Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Prospering from the energy revolution: An overview of government’s challenge to industry and research to create more efficient energy systems and benefit the UK economy from the global uptake published by UK Research and Innovation, what percentage of (a) bids received to date were made by organisations based in the North East and (b) funds allocated to date have been to organisations based in the North East.

Through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), the Government is investing in strategic innovation challenges that will create transformative opportunities for businesses and sectors across the UK. So far £1.7bn has been allocated to ISCF challenges over two waves of investment. This includes £102.5m for the Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge, which will develop world-leading local smart energy systems that deliver cheap and clean energy across power, heating and transport, while creating high value jobs for the future.

To date 5.9% of bids to the Prospering from the Energy Revolution Challenge have been from organisations registered in the North East and 6.0% of allocated funding has been to organisations registered in the North East. The recently launched Offshore Wind Sector Deal will also benefit the UK economy including that of the North East.