Catalyst Fund: Policies, principles and criteria

When we assess proposals to the Catalyst Fund we take into account certain principles and criteria. These are set out below.

Four principles inform our use of the Catalyst Fund:

Focussed on our priorities: As discretionary funding, Catalyst Fund investments should be focussed on achieving our priorities, derived from those of Government, rather than the positioning of individual institutions. We will invest based on ideas from, and negotiation with, institutions.
Exceptional funding: The Catalyst Fund should be used to secure benefits that could not adequately or reasonably be achieved through other means, by HEFCE and/or by universities and colleges (such as formula funding, increased tuition fee income, information, regulation) or through the operation of the system alone.
Delivering public benefit: The benefits arising from catalyst funding to students, to the public and to universities and colleges as a whole should outweigh those to the institutions receiving funding. This may be achieved particularly in a collaborative project.
Consistency: Catalyst Fund investments should be consistent with the Government’s aspiration for a dynamic and competitive system for teaching, and for research and knowledge exchange that builds upon strength and success.

Criteria

In deciding which proposals fit with the principles set out above, we consider:

Alignment with HEFCE and/or Government priorities specifically linked with our identified themes for Supporting Objectives.
Appropriateness of the activity for catalyst funding, in line with our four principles for the fund.
Value for money - including quality and novelty of the proposal, clear success criteria, full economic costing, return on investment and contributions from other partners.
Robustness of project management - including dissemination and evaluation, and risk management.