The British Office Hargeisa (BOH) welcomes project proposals for its International Programme Fund (IPF) for the Financial Year 2022/23. The IPF supports programme activity under the framework of the UK government’s foreign policy objectives in Somaliland.

Scope for Proposals

Applications for funding should be linked to the following themes:

• Women and girls – Partnerships to support women and girls, unlocking their potential, agency and freedoms through education, and particularly targeting those affected by the ongoing drought.

• Media Freedom – Partnerships to support the foundations of media freedom such as by building the capacity of journalists, building understanding between journalists and security institutions, support for the safety and security of journalists.

Requirements for Proposals and Applicants

• The proposals requested under this call must be for a maximum of £95,000 in value, and must be able to be completed in this financial year (before the 31 March 2023).
• Project proposals must outline how budgets will be spent, with a clear consideration of providing value for money. Proposals must also include a communications strategy on how the project will be visible in Somaliland.
• Project activities should be completed February 2023 in order to allow time for evaluation. All project expenses for 2022-23 must be incurred by 31 March 2023.
• Applications must be submitted in English.

Proposal Evaluation Process:

Project proposals will be shortlisted and approved by the BOH. Successful organisations will need to sign a legally binding contract with the BOH. They will also need to prepare quarterly monitoring reports as well as a completion report at the end of the project.

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria

• Alignment with the above-mentioned UK themes
• Project design includes a realistic timeline, clear monitoring and evaluation procedures
• Project outcomes have a concrete deliverable with clear links to the project’s objectives
• Sustainability, demonstrating that project benefits continue after the funding ends.
• Risk and financial accountability procedures
• The organisation’s safeguarding policies and the protection of those involved in the project against abuse and harassment
• Overall value for money

Submitting a Proposal

To submit your proposal, see the attachments below;

All proposals to be sent to the BOH by email to BritishOffice.HargeisaCS@fcdo.gov.uk.

Who may bid

The BOH will consider funding applications from civil society organizations, academic institutions, non-profit organisations and multilateral organisations. In order to be eligible, you:

• must be a legal entity, commercial company, a registered non-governmental (NGO) or governmental organisation, and provide proof of legal registration in Somaliland
• demonstrate previous experience in delivering and managing projects and the ability to manage the project sum, and preferably have experience working with an international agency/organisation
• demonstrate the capacity to deliver at least 75% of the proposed project activity by mid-December 2022

The BOH may request reports by auditors during its review of proposals.

If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss your proposal, please email BritishOffice.HargeisaCS@fcdo.gov.uk.

The £1bn North Wales Growth Deal has reached a milestone with the launch of new cutting-edge equipment at Bangor University’s Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Centre.

Technology at the DSP Centre manages the way digital signals are transmitted, providing a solution for the signals to be better processed and received and to be both more secure and more cost effective.

The £3million Growth Deal funding has enabled the DSP Centre to acquire new equipment to undertake cutting-edge research for digital communications. The funding will develop solutions to support the future’s digital requirements, benefitting businesses and residents with better communication capabilities such as 5G and 6G.

The state-of-the art equipment can also be used to advance the development of new prototypes; examples include applications such as enhanced security (an encryption/de-encryption connection to improve digital safety) and environmental sensing (identifying a change in external environment through video transmission).  This will provide businesses and communities who use the DSP technology with a more cost effective, more secure and more efficient use of their applications.

The launch event was attended by First Minister, Mark Drakeford MS and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies MP.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies MP, said:

I’m delighted to see the North Wales Growth Deal making fantastic progress. It will bring significant investment and jobs and will help transform the economy of North Wales. Alongside the £120m committed to the North Wales Growth Deal, the UK Government has backed growth deals covering every part of Wales with hundreds of millions more in funding. Working hand in hand with our partners, the deals will unleash the full potential of our communities.

As the North Wales Growth Deal reaches this landmark, I look forward to seeing many more projects reach fruition across the region and throughout Wales in the coming months and years.

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Chair of North Wales Economic Ambition Board said:

We are delighted to have reached a point where we are seeing our first project become reality. It’s fitting that it is in one of the fastest growing sectors, as we look to promote research and innovation in this field as well as improve digital connectivity across the region.

With the development of globally important technologies here, the DSP Centre is putting North Wales on the map and at the forefront of this exciting sector. The team already works with large international businesses and big names in the industry, including Ciena and Vodafone. They also work with business partners from local SMEs, providing access to state-of-the-art equipment to develop local skills and accelerate their product development.

Ends

This statement provides an update on the AAIB investigation into a serious incident involving a Leonardo AW189 helicopter, G-MCGT, at Ballintoy, County Antrim, on 26 July 2021.

At 2002 hrs the duty crew at Prestwick Airport were tasked by the Aeronautical Rescue and Co-ordination Centre with recovering a casualty who was receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. While making an approach to the site of the casualty, who was situated just inland from the edge of the coast, the crew initiated a go-around during which a terrain warning sounded due to rising ground ahead.

The investigation is ongoing and publication of the report is expected in early 2023.

A man who carried out two robberies in Sheffield has received an increased prison sentence after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the then Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.

Jonathan Ashton, now 34, carried out the robberies in January 2021, aided by two accomplices. During the first robbery, Ashton stole from a shop cash to the value of £100-200 and £500-600 worth of cigarettes while wearing a balaclava and carrying a machete.

The next day, the three offenders went on to steal cigarettes and tobacco valued at over £1,000 at a separate shop. During both robberies, Ashton used threatening behaviour towards the staff and customers of the shop.

Ashton was also seen driving a stolen car four days later, within which police found an air pistol.

On 5 May 2022, Ashton was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 4 years 9 months’ imprisonment for two counts of robbery, one count of handling stolen goods and one count of possessing a firearm.

Following the sentencing, the then Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP, referred Ashton’s sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme as he felt that the original sentence was too low.

On 26 July 2022 the Court found Ashton’s original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased his sentence to 8 years 8 months’ imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the now Solicitor General Edward Timpson CBE QC MP said:

Ashton stole thousands of pounds worth of goods and cash while threatening members of the general public. I welcome the decision to increase his sentence, to better reflect the serious nature of these offences.