News story: Introducing the Open Call for Innovation

From 3 July 2017, the Enduring Challenge will be known as the Open Call for Innovation. This change is first of several planned changes for this funding route.

The Open Call for Innovation will continue to provide a route into defence and security for any supplier who thinks they have an idea that can benefit UK Defence and Security, at home or abroad. It exists because we can’t possibly know all the potential solutions and novel approaches out there – whether that’s more advanced technical capability, how we work or operate, or how we train our people. As well as all our existing suppliers, we want to attract those who haven’t worked with defence and security before.

Earlier today, we held the final decision conference for the Enduring Challenge. We’re delighted that 21% of proposals were approved for funding from cycle 3. The decisions have been released in the Accelerator submission service and the successful winners should be on contract within 3 weeks. Those who were unsuccessful will receive feedback by the end of July.

Since its launch in January by Harriett Baldwin, Minister for Defence Procurement, the Enduring Challenge has held 3 decision conferences to assess 83 proposals. 12 applications (14%) were approved for funding and received an average of £82,600 in research funding.

Cycle 4 is currently in assessment. Cycle 5, under the new banner of Open Call for Innovation is open.



News story: Potential Army Officers meet Defence Secretary

The latest intake of the Army’s School of Education’s Potential Officer Development Programme (PODP) visited MOD Main Building in London this Tuesday as part of their intensive 12-week development programme.

As part of their visit, the potential officers had the opportunity to meet and put questions to Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon during a question and answer session.

In welcoming the students to the Ministry of Defence, Sir Michael said:

Our Armed Forces are held in high esteem, and recent events have shown that in difficult times people look to us for support. 

And in such challenging times, it will be vitally important that our future leaders are thinking soldiers, capable and able to adjust to and overcome those threats which come against us.

We need the best people of each successive generation. You’ve got what it takes to be our future leaders, and I look forward to you not just making it to Sandhurst but spearheading our nation’s charge towards a brighter future.

Potential Officer Annabelle Mash, 21 from the Isle of Wight said:

I am passionate about working in an organisation with a disciplined environment where there is the opportunity for me to develop as a person and with the ability to lead men and women confidently.

The Potential Officer Development Programme has been essential to my development, enabling me to develop my weaknesses and acting as a stepping stone towards my future career.

Potential Officer Reece Munnery, 22 from Tavistock, currently serves as a Private in the Parachute Regiment. Before joining the programme he served as a Section Second in Command. He said:

The Potential Officer Development Programme course has been very helpful in reassuring me that commissioning is the route I would like to go down, in building my confidence, and has been one of the most enjoyable courses I have attended in my Army career.

Potential Officer Moiz Abusin, 23 from Chertsey, completed his secondary education abroad in Dubai, before completing a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham.

He said:

I aspire to lead a life of adventure, achievement and service. Whether leading a platoon of soldiers on operations or helping to build critical infrastructure and rebuild lives after a natural disaster, I relish the prospect leading a life far from routine.

The programme supports serving soldiers and direct entry civilian candidates by equipping participants with the skills necessary to pass the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB).

On completion of the PODP, students will attend the AOSB to determine whether they are suitable for commissioning. If successful at this stage, they will then go on to begin Officer Cadet training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).



News story: First veterinary DNA vaccine authorised for Clynav

First DNA vaccine authorised in the EU to protect Atlantic salmon against Salmon Pancreas Disease.

A new vaccine to protect Atlantic salmon against Salmon Pancreas Disease, for which the VMD played the lead assessment role, has been authorised across the EU through the centralised procedure. Clynav is the first DNA vaccine to be authorised in the EU.

The VMD steered the authorisation application through challenging regulatory hurdles involving complex scientific debates and negotiation, championing the adoption of this innovative DNA vaccine technology for veterinary use.

The authorisation of this vaccine has the potential to herald a new era of novel vaccines to protect animals against disease.

Clynav is marketed by Elanco Europe Ltd.

The Summary of Product Characteristics will soon be available through the EMA website and the VMD’s Product Information Database.



News story: Presentations from Ofqual’s summer series symposium 2017

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.



News story: Diebold sale resolves CMA concerns over cashpoint merger

Diebold Nixdorf has sold Diebold’s customer-operated cashpoint business in the UK to Cennox.

The sale comes after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered the company to sell one of its UK cashpoint businesses earlier this year to address competition concerns around the global merger between Diebold and Wincor Nixdorf.

Diebold Incorporated (Diebold), a US company which provides financial self-service products including automatic teller machines (ATMs or cashpoints), bought Wincor Nixdorf (Wincor), a German firm which also provides these products, on 16 August 2016. The new company was named Diebold Nixdorf Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf).

A group of independent panel members at the CMA investigated the merger and found the market for customer-operated ATMs in the UK had only 3 significant suppliers – NCR, Diebold and Wincor – and that the proposed merger would result in a substantial lessening of competition that could lead to higher prices or loss of quality for the companies’ customers.

To prevent this, the group decided that Diebold Nixdorf must sell either Diebold’s or Wincor’s UK customer-operated ATM business to a new owner, who would then have to be approved by the CMA.

The purchase by Cennox (a UK-based specialist ATM services group) has now been approved by the CMA and brings the merger investigation to a close.