The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) are seeking businesses and researchers interested in gaining support for innovative aerospace projects.

This activity is part of the UK Aerospace Research and Technology Programme, a £3.9 billion joint government and industry investment for projects that will make the UK more competitive in civil aerospace.

Businesses and researchers can submit expressions of interest in carrying out a future project that could get grant funding. It is the first of a possible 4 stages.

Projects must fit with UK aerospace strategy

We are seeking projects that are in line with the UK’s aerospace technology strategy.

Priority areas include:

• strengthening the UK’s whole-aircraft design and system integration capability and positioning it for future generations of civil aircraft
• the development of smart, connected and more electric aircraft
• ensuring the UK is a global leader in the development of large complex structures, particularly wings
• advancing a new generation of more efficient propulsion technologies, particularly large turbofans

Competition information

• we are now inviting expressions of interest, and the deadline is at midday on 16 May 2018
• successful applicants will be invited to make a full funding application. The approval process typically takes 6 months
• organisations can work alone or in partnership with other businesses and researchers
• project costs and duration should be in proportion to the objectives
• businesses could attract up to 70% of their project costs
• you will need to sign up to the ATI framework agreement to be eligible to apply

DVLA has once again laid down the challenge to pupils across Wales to work in teams and design a computer game, with the winning entries set to receive thousands of pounds worth of IT equipment for their schools or community centres.

The DVLA Code Challenge was first launched last year to promote Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and IT learning in primary schools and community centres in Wales.

Around 200 children and 150 adults attended the inaugural prize-giving event at DVLA’s digital theatre in Swansea last December, which saw state-of-the-art IT kit given out to teams from over 50 primary schools and community groups from all over Wales. Pupils unable to attend on the day also had the chance to take part in the day’s action via a live internet link, just as though they were there.

After the huge amount of interest last year, this year’s competition has been opened up to include 11 to 14 year-olds, meaning pupils from secondary schools can also showcase their skills and win fantastic IT prizes for their schools or community centres.

DVLA IT Manager and STEM Ambassador Mark Jones said:

The DVLA Code Challenge was so successful that schools and sponsors enquired straight away about how they could sign up to the next competition, so we’ve decided to do it all over again.

This year, we are adding a new age group and opening up the competition to children aged between 7 and 11, and 11 to 14. This means that we can include both primary and secondary school pupils.

By taking part in the challenge, budding programmers can develop their coding abilities in a fun and engaging way. The competition also aims to promote teamwork and communication – these are all increasingly vital skills in the workplaces of today and tomorrow.

There will be an award day on Tuesday 4 December with fantastic educational prizes, a prize draw for all entrants, feedback on the entries from expert judges and a celebrity host.

Full information, including details of how to enter the competition, is available on the DVLA Code Challenge website.

With two weeks to go until the deadline to submit applications, the RPA is continuing to encourage farmers to apply early to ensure their application is submitted in good time.

The RPA has received over 88% of applications online, as farmers continue to make the switch from paper forms.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

It is good to see more farmers submitting their applications online, with over 31,000 received so far. Applying online makes it easier to check and update personal and business details, as well as view and transfer land and entitlements.

I would encourage the remaining farmers who have yet to submit their application to do so early and online, so that they can be certain the RPA will receive these ahead of the deadline.

Farmers and land managers need to submit their BPS applications in the next fortnight before midnight on 15 May, in order claim for their single farm payment for 2018.

Help and support for applicants is available through our online guidance, “How to” videos and by telephone. Further information can be found on here.

The RPA are getting a number of calls relating to Rural Payments service passwords.

Advice on resetting your password is available via the YouTube video below.

RPA YouTube channel.

The agenda will include:

• using behavioural science to achieve compliance
• the Industrial Strategy and what it means for regulators
• supporting local priorities with a focus on tourism
• new opportunities for business support
• regional network showcase

The event will take place at Westminster Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET, and will qualify for 5 hours CPD. It is likely to be fully subscribed, so book now to avoid disappointment.

It is suitable for all partners involved in BBfA, and a full agenda will be available closer to the day.

Book here to reserve your free place

Arts Minister Michael Ellis has placed a temporary export bar on An Academy by Lamplight by Joseph Wright to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

An Academy by Lamplight is one of the most ambitious and earliest paintings by Joseph Wright and is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £7,456,440.

Joseph Wright (1734 – 1797) was one of the most distinctive and gifted British painters of the eighteenth century. Nicknamed the ‘Painter of Light’ for the candle lit scenes he produced early in his career, Wright was a frequent contributor to the exhibitions of the Society of Artists, and to those of the Royal Academy. Wright’s works record the struggles of the development of science against traditional religious values during the age of enlightenment.

Wright’s works are most famous for his exceptional use of the chiaroscuro effect, which emphasises the contrast of light and dark. An Academy in Lamplight was probably completed in 1769 and is generally considered to be the the first of two versions of this subject. The other version of this work is now held at the Yale Centre for British Art in New Haven, USA.

Arts Minister Michael Ellis said:

Wright is one of the most preeminent painters of the Age of Enlightenment. His works help us to better understand the mix of religion and science in this period of huge industrial development. I hope that a buyer can be found to keep this extraordinary painting in the country so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

Art Historian and former RCEWA Member Philippa Glanville said:

Educating and enlightening young people was a constant theme in Wright’s paintings; in this vivid depiction of a drawing class, he has captured the varied responses of boys and youths to a female statue, typically bathed in light. Accurate observation and recording was an essential life skill, both for artisans and for privileged children, as these silk-clad youths appear to be. Wright, or his as yet unidentified patron, may have opted for this informal and youthful assemblage, in contrast to the newly formed Royal Academy, with its strict rules and age restrictions.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the paintings outstanding significance for the study of art education and its representation of the early history of the Society of Artists of Great Britain. The technical ability of the painter was also noted.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until 31 July 2018. This may be extended until 31 January 2019 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £7,456,440.

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by Michael Ellis. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

An image of the painting can be downloaded via our flickr site.

ENDS

For media information contact: Faye Jackson Communications Officer Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Tel: 0207 211 6263 Email: faye.jackson@culture.gov.uk

Notes to editors

1. Details of the painting are as follows: Joseph Wright of Derby, A.R.A. (Derby, 1734-1797) An Academy by Lamplight oil on canvas, 127 x 101.5 cm
2. Provenance: Probably Sir Francis Crossley, 1st Bt of Halifax (1817–1872), Belle Vue, Halifax, West Yorkshire; probably by inheritance to his widow Martha Eliza Crossley (c. 1821–1891), who, following her husband’s death, moved the contents of Belle Vue to Somerleyton Hall, Lowestoft, Suffolk; by descent to her son, Sir Savile Crossley, 2nd Bt and 1st Lord Somerleyton (1857–1935), at Somerleyton Hall; thence by direct descent.
3. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
4. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.