Paper based fee bearing forms have changed

The way customers record payments for paper based, fee bearing forms changed today (1 October 2020). You no longer have to complete a separate fee sheet when submitting most paper based forms to us. The method of payment will be incorporated into each fee bearing form.

This means that there will be single payment for each form. The majority of fee sheets sent to us are accompanied by a single fee bearing form. These changes will reduce the administrative burden on customers by combining the information into one document, reduce incorrect payments and help us provide more efficient services.

There are some exceptions. We cannot incorporate the payment information into forms we forward to international organisations. These are:

the fee sheet for EUIPO Design Applications (FS3),
the fee sheet for International Trade Mark Applications (FS4); and
the fee sheet for Patent Cooperation Treaty Applications (PCT Fee Sheet)

Patents customers filing two or more of the following forms together can still make a single combined payment:

request for grant of a patent (form 1)
request a search (form 9a)
request for a substantive examination (form 10)

To do so, you will need to file online through our website or via E-OLF. If you wish to continue to file together on paper, you will need to make separate payments.

If you have any questions when completing the updated form and payment page, please contact the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Information Centre on 0300 300 2000.

Published 17 August 2020
Last updated 1 October 2020 + show all updates

1 October 2020
The new changes to paper based fee bearing forms went live today.
17 August 2020
First published.

Foreign Secretary statement on Belarusian Presidential elections

Press release

The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has stated the UK does not accept the results of the Belarusian Presidential elections.

Following the Presidential elections held in Belarus on 9 August and the acts of violence by the Belarusian authorities to suppress peaceful protests, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

The world has watched with horror at the violence used by the Belarusian authorities to suppress the peaceful protests that followed this fraudulent Presidential election. The UK does not accept the results. We urgently need an independent investigation through the OSCE into the flaws that rendered the election unfair, as well as the grisly repression that followed. The UK will work with our international partners to sanction those responsible, and hold the Belarusian authorities to account.

Further information

Published 17 August 2020

Kawaki founder Marilyn Ghedi awarded Commonwealth Points of Light Award

Founder of the Katupika, Wagina and Kia (Kawaki) Women’s Group, Marilyn Ghedi has been awarded with the Commonwealth Points of Light over the weekend.

The current Kawaki Chair who hails from the remote village of Kia, Isabel province received the award from Her Majesty the Queen for her efforts around community conservation.

According to non-profit organisation, The Nature Conservancy, Marilyn has inspired women across three communities to unite and celebrate community conservation in the islands through Kawaki.

The Group’s vision is to unite women around conservation, culture and community to create a better future for their children.

British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Dr Brian Jones said there are many reasons as to why Mrs Marilyn is a true Point of Light:

Her leadership of Kawaki and empowering women, bringing them together in remote island communities, her focus on conservation in the Arnavons and her belief in making her community and country better.

I salute her and look forward to visiting Kawaki in the Arnavon Islands shortly to learn more about their work and community.

As the first female Police Officer in Solomon Islands, she has inspired women across the provinces to unite and celebrate community conservation, raise awareness about the islands, build better futures for families and promote sustainable marine resource management.

Her innovation through Kawaki has laid the foundations for conservation, inter-tribal cooperation and gender empowerment.

She described the moment as speechless:

I am speechless! I did not anticipate or expect anything like this to happen. I came up with the idea purposely to set a space for the women in Kia, Wagina and Katupika to connect, share ideas and help the women grow through involving in conservation work.

Thank you to the British High Commission for nominating me. I am humbled to receive this award, and I dedicate it to all my Kawaki sisters and friends of Kawaki, who without the Kawaki work and influence in the communities, wouldn’t be known and heard beyond our communities.

UK launches £3 million Innovation Challenge Fund in India

The UK government has launched a £3 million Innovation Challenge Fund to support scientists in academia and industry to tackle the most acute global challenges of our time – COVID-19 and the threat to our environment.

The Fund invites tech innovators with connections to the AI-Data cluster in Karnataka and the Future Mobility cluster in Maharashtra to submit research and development proposals for tackling COVID-19 or which promote a greener planet. At least 12 grants up to £250,000 are expected to be awarded. The deadline for submitting two-page concept notes is 31 August and further details are available on the website.

The initiative builds on the Indian and British Prime Ministers’ commitment to bring together the best minds from both countries under the UK-India Tech Partnership, to deliver high-skilled jobs and economic growth as well as to collaborate on some of the world’s biggest challenges.

High Commissioner to India, Sir Philip Barton, said:

The UK and India have a strong history of research and innovation. Both COVID-19 and climate change demonstrate that the most urgent challenges are global. Never has there been a greater need for academia, business and government to accelerate innovation, and for nations to collaborate to save lives and build a better future.

Head, UK-India Tech Partnership, British High Commission, Karen McLuskie, said:

This fund aims to get behind the innovation heroes, whether they are working to battle the virus or the even greater looming global threat: climate change. We are proud to work with India, as twin world leaders in the development and adoption of emerging tech for the benefit of all.

In April 2018, the Indian and British Prime Ministers announced the formal creation of the UK-India Tech Partnership. The programme aims to bring together the best minds working in tech to unlock its future potential and deliver high-skilled jobs and economic growth in both countries. The key aim is to catalyse innovation and technology, which will address global challenges. This is part of the UK Industrial strategy.

These grants are part of a wider initiative under the Tech Partnership known as ‘Tech Clusters’. Tech Clusters will support the development of Indian Tech Clusters by breaking down barriers to growth, including building international links. The intent is to capitalise on regional and sectoral strengths in order to drive innovation-led inclusive growth.

For more details on Innovation Challenge Fund click here: AI & Data, Future Mobility

The UK is playing a major role in the international response to the pandemic as a force for good. It is a world leader in science and a major economy and donor, with expertise in disease outbreaks and vaccine development. Scientists at Oxford University and Imperial College London are leading global efforts to develop a working COVID-19 vaccine.

As the world progresses towards a green recovery from COVID-19, the UK is committed to ensuring sustainable energy, disaster resilience and reducing environmental degradation to prevent the wider challenges of climate change and loss of biodiversity. The UK will host next year’s UN climate conference COP26.

For media queries, please contact:

Nicholas Duvivier, Head of Campaigns/Deputy Head of Communications
Press and Communications, British High Commission,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021. Tel: 24192100

Media queries: BHCMediaDelhi@fco.gov.uk

Latest banking customer satisfaction results published

Press release

Introduced by the CMA, the survey gives customers the chance to see how their banks have performed over the last 6 months since February 2020.

The latest independent results are available via the links below:

Ipsos MORI

BVA BDRC

Today marks the fifth publication over 3 years of the service quality league table of personal and business current account providers, put in place following the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) market investigation into retail banking in 2016. For the first time these new publications include the service quality rankings for the new digital banks Monzo and Starling and for Virgin Money.

For personal and small business customers, the survey is designed to show clearly how the quality of services compares across different dimensions, such as service quality, online and mobile offerings, overdrafts, in-branch experience and, for small business customers, the quality of their relationship or account management services. The CMA requires banks and buildings societies to display the survey results prominently online and in-branch so that customers can see whether they can get a better deal elsewhere.

In addition, banks are required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to publish details of available services and relevant helplines, as well as figures on how long it takes to open current accounts and replace debit cards. Information about the number of major operational and security incidents they have experienced should also be provided on both banks’ and the FCA website.

Adam Land, Senior Director at the CMA, said:

“These league tables are an invaluable resource for customers to find the best service on offer to suit their needs. By being able to access data on the best and worst performing banks and building societies, people can easily compare providers, driving more competition to improve the overall quality of service.

“These results only cover the initial impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Future surveys will better highlight how customer satisfaction has been influenced by the pandemic.”

Notes to editors:

Neither the CMA nor the FCA can comment on the performance of individual banks. Journalists should speak to the individual banks for further explanation.
This publication marks the introduction for the first time of the online banks Monzo and Starling, and of Virgin Money, in the service quality survey results for the provision of personal current accounts in Great Britain.
For media enquiries, please contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk.

Published 17 August 2020