

• battery technologies
• electrification of conventional powertrains
• hybridisation technologies
• technologies that increase the efficiency of powertrain or auxiliary systems
• hydrogen technologies
• range extender technologies
• EV charging services including charging solutions, roaming, integration and grid services

Competition information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at 11am on 29 July 2020
• businesses of any size may apply, and they can work alone or with up to 2 other organisations
• we expect projects to range in size between £100,000 and £500,000 and last up to 6 months
• an online briefing event takes place on 22 June 2020

The anomaly was created when the M60 was formed 20 years ago, connecting several existing motorways with a new stretch of motorway to form a 36-mile ring road around Manchester.

The current set up means drivers travelling eastbound on the M60 at junction 18 near Prestwich, known locally as Simister Island, soon find themselves on the M62 on their way to Leeds if they don’t use a roundabout to reach the southbound section of the M60.

Highways England is now developing plans to cut journey times for the 90,000 drivers who use the junction every day to travel between the M60, M62 and M66. Drivers, residents and business owners will be able to have their say on the proposals in a new eight-week public consultation which launches today (Monday 22 June).

One of the options being considered involves creating a new link road in a loop from the eastbound to the southbound M60 so that drivers travelling clockwise could continue their journeys without leaving the M60. A virtual reality video has been released showing how the new link road could look.

Jim O’Sullivan, Highways England’s chief executive, said:

We want to provide quicker and more reliable journeys for drivers across the North.

Simister Island is one of England’s busiest motorway junctions, and the improvements we’re planning will make it easier for people travelling between the M60, M62 and M66.

We now need your views to help make that much-needed motorway upgrade a reality.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Today’s announcement is a step forwards in making the M60 easier to use, less confusing and more efficient for drivers.

I welcome this vital improvement which has the potential to cut journey times, improve reliability and boost businesses in the North.

Highways England is encouraging as many people as possible to share their views in the pubic consultation over the next eight weeks to help develop the designs for the motorway upgrade.

Other proposals being put forward as part of the consultation include creating a new two-lane link road for drivers travelling from the northbound to the westbound stretches of the M60 at Simister Island, as well as a new link road from the eastbound M60 onto the northbound M66.

The hard shoulder could also be converted to a permanent extra lane along the mile-long stretch of the M60 between junctions 17 and 18 to improve the flow of traffic, providing five lanes in both directions.

Peter Molyneux, Major Roads Director at Transport for the North, said:

Simister Island is a well-known anomaly in the area which causes delay and disruption for thousands of vehicles every day.

It is included in our Northern Infrastructure Pipeline as a vital scheme for improving road connections in the North West, and on completion the upgrade will better serve local traffic and improve reliability for east-west journeys across our region.

This consultation is welcome news as the next stage in progressing this scheme and we urge everyone to give their views.

Highways England is changing the way it carries out consultations during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is no longer holding face-to-face public events.

The organisation will instead arrange a series of telephone and online chats, where people will be able to speak directly to a member of the project team. Almost 10,000 consultation brochures are also being posted to homes and businesses near Simister Island.

The project team will be available to answer your calls on 141 0117 2444 061 every Tuesday for four weeks from Tuesday 30 June between 11am and 7pm, as well as on Saturday 11 July and Saturday 18 July during the same times. Using 141 at the start of the number will withhold your phone number.

The online chats will take place on the project web page between 10am and 5pm on Thursday 9 July and Thursday 16 July.

A preferred option for the scheme is due to be announced in the winter once the consultation responses have been considered and, if the project is approved by the government, construction work could start by 2024. You can find out more about the proposals and complete a consultation response form on the scheme website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The anomaly was created when the M60 was formed 20 years ago, connecting several existing motorways with a new stretch of motorway to form a 36-mile ring road around Manchester.

The current set up means drivers travelling eastbound on the M60 at junction 18 near Prestwich, known locally as Simister Island, soon find themselves on the M62 on their way to Leeds if they don’t use a roundabout to reach the southbound section of the M60.

Highways England is now developing plans to cut journey times for the 90,000 drivers who use the junction every day to travel between the M60, M62 and M66. Drivers, residents and business owners will be able to have their say on the proposals in a new eight-week public consultation which launches today (Monday 22 June).

One of the options being considered involves creating a new link road in a loop from the eastbound to the southbound M60 so that drivers travelling clockwise could continue their journeys without leaving the M60. A virtual reality video has been released showing how the new link road could look.

Jim O’Sullivan, Highways England’s chief executive, said:

We want to provide quicker and more reliable journeys for drivers across the North.

Simister Island is one of England’s busiest motorway junctions, and the improvements we’re planning will make it easier for people travelling between the M60, M62 and M66.

We now need your views to help make that much-needed motorway upgrade a reality.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Today’s announcement is a step forwards in making the M60 easier to use, less confusing and more efficient for drivers.

I welcome this vital improvement which has the potential to cut journey times, improve reliability and boost businesses in the North.

Highways England is encouraging as many people as possible to share their views in the pubic consultation over the next eight weeks to help develop the designs for the motorway upgrade.

Other proposals being put forward as part of the consultation include creating a new two-lane link road for drivers travelling from the northbound to the westbound stretches of the M60 at Simister Island, as well as a new link road from the eastbound M60 onto the northbound M66.

The hard shoulder could also be converted to a permanent extra lane along the mile-long stretch of the M60 between junctions 17 and 18 to improve the flow of traffic, providing five lanes in both directions.

Peter Molyneux, Major Roads Director at Transport for the North, said:

Simister Island is a well-known anomaly in the area which causes delay and disruption for thousands of vehicles every day.

It is included in our Northern Infrastructure Pipeline as a vital scheme for improving road connections in the North West, and on completion the upgrade will better serve local traffic and improve reliability for east-west journeys across our region.

This consultation is welcome news as the next stage in progressing this scheme and we urge everyone to give their views.

Highways England is changing the way it carries out consultations during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is no longer holding face-to-face public events.

The organisation will instead arrange a series of telephone and online chats, where people will be able to speak directly to a member of the project team. Almost 10,000 consultation brochures are also being posted to homes and businesses near Simister Island.

The project team will be available to answer your calls on 141 0117 2444 061 every Tuesday for four weeks from Tuesday 30 June between 11am and 7pm, as well as on Saturday 11 July and Saturday 18 July during the same times. Using 141 at the start of the number will withhold your phone number.

The online chats will take place on the project web page between 10am and 5pm on Thursday 9 July and Thursday 16 July.

A preferred option for the scheme is due to be announced in the winter once the consultation responses have been considered and, if the project is approved by the government, construction work could start by 2024. You can find out more about the proposals and complete a consultation response form on the scheme website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Charr Yarr Welfare Foundation Limited (1156698), as a result of serious regulatory concerns that there is, or has been, misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

The charity funds several medical facilities in Pakistan, and operates a school in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Its purpose includes the promotion of education and relief of poverty throughout the world.

The regulator opened a compliance case into Charr Yarr Welfare Foundation Limited in April 2018 to examine financial concerns, including the charity being unable to provide receipts for £27,200 of grants made to a partner charity based in Pakistan. The charity’s accounts for the financial years ending 31 August 2016 and 31 August 2017 were also submitted to the Commission late.

After two compliance visits, the regulator issued regulatory guidance and an action plan to the charity, however the trustees again failed to file accounts for the financial year ending August 2018 on time and continue to be in default of their accounting duties. The trustees were put on notice and advised that this was evidence of mismanagement and/or misconduct in the administration of the charity.

The failure of the trustees to comply with this advice and the action plan resulted in the Commission issuing an Official Warning to the charity on 9 January 2020. Since then, the trustees have failed to submit required outstanding financial information and a report in relation to the progress of the action plan.

The charity also remains in default with Companies House in respect of filing the directors’ reports and accounts. The Commission is concerned that action commenced by Companies House to ‘strike off’ the charity from the register of Companies will place the charity at risk of it losing property.

Despite extensive engagement and attempts to put corrective measures in place, the Commission continues to have serious concerns about the way the charity is run.

It therefore escalated its engagement to a statutory inquiry on 19 May 2020. The inquiry will further examine the trustees’ governance of the charity in light of their failure to comply with the issued action plan and Official Warning. It will also examine the future viability of the charity.

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

• The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.