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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeline is for (a) UKRI to guarantee funding for successful UK Horizon Euratom grant applications and (b) providing the second wave of successful UK Horizon Euratom grant applications with the safety net funding; how much money will be dedicated to that safety net; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that the second wave of researchers who have secured Horizon Euratom grants will be covered by UKRI’s grant extension guarantee.

Funding for UK entities, successful in the latest Euratom Research & Training research call, is covered by the existing UKRI guarantee. This ensures UK entities can sign agreements and collaborative nuclear fission projects can go ahead. Relevant Euratom stakeholders have been contacted regarding the availability of the guarantee. £4m of funding has been agreed to provide this guarantee. It remains our policy to associate to Euratom R&T. Contracts for the next wave of Euratom R&T are unlikely to be signed before late 2023 and relevant teams across government will continue to work towards ensuring UK entities have the confidence to apply for the second wave of grants.