Tag: Department for Business and Industrial Strategy

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 3 February 2023.

The government backs law that gives all workers the legal right to request a predictable working pattern

Today (Friday 3 February), the government supported Blackpool South MP Scott Benton’s Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, which will bring forward huge changes for tens of millions of workers across the UK.

The move, which would apply to all workers and employees including agency workers, comes after a review found many workers on zero hours contracts experience ‘one-sided flexibility’.

This means people across the country are currently left waiting, unable to get on with their lives in case of being called up at the last minute for a shift. With a more predictable working pattern, workers will have a guarantee of when they are required to work, with hours that work for them.

If a worker’s existing working pattern lacks certainty in terms of the hours they work, the times they work or if it is a fixed term contract for less than 12 months, they will be able to make a formal application to change their working pattern to make it more predictable.

Labour Markets Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

Hard working staff on zero hours contracts across the country put their lives on hold to make themselves readily available for shifts that may never actually come.

Employers having one-sided flexibility over their staff is unfair and unreasonable. This Bill will ensure workers can request more predictable working patterns where they want them, so they can get on with their daily lives.

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton said:

A significant number of my constituents experience unpredictable work. Being able to ask their employers to consider requests for a more predictable working pattern such as working on set days, or for a permanent contract, will help them to work more predictable hours and provide more reliably for their families in some cases, and help with their work-life balance in other situations.

This Bill gives people a right to ask their employers to consider requests and will be welcomed by thousands of people.

The move comes as part of a package of policies this government is supporting to further workers’ rights across the country, such as:

• supporting parents of babies who need neonatal additional care with paid neonatal care leave
• requiring employers to ensure that all tips, gratuities, and service charges received must be paid to workers in full
• offering pregnant women and new parents greater protection against redundancy
• entitling unpaid carers to a period of unpaid leave to support those most in need
• providing millions of employees with a day one right to request flexible working, and a greater say over when, where, and how they work

These policies will increase workforce participation, protect vulnerable workers, and level the playing field, ensuring unscrupulous businesses don’t have a competitive advantage.

This package builds on the strengths of our flexible and dynamic labour market and gives businesses the confidence to create jobs and invest in their workforce, allowing them to generate long-term prosperity and economic growth.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 2 February 2023.

The government’s Start Up Loans scheme has achieved another landmark milestone as the 100,000th business loan is granted.

The government’s Start Up Loans scheme has achieved another landmark milestone as the 100,000th business loan is granted, bringing the total support given to firms to more than £941 million, it has been announced today (Thursday 2 February).

The scheme, administered by the British Business Bank, offers financial support, guidance, and advice to entrepreneurs looking to start their own business.

Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake visited the 100,000th recipient, a thriving St Albans based noodle shop Ramen Electra, run by James Fraser, to hear about how crucial the firm’s Start Up Loan was in getting the successful business off the ground and to mark the important milestone.

Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

We know how important small businesses are to our communities, creating jobs, growth, and opportunities, and that is why we are backing them all the way to not only start up, but to scale up.

As a former business owner, I know how difficult it can be to get your business off the ground, which is why I’m incredibly proud that Government-backed Start Up Loans have helped 100,000 aspiring entrepreneurs, from Shetland to Shoreditch, to make their dreams a reality.

Of the total of more than 100,000 loans, 40 percent have gone to women and one-in-five to people from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds.

Meanwhile, young people (aged between 18-24 years old) have received 14 percent of loans since the scheme was established in 2012.

The success of the Start Up Loans scheme has been felt nationwide, with new and exciting businesses across the country using them to establish and grow.

The top five local authorities by loan volume and value are Birmingham, Leeds, Cornwall, Hackney in East London and Manchester, demonstrating the impact of Start Up Loans across the UK.

With 12,382 loans in the North-West, 7,117 in the East of England, 5,616 in the East Midlands and 15,39 in Northern Ireland, as well as many more across all parts of the United Kingdom, the Start Up Loans scheme has seen the entire UK benefit, with total economic activity estimated to be around £5.3 billion.

Richard Bearman, Managing Director, Start Up Loans said:

Start Up Loans supports people across the UK who are looking to start their own businesses and passing our one hundred thousand loan milestone is an amazing achievement that has been ten years in the making. We could not have achieved this without the dedicated support of our network of UK delivery partners and in-house team, and I’d like to take this chance to thank them for everything they do to make our work possible.

The government is not only supporting businesses to start up, but to scale up too. The Start Up Loans scheme was recently expanded to provide finance to eligible businesses operating for up to 5 years to support their expansion. The Business Secretary Grant Shapps also recently announced a ‘Scale-up Summit’ to bring together key technology, development and finance figures who have accelerated businesses from start-ups to scale-ups.

The Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans of up to £25,000 to aspiring businesses while also providing dedicated mentoring and support to each recipient. The goal of the scheme is to make sure that viable start-ups and early-stage businesses have the finance and support they need to thrive.

Funding for the programme comes from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is administered by the British Business Bank.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 1 February 2023.

New grants to be awarded to UK regulators and industry bodies to help them develop agreements with their international counterparts.

More funding to grow British exports by making it simpler for UK professionals to work abroad has been announced by the Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake today (Wednesday 1 February).

Grants of up to £75,000 will be awarded to UK regulators and industry bodies to help them develop agreements with their international counterparts for UK professional qualifications to be recognised overseas. This will make it easier for UK businesses to export their services worldwide.

Following the success of the first round of funding, which has supported work to boost the presence of UK qualified professionals in accountancy, auditing and legal services in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and India, the second round of the Recognition Arrangements (RA) Grant Programme is now open.

Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

The UK’s professionals in sectors like accountancy, audit and legal services, are rightly recognised as some of the brightest and best in the world.

This additional funding will further support UK qualified professionals to export their expertise overseas, winning contracts and scaling up their businesses.

The additional funding comes as part of the government’s plans to ensure UK-qualified professionals have the support they need to grow their businesses on the international stage.

Under the Professional Qualifications Act, the UK government can ensure regulators have the ability to agree recognition arrangements with overseas counterparts.

Following the first round of the grant programme, which saw high demand and interest from regulators, this second round will go on to continue and expand these vital efforts to boost British services exports in essential overseas markets.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) successfully secured funding for round one of the programme. Sarah Rapson, Executive Director of Supervision, said:

The FRC is very pleased to hear that a further round of grant funding will be available from BEIS. The availability of previous funding has enabled us to bring in the additional expertise required to support our international recognition work.

We would encourage UK professional accountancy bodies engaged in international recognition work to consider applying for a grant and make use of this valuable source of funding support.

The Recognition Arrangements Grant programme will run until 31 March 2025, with grants of up to £75,000 per financial year awarded to UK regulators and industry bodies, and a further round planned for applicants seeking 2024/2025 funding.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 1 February 2023.

Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money.

Overseas companies owning UK land who have not registered their beneficial owners with Companies House could now face penalties such as sale restrictions and tough fines, the government has announced.
Foreign companies were required to declare their beneficial owners on the Register of Overseas Entities by Tuesday 31 January, under world leading new anti-money laundering measures introduced by the government to flush out corrupt elites.

Now that the deadline has passed, foreign companies that have not submitted information to Companies House could face severe sanctions, including financial penalties or prosecution.

The register was introduced as part of a package of tough economic measures announced in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting the illicit wealth of supporters of the Putin regime. The register also exposes criminals using overseas companies to launder money. Recently scammer Dr Ruja Ignatova, the “Cryptoqueen” on the FBI’s most wanted list, was publicly declared the beneficial owner of two intermediaries in Guernsey due to the new requirements.

Business Minister Lord Callanan said:

There is nowhere for the criminals and corrupt elites to hide. We will be using all the tools at our disposal, including fines and restrictions, to crack down on foreign companies who have not complied.

Unregistered companies are already automatically rejected from registering ownership of any new land by HM Land Registry. Any UK buyers will be unable to transfer their title to the deed of any property purchased from non-compliant organisations, frustrating attempts to sell. Criminals purchase a safe investment like land and property through opaque corporate structures to clean their dirty money. The Register brings transparency to these overseas based structures, and the restrictions halt the flow of money for those who do not comply.

Companies House is now assessing and preparing cases for enforcement action. Further regulations will also empower Companies House to impose financial penalties on land owned by non-compliant organisations, as well as pursue other legal avenues.

It is estimated that 19510 out of a total of 32440 registered overseas organisations have declared their beneficial owners. The information gained has also been invaluable for tax and revenue services, bringing transparency to opaque offshore trusts often used to obscure assets for tax purposes.

Companies House and the Insolvency Service will also gain enhanced powers from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, which has just completed scrutiny in the House of Commons. Through the investment of up to £20 million of allocated spending, both organisations will recruit new teams of intelligence and analytical experts to further boost their capability to tackle money laundering and aid law enforcement.

Louise Smyth, Chief Executive Officer of Companies House said:

The implementation of the Register of Overseas Entities has been another huge step forward in the transformation of Companies House and our role in helping combat economic crime.

We cannot be clearer in our message to these entities; if you ignored warnings and fail to register before the deadline, you will face consequences. This includes not only the prospect of restrictions on your land or property but also a possible fine, prison sentence, or both.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 26 January 2023.

Science Minister George Freeman today announces the formal establishment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as an independent body.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 24 January 2023.

Government launches crackdown on controversial dismissal tactics through a planned statutory code of practice.

The government is taking strong action against unscrupulous employers that use the controversial practice of ‘fire and rehire’, it has announced today (Tuesday 24 January).

Last year P&O Ferries deliberately sought to evade the law by sacking 786 seafarers without due consultation. Having made no efforts to inform the Business Secretary at the time, they failed to follow best practice or do the right thing for their employees. As a result, Grant Shapps, as Transport Secretary at the time, introduced a 9-point plan including primary legislation to tackle these issues.

Through a planned statutory code of practice, the government is protecting employees and cracking down on employers that use controversial dismissal tactics. The code, subject to a consultation first, will make it explicitly clear to employers that they must not use threats of dismissal to pressurise employees into accepting new terms, and that they should have honest and open-minded discussions with their employees and representatives.

‘Fire and rehire’ refers to when an employer fires an employee and offers them a new contract on new, often less-favourable terms. The government has been clear on its opposition to this practice being used as a negotiating tactic and is now making it clear how it expects employers to behave.

This new statutory code of practice will set out employers’ responsibilities when seeking to change contractual terms and conditions of employment, including that businesses must consult with employees in a fair and transparent way when proposing changes to their employment terms.

Once in force, Courts and Employment Tribunals will be able to take the code into account when considering relevant cases, including unfair dismissal. They will have the power to apply a 25% uplift to an employee’s compensation in certain circumstances if an employer is found to not comply with the statutory code.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Using fire and rehire as a negotiation tactic is a quick-fire way to damage your reputation as a business. Our new code will crack down on firms mistreating employees and set out how they should behave when changing an employee’s contract.

We are determined to do all we can to protect and enhance workers’ rights across the country.

Maritime Minister Baroness Vere said:

We remain committed to protecting seafarers and championing the importance of their welfare. This new code goes one step further to doing just that, helping us ensure employees are treated fairly and employers hold meaningful consultations on any proposed changes to employment terms.

This forms part of our 9-point plan to reform and improve seafarer welfare and close down any legal loopholes that allow employers to avoid paying them – irrespective of flag or nationality.

Employers should be deterred from using this controversial tactic and must ensure they do not mistreat employees. If they do, they risk poor relations with their employees, and will open themselves up to the risk of legal claims.

The government asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to produce guidance for employers, which was published in 2021. This new Code of Practice shows the government is going a step further to protect workers across the country, while balancing that with the flexibility that businesses require.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 23 January 2023.

The government today publishes figures showing how many vouchers have been used across energy suppliers.

• New figures reveal which suppliers are meeting their responsibilities and who needs to do more to deliver £400 government energy bill support for prepayment meter customers.
• £5.7 billion has been provided to 99% of households in Great Britain through the Energy Bills Support scheme, with 71% of all prepayment vouchers redeemed so far.
• Government also announces off-grid homes will receive their £200 energy bill support payment from 6th February.

Households across Great Britain are now able to see which suppliers are doing the most – and the least – to ensure prepayment meter customers are receiving £400 of support with their winter energy bills, as the government today (23 January) publishes figures showing how many vouchers have been used across suppliers.

For the first time, figures released today reveal voucher redemption rates for the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) broken down by supplier. E Gas and Electricity are at the top with an 85% success rate and Bulb coming in second with 79%. Those with the fewest redemptions include Good Energy, Utilita and Scottish Power, with the government calling on them and others to make sure they are doing all they can to ensure their customers with prepayment meters know what to look out for and exactly how to redeem their vouchers.

Administered by energy suppliers, EBSS is designed so customers receive the discount in the same way they pay their energy bills, such as via direct debit, credit, smart meters and traditional prepayment meters. Most people will receive the support automatically, with no action necessary. However, people who use traditional prepayment meters are sent monthly vouchers by their supplier via text, email or post with suppliers having contacted customers in advance of the scheme launching in October to advise how the discount would be applied.

Yesterday, the Business Secretary pledged to crack down on the mistreatment of energy users by suppliers, following reports showing some aren’t doing enough to support vulnerable customers. As part of this he committed to publishing a list of supplier redemption rates for Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers – showing who is meeting their responsibilities and who needs to do more.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“The public have a right to know which suppliers are leading the charge with getting this help to them, and that’s why I’m holding energy companies to account to make sure they are doing everything they can to support their customers at this time.

“We’re ramping up efforts so consumers know exactly what they need to do to redeem these vouchers, but we need suppliers to do much more and I want to see these numbers rise.”

Today’s figures show nearly £5.7 billion of support has now been provided to 99% households across Great Britain through the Energy Bills Support Scheme to help with their winter energy bills, provided in monthly instalments that began in October and will continue until March.

71% of vouchers have now been redeemed since the scheme launched, up from 65% following continual engagement with energy suppliers and consumers throughout the delivery of the scheme. However, ministers want to see this rise as figures show 99% of vouchers have been issued.

The Government is furthering campaign activity to reach eligible customers with additional advertising rolling out from today (Monday) across community radio, social media and national magazine titles.

Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said:

“Government support has directly cut billions from household bills over the last few months, but we also want everyone to get the extra £400 help as well. With the return of freezing conditions, it’s more important than ever that those with prepayment meters look out for and redeem their vouchers as soon as possible.

“I want energy suppliers to do more to alert people to this help and make sure that everyone eligible is prompted to cash the vouchers in – particularly those who are struggling most. Everyone can help though. If you know someone with a prepayment meter, ask them if they’ve got their vouchers and prompt them to use them.”

Suppliers will tell customers where to redeem vouchers, which will be at a Post Office branch or a PayPoint shop, and must make several attempts to contact customers who have not redeemed their vouchers.

Off-grid households to receive Alternative Fuel Payments from February

The UK government has today also set out more detail on which households will be eligible to receive £200 of support under its Alternative Fuel Payments (AFP) scheme, with the vast majority of eligible households due to receive the payment automatically from 6 February.

The scheme will deliver £200 to households who use alternative fuels such as biomass, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or heating oil, helping around 2 million off-grid households to meet their energy costs this winter. The scheme will particularly support households in rural areas that are not connected to the gas grid. Support was doubled to £200 in the Autumn Statement to reflect the price rises experienced by people using alternative fuels to heat their homes.

Details set out today outline how households can expect to receive the payment, with delivery mirroring the methods used to provide support under the government’s other energy bill support schemes. Most households will not need to take any action to receive the support. A small proportion of households will need to apply for the AFP, for example because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier. Today’s publication includes more detail on how the scheme will determine which households need to apply for support.

Wider government support with energy bills

The EBSS and AFP come in addition to wider government support to help households with the cost of living this Winter. As well as discounts provided through the EBSS, the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will save a typical household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under Ofgem’s current price cap – reducing bills by roughly a third.

The EPG will continue to provide support for another 12 months from April 2023, and with energy prices forecast to remain high, this equates to an average of £500 support for households in 2023 to 2024. An additional £1,200 of support in direct payments is being provided to vulnerable households this year, with £26 billion worth of targeted support to help protect the most vulnerable announced by the Chancellor for the next financial year.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 23 January 2023.

The Business and Energy Secretary is today calling on suppliers to do more to protect vulnerable energy users.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has today (22 January 2023) pledged to crack down on the mistreatment of energy users by suppliers, following reports showing some are doing nowhere near enough to support vulnerable customers.

He has written to energy suppliers calling on them to stop the harmful and anxiety inducing practice of forcibly moving consumers over to prepayment meters without taking every step to support consumers in difficulty.

The Business Secretary is asking suppliers to voluntarily commit to stopping this practice and holding their feet to the fire by demanding they share the number of warrants they’ve applied for in recent months.

He wants to see much greater efforts from suppliers to help consumers in payment difficulties before leaping to the extreme of forced prepayment switching, such as offers of additional credit, debt forgiveness or tools such as debt advice. In his letter, he has asked suppliers to discuss possible further action they can take to support customers and avoid forced fitting.

This action is part of a drive to increase transparency around prepayment meter installations, to track down the worst culprits and find out which energy companies are trigger happy in applying for them.

Courts are being overwhelmed with applications for warrants as they continue to mount, with reports that huge batches are being approved in a matter of minutes. The Business Secretary is working with Ofgem and the Secretary of State for Justice to ensure that the process by which suppliers bring these cases to court is fair, transparent and supports vulnerable customers.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Grant Shapps, said:

“Suppliers are clearly jumping the gun and moving at risk customers onto prepayment meters before offering them the support they are entitled to – I simply cannot believe that every possible alternative has been exhausted in all these cases.

“I am deeply concerned to see reports of customers being switched to prepayment meters against their will, with some disconnected from supply – and quite literally left in the dark.

“Rather than immediately reaching for a new way to extract money out of customers, I want suppliers to stop this practice and lend a more sympathetic ear, offering the kind of forbearance and support that a vulnerable customer struggling to pay should be able to expect.”

This follows reports that the number of customers switched to prepayment meters has soared in recent months, and in many cases unwillingly and without the offer of support. In some instances, this has led to vulnerable customers having their gas and electricity supplies cut off with little or no notice.

Prepayment meters allow customers to pay for gas and electricity on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping the avoidance of debt and court action. A moratorium on forced prepayment switching could lead to an increase in bailiff action and so the Government wishes to avoid going down this route.

Under Ofgem rules forced switching to prepayment must only ever be a last resort but, with the nation battling with energy prices, more have struggled to pay their bills and been forced installations and self-disconnection. In recognition of this, some energy suppliers are already taking steps to support consumers such as by pausing remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode or providing additional credit to customers struggling to pay. The Business Secretary wants all suppliers to step up this kind of support to avoid resorting to forced fitting.

Minister for Energy and Climate Graham Stuart said:

“Switching users onto a prepayment plan should only ever be a very last resort and suppliers have a duty to exhaust all other avenues. It cannot be right that, at a time when consumers need compassionate treatment more than ever, so many are being let down in this way.

“The Government will continue to do all we can to ensure families and households stay warm this winter and we’re taking urgent action to bring about greater transparency when it comes to bad energy supplier practice.”

Concerns were also raised around the low number of vouchers being redeemed under the Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme – meaning many vulnerable households had not had cash knocked off their energy bills. Suppliers are urged to make every attempt to make sure this happens, with the Government to publish a list of supplier redemption rates – showing who is meeting their responsibilities and who needs to do more.

The Business Secretary is worried about the low uptake of customers on traditional meters in prepayment mode and has demanded more transparent reporting of voucher redemption rates. He has encouraged traditional meter replacement with smart meters as they are able to receive government support payments automatically and detect self-disconnection.

Mr Shapps has written to Ofgem to ask that they do more to make sure suppliers protect vulnerable consumers. This includes revisiting their approach to enforcing supplier compliance, as well as the urgent publication of recent investigations outcomes into vulnerable customers. The Minister for Energy and Climate Graham Stuart has asked energy suppliers, Ofgem, Energy UK and Citizens Advice to meet with him at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to discuss matters further next week.

The five-point plan to tackle bad behaviour by energy suppliers comprises the following actions:

1. A call for suppliers to voluntarily stop the practice of forced prepayment switching as the answer to households struggling to pay bills and make greater effort to help the most vulnerable.
2. Request of the release of supplier data on the number of warrant applications they have made to forcibly enter homes to install meters.
3. Urgent publication of a list of supplier redemption rates for the Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers – showing who is meeting their responsibilities and who needs to do more.
4. The launch of a Government public information campaign reminding and informing eligible consumers to redeem their Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers and how to do so. This will be through both advertising and direct communication channels, targeting the most vulnerable and those most likely not to have redeemed vouchers.
5. Coordination with Ofgem ensure they take a more robust approach to the protection of vulnerable customers and conduct a review to make sure suppliers are complying with rules.

The five-point plan forms part of a wider effort to ensure that energy users are protected at this challenging time and the Government is exploring longer term measures to address this.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 20 January 2023.

Phase 2 of the Red Diesel Replacement Competition will support innovative projects in developing greener energy alternatives.

British industrial sectors, including construction, mining and quarrying, will be supported in their plans to develop greener technologies and low carbon fuels, as the government backs industry with a £32.5 million funding package to cut reliance on fossil fuels and boost energy resilience.

The funding announced today (Friday 20 January) will help these industries move away from using red diesel, also known as gas oil, which is a type of fossil fuel commonly used for off-road, heavy-duty vehicles and machinery, such as bulldozers and cranes.

The funding is being made available through the second phase of the Red Diesel Replacement Competition, which supports projects that seek to develop red diesel alternatives. The £32.5 million package will support 3 to 5 demonstration projects that participated in Phase 1 of the programme.

This next phase of funding will support industry to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, while also helping to cut industry emissions and energy costs, supporting the UK’s commitment to transition away from red diesel to help meet its climate change and air quality targets.

Minister for Energy and Climate Change Graham Stuart said:

These industrial sectors, and the jobs they create, are crucial to our economy, and they also have an important role to play in our shift towards a greener, more secure future.

This latest round of funding will help to speed up industrial decarbonisation, providing industry and consumers with effective low-carbon alternatives to red diesel while boosting green investment to future-proof the resilience of British industry.

The funding announced today follows £6.7 million funding provided to 17 winners under Phase 1 of the competition, in areas covering electrification, e-fuels and green hydrogen, as well as technologies that capture and store energy which would ordinarily be wasted from a vehicle or machine.

Examples of previous winners from Phase 1 include:

MAHLE Powertrain Ltd, Northampton: in partnership with the University of Nottingham and Clean Air Power, MAHLE Powertrain Ltd received £425,072 to build 2 prototype engines capable of running on ammonia and hydrogen, with the aim of providing a pathway for the sustainable use of heavy-duty engines.

CATAGEN Ltd, Belfast received £787,700 for 2 projects, an e-fuel generator to develop e-diesel, and a novel hydrogen compressor.

ULEMCo Ltd, Liverpool: in partnership with Skanska and Building Research Establishment (BRE), UMLECo Ltd received £418,613 to develop and deploy a H2ICED® combustion engine for onsite construction equipment, a world first in converting a piling machine (used in the construction industry) to run on hydrogen fuel.

Steamology Motion Ltd, Salisbury: received £364,717 to build a prototype demonstrator of their high power, zero-emission steam turbine drivetrain, proving a viable red diesel engine replacement technology.

Today’s announcement forms part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which helps to accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings, and industry.

Switching industry to lower carbon fuels, supported through schemes such as the Red Diesel Replacement competition, will be critical for reducing emissions to meet the UK’s net zero objectives.

Jonathan Hall, Head of Research & Advanced Engineering at MAHLE Powertrain said:

Off-highway industries such as mining, quarrying and construction remain a significant challenge in the transition towards a more sustainable future. These sectors have demanding energy and utilisation requirements and are often in challenging environments far from a power grid connection, making them difficult to electrify.

Exploring other power sources such as ammonia has considerable potential, and the funding provided by BEIS via the Red Diesel Replacement programme has enabled us to develop these innovative, zero-carbon powertrain solutions.

Dr Andrew Woods, CEO and Co-Founder of CATAGEN said:

The purpose of CATAGEN is ‘to clean and decarbonise the air’ and the RDR funding from BEIS has allowed the team to rapidly build two new technologies in 2022. They form part of CATAGEN’s new ClimaHtech product range, a configurable system which uses advanced climate technologies to produce green hydrogen and e-fuels. We are committed to finding a collective solution that will cut CO2 emissions and decarbonise challenging sectors such as industry, shipping, and aviation.

BEIS have helped shine a spotlight on CATAGEN and our technologies which is now resulting in enquiries from across the globe from heavy industry and the automotive sectors.  The BEIS team have been a great support to CATAGEN’s development teams, not only by providing funding but through their valued expertise and commitment to reduce emissions as well as creating jobs to support a new net zero economy in Northern Ireland and the UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 19 January 2023.

Grant Shapps outlines his vision for ‘Scale-Up Britain’ in a keynote speech to business leaders at Davos.

The Business Secretary Grant Shapps today (19 January 2023) set out his vision for ‘Scale-Up Britain’ in a keynote speech to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, vowing to support the Chancellor and Prime Minister in the government’s growth agenda.

In his speech, hosted by the Confederation of British Industry, the Secretary of State noted that the UK now has a government which is making the right decisions for Britain and for our economic recovery.

Acknowledging the current global economic challenges, the Secretary of State said:

At difficult times like this, our instinct could be to turn inwards, think smaller, hedge our bets, and protect domestic industry by closing ourselves off.

But that’s precisely the opposite of what’s needed right now. Rather, we must open up more. We must think bigger, take strategic risks.

Mr Shapps continued:

Now for this government, ‘growth’ isn’t a goal, a target or a destination. It’s the cornerstone of everything we are doing. And that’s because it’s the single biggest enabler of everything we want to deliver.

How do we fix the NHS? Growth. How do we tackle the cost of living? Growth. How do we level up our country and make it fairer for all? Growth.

The Business Secretary noted that, in the last 50 years, roughly half of the UK’s productivity increase has been achieved through innovation, praising “entrepreneurs, disruptors, risk takers and innovators.”

With the world on the cusp of a new Industrial Revolution, Mr Shapps set out both the advantages and challenges facing Britain in the global economic race. He said:

We have never lacked great inventors, clever ideas, or promising start-ups. Last year, the UK was ranked among the five most innovative nations on earth by the World Intellectual Property Office, ahead of South Korea, Germany, China and Singapore.

What we must do better is convert start-ups to scale-ups. I want to inspire ‘Scale-up Britain’. Building businesses that don’t just develop in the UK, but stay to grow and mature into world-beaters.

Mr Shapps highlighted the economic opportunities presented by the UK leaving the European Union, including winning back powers to back investment in Britain, coupled with other natural advantages enjoyed by the UK, including our position as a leading global finance centre, our universities and our regulatory environment.

The Business Secretary also highlighted that while we can learn from the success of other nations, we can also learn from their mistakes, ensuring that growth and scale-up in Britain reflects the high standards for which we are famous around the world.

He said:

I think we can learn a lot from Silicon Valley’s ambition and its record creating global tech brands. But we can also learn from the mistakes it has made.

Its unicorns have sometimes prioritised shareholder value above all else. Its culture sometimes falls short of the standards we expect from modern employers. And whilst it has made a few people unimaginably rich, the wealth isn’t shared by everyone with homelessness in nearby San Francisco a visible sign of this inequality.

So what I want to create is a Silicon Valley with a British edge.

In order to help the government to seize these opportunities, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a new Scale-up Summit, allowing ministers to listen to key frontier tech figures who have worked around the world.

Concluding his speech, Mr Shapps said:

To help us raise our game, we need to listen to a wider variety of entrepreneurs currently driving change.

So I will launch a Scale-up Summit to bring together key frontier tech, development and finance figures who have accelerated tech businesses from start-ups to scale-ups…who have worked around the world, from California to Tallinn and who can help us replicate their success in the UK, from Catford to Teesside.