Fleming Fund - Country and Regional Grants and Fellowships Programme

UK - Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)

The Fleming Fund helps low- and middle-income countries to fight antimicrobial resistance. A management agent has been appointed to deliver: country grants 24 low- and middle-income countries, regional grants in West Africa, East and Southern Africa, South Asia and South East Asia, and a global fellowships programme. These initiatives aim to improve laboratory capacity and diagnosis as well as data and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through the country and regional grants and the fellowships programme the Fleming Fund will: build laboratory capacity for diagnosis; collect data on drug resistance, drug quality, drug use and the burden of disease associated with AMR; enable the sharing of data relevant to AMR locally, regionally, and internationally; encourage the application of data to promote the rational use of antimicrobials; shape a sustainable system for AMR surveillance and data sharing; and increase national leadership in addressing AMR. Projects funded through Fleming Fund will benefit people in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of drug resistant infection is greater.

Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund Round 9

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade.

• Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT,

• Strengthening law enforcement,

• Ensuring effective legal frameworks,

• Reducing demand for IWT products.

By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This round of funding includes the following projects: IWTEX002-003, IWTEV009-018, IWT121-129. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/illegal-wildlife-trade-challenge-fund-iwtcf (Language: English)

Darwin Initiative

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity conversation and poverty reduction, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative is a grant scheme working on projects that aim to slow, halt, or reverse the rates of biodiversity loss and degradation, with associated reductions in multidimensional poverty. To date, the Darwin Initiative has awarded more than £195m to over 1,280 projects in 159 countries to enhance the capability and capacity of national and local stakeholders to deliver biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction outcomes in low and middle-income countries. More information at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-darwin-initiative and https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/

Global Programme on Sustainability

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

The programme supports sustainable economic growth that is both long-lasting and resilient to climate-related stressors. It does this through the integration of natural capital into decision making by governments, the private sector and financial institutions. The inability to value natural capital can undermine long-term growth and critically, the livelihoods of the poorest people dependent on ecosystems for their livelihoods. This programme directly addresses this challenge by (i) investing in data and research on natural capital; (ii) assisting countries to integrate this analysis into government policy making; and (iii) integrating this data and analysis into financial sector decision making.

Darwin Initiative Round 23

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the natural environment through locally based projects worldwide. The initiative funds projects that help countries rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources to meet their objectives under one or more of the biodiversity conventions. The objective is to to address threats to biodiversity such as: - habitat loss or degradation - climate change - invasive species - over-exploitation - pollution and eutrophication.

Cotton Footprint: transitioning the carbon intensive cotton and textiles industry to renewable infrastructure through a whole supply chain approach

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

A collaboration to deliver affordable energy solutions in rural Pakistan communities who are integral to the farming and production of global cotton supplies. The Affordable Clean Energy Farm (ACE-Farm) is a novel insetting scheme that aims to redistribute capital via investments by fashion brands, textiles manufacturers and clean cotton networks to reduce the impact of their own carbon consumption. This project will continue the work delivered by UK energy management company, Pilio, and Pakistan energy infrastructure company, SAMA^Verte, under an Energy Catalyst 8 funded feasibility study. Within this continuation project, we will demonstrate the economic model that aims to bring clean and affordable energy access to Pakistan's 10m cotton workers. Our focus is on creating a multiplier effect via a range of ecosystem services, including household energy access, productive energy on industrial cotton farms (ginners) and enabling micro-enterprises to offer energy services and create new markets. Within this project Pilio will develop our technology platform, that measures the investment brands make in terms of carbon reduction and affordable energy uptake, as well as economic terms including ROI. This project will be delivered in close working partnership with WWF Pakistan and global sustainability experts, Better Cotton.

Feasibility study for sustainable, affordable solar PV/T-biomethane energy solution for rural Pakistan

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with a population of 216.5M and annual growth rate of 2%. It is an agrarian country with two thirds of its population living in rural areas. Despite its abundant renewable energy sources, Pakistan is facing severe energy crises where it imports a third of its energy requirements and is still using conventional methods of energy generation that produce significant CO2 emissions. Majority of the rural population in Pakistan meet their cooking and heating needs by burning biomass like animal dung, wood fuel and charcoal in traditional cook stoves which are inefficient and causes household indoor air pollution (HAP). About 28,000 people die each year due to HAP, and it accounts for 40 million cases of acute respiratory illnesses per annum causing significant economic burden which costs about 1% of GDP per annum. Also, Pakistan is facing severe deforestation problem and currently forests cover only 2.5% of the land area as every year 27000 hectare is lost due to deforestation leading to increased CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere. There are huge amounts of waste in Pakistan including 20MT/yr solid waste of which almost half is biomass like (food waste, paper leaves, grass and fodders), 70MT/year of agriwaste like wheat and rice husks, cotton sticks and sugar-cane residues, and 365MT/Yr of animal waste coming from more than 170M heads of cows, buffalos, cattle, sheep, camels and goats. Exploiting this agricultural and animal waste, this project aims to investigate the feasibility of a novel Waste to Energy system to produce biogas which will be further upgraded and separated into biomethane and carbon dioxide. The biomethane will be used for cooking and heating while CO2 will be used for wide range of industrial applications. Also, the proposed system will produce nitrogen enriched bio-fertilisers that can be used for soil enhancement, increased land fertility and food production. The widespread of the proposed technology will have major impacts on Pakistan population where clean, affordable and secure source of energy can be generated using locally available waste. Based on the waste produced from the 70M heads of cows and Buffalos only, over 57488Mm³/yr of biogas and 30MT/yr of nitrogen enriched bio-fertilisers can be produced. This will significantly reduce Pakistan fuel imports, enhance the living standards of the rural communities particularly women, girls and disadvantaged groups, reduce CO2 emissions and improve the environment.

Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Our project, "Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)," is a bold initiative aimed at tackling the dire lack of electricity in rural areas of Pakistan especially for off-grid communities. It harnesses the immense potential of agro-waste generated from fiber production to create a sustainable and accessible source of energy. Despite Pakistan's abundant renewable energy resources, more than 50% of people in rural areas still live without electricity, heavily reliant on energy imports and fossil fuels. With only 7% of energy generation coming from renewables, there exists a significant deficit in meeting the country's energy needs. Our innovative approach combines two cutting-edge technologies to establish a true sandpit technology, forging a circular model based on food, fiber, and energy while generating zero waste. SAFER leverages NTU Pakistan's indigenous technology, which efficiently produces high-quality textile fibers using agro-waste from bananas. Remarkably, the fiber production process generates a second round of agro-waste, allowing us to maximize resource utilisation. SAFER utilises ERL UK's Patent-pending and advanced thermo-chemical conversion technologies to deploy sustainable and clean energy solutions in remote areas of Pakistan. By converting agro-waste into renewable fuel, our project offers affordable and accessible energy to local industries and communities, alleviating the burden on Pakistan's overstretched energy sector. Through gasification technology, we harness the power of agro-waste to generate syngas, which are then used to produce electricity. Beyond energy production, SAFER also targets the improvement of Pakistan's textile sector, a vital industry that serves as the country's largest exporter and employs millions of individuals. In SAFER, we utilize agro-waste, such as banana peels, to manufacture high-quality textile fibers, biochar/biofertilisers, and electricity. This not only creates value-added commodities but also facilitates effective waste management. Our approach curbs the industry's environmental footprint while mitigating the adverse effects of declining cotton production caused by environmental changes. To ensure the commercial viability of our solution and effectively address Pakistan's energy crisis, we adopt a holistic approach to integrate systems (Food, Fiber, fertiliser, Energy) and ensure compatibility with multiple market routes and technical solutions. With SAFER, we envision a brighter future for rural Pakistan, where access to sustainable energy becomes a reality through the transformation of agro-waste into value-added products. Through these efforts, we empower local communities, contribute to Pakistan's sustainable development, and pave the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future for all.

SolarERA (Solar Electrification of Rural Areas)

DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

The people of Thar Desert have little to no electricity access. Those that have access, use diesel polluting generators to produce this electricity, while fuel supply is unreliable and intermittent. The Thar is the most populous desert in the world, with approximately 16.6m people living there. Tharis are far behind the Pakistani average on economic skills. They rely predominantly on agriculture/livestock and "Thari crafts" (ornate embroidered/sewn garments such as quilts and cushions) to survive. The Thari women who make these crafts are extremely hardworking and talented, spirited and committed. Empowering women can change the destiny of Tharparkari people. However, the unavailability of electricity needed to power productivity enhancing stitching/sewing machines, means these women must make every stitch painstakingly by hand. As such, garment making is incredibly slow, laborious, and they are unable to leverage their skills to benefit their families and the wider village community. By the end of 2026, SolarERA systems will be ready to provide a unique electrification solution that will benefit these people by affording them access to off-grid electricity and in turn electric sewing/craft machines, and in doing so revolutionise their current economic situation. As a result, Thari-crafts can form the bedrock of the economic model that will provide microfinance institutions with the confidence to offer the initial investment to fund the SolarERA pico-grids. From this key initial electrification enabler, further downstream benefits can flow in relation to Health and Well-being, Education and Learning, Communication and Connectivity etc. Additionally, SolarERA will serve to preserve the age-old Thari crafts skills of these women, passed down by successive generations for centuries. The benefits to project partners are clear, major growth in jobs (25-UK, 125-PAK) and economic activity (£22.5million in revenues) by 2031. Kunwaa Foundation will be able to achieve its aim of improving the lives of the Thar people more easily and faster. SALATEEN will become a leader in the supply and installation of pico-grids across Pakistan and neighbouring countries. Zhyphen will see a significant boost in exports of critical technology for the enablement of low-cost off-grid solar solutions, enhancing it and Brunel-University-London's reputation as leaders in this area

DfE NI - GCRF QR funding

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Grant to Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland to enable Northern Irish higher education institutes to carry out pre-agreed ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. For Queen’s University Belfast in FY2019/20 this included: workshops in Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, and Uganda about health and education; 11 pilot projects spanning 16 eligible countries (Angola, Burundi, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe); and additional support to GCRF and NF-funded activities. For Ulster University in FY2019/20 funding supported six pump-priming projects on: LMIC maternal, neonatal and child health; PTSD in Rwanda; Decision-Making in Policy Making in Africa and Central Asia; and hearing impairment and dementia in China.

HEFCW - GCRF QR funding

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Additional GCRF funding to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to support Welsh higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Welsh HEIs in line with their research council grant income. In FY19/20 funding was allocated to Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University and Swansea University. In FY19/20, the funding was used to fund: the full economic cost of existing ODA eligible activities (e.g. already funded by GCRF); small ODA-eligible projects; fellowships to ODA-eligible researchers; and to increase collaboration and impact. 53 ODA-eligible countries have been reported as benefiting from the funded work, with Brazil and India the most frequently mentioned. By region, the largest number of projects were based in the LDC’s (Least Developed Countries) in Asia, South America, and East Africa, with only a few projects in the middle-income countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

ODA BEIS analysts - cross-cutting for both ODA funds

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

ODA BEIS analysts. For the monitoring and evaluation and learning for NF and GCRF

SFC - GCRF QR funding

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Formula GCRF funding to the Scottish Funding Council to support Scottish higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their three-year institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Scottish HEIs in proportion to their Research Excellence Grant (REG). In FY19/20 funding was allocated to 18 Scottish higher education institutes to support existing ODA grant funding and small projects. GCRF has now supported more than 800 projects at Scottish institutions, involving over 80 developing country partners.

Global Challenges Research Fund Evaluation

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

The overall purpose of the GCRF evaluation is to assess the extent to which GCRF has achieved its objectives and contributed to its intended impacts.

Transformation Project - ODA Reporting Tool (ODART)

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

The Reporting ODA Digital Service (RODA) is the data submission, processing, reporting repository system for data on BEIS R&I ODA Eligible Programmes delivered by Delivery Partners

UUKi Delivery Support

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

These are delivery cost for shared learning workshops/training and best practice (for current and future applicants) on ODA assurance, eligibility, reporting and partnership working through either the NF and GCRF

ODA website - cross-cutting for both ODA funds

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

This is the website for NF and GCRF consortia that promotes funding calls and impact case studies as well as publishing report such as the annual report and monitoring and evaluation documentation.

Ad-hoc GCRF activity on BEIS Finance system

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Increased contributions towards a range of research projects jointly funded with DFID, and funding for the Devolved Administrations for disbursement to universities within the devolved regions to fund the full economic cost of GCRF ODA research.

Core - International Collaboration Awards

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

International Collaboration Awards enable outstanding researchers in the UK to partner with the best research groups in developing countries on projects that address issues faced by developing countries.

Royal Academy of Engineering Academies Collective Fund: Resilient Futures - Frontiers of Development

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Frontiers of Development is part of the Joint Resilient Futures Initiative which is a collaboration between all four UK Academies under the GCRF. The aim of the JRF initiative is to construct a pipeline in the UK and the developing world for interdisciplinary researchers focused on tackling development challenges in a sustainable manner.