The Purpose of the Strategic Programme Fund (SPF)

Formerly known as the Global Opportunities Fund, the Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) was established in 2003 to promote actions on global issues in areas of strategic importance to the UK, focusing on the main areas as follows:

• counter terrorism, weapons proliferation and their causes
• promote a low carbon, high growth global economy
• prevent and resolve conflict; and
• develop effective international institutions, above all the UN and EU

The FCO has have supported nearly 950 projects worldwide since 2003 ranging from climate change and energy, Afghan counter-narcotics and migration programmes, to sustainable development, relations with the Islamic world and economic governance.

SPF Infrastructure

Each of the SPF Programmes has a Programme Manager in the British Embassy in Beijing. Having received the concept bids from prospective project implementers, the Programme Manager will assess and help develop the appropriate concept into full bids, submitting to Programme Team in London for final evaluation and approval. For successful bids, the Programme Manager will manage and monitor the project throughout its lifespan. The Programme Manager and the Programme Office in London have oversight of SPF projects to ensure consistency, clarity and coherence.

SPF Funding 2008-09

Funding available across the eleven programmes is almost £70 Million for financial year 2007-08, approximately £2.3million in China. For financial years 2008-09, the figure will be increased to approximately £2.9 million.

SPF Programmes in China

 Climate Change and EnergyProgramme

 Programme Purpose
The Climate Change and Energy (CCE) Programme aims to run a programme of projects working on climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy security. It has three focal areas:

• Strengthening the evidence base which supports ambitious CCE decision making
• Engaging new constituencies and mobilising political support to promote strong and early CCE action
• Stimulating a shift in investment towards a low carbon economy.

 On-going projects of Strategic Programme Fund in China

 Objectives of the CCE Programme

• To promote the UK's global climate change goals e.g. technologies reducing emissions and creating markets for renewable and efficient energies;
• To promote change in the governance of international energy resources and systems;
• To increase international and regional collaboration on energy sector governance in support of the UK's global climate change objectives.

 Previously Funded Programme – Example

This projects aims to build the capacity of the former Office of National Energy Leading Group, now part of the newly established National Energy Bureau, in energy security, climate change security and low carbon development in China.

As one of the project activities, a delegation of senior-level Chinese officials from the National Energy Bureau, National People’s Congress, and State Council, etc., met with Michael Jacobs, Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Climate Change, in No.10 Downing Street during their visit to UK from 7-12th April 2008. The delegation also visited a number of UK government organisations, independent research institutions and industrial development sites in Greater London and Birmingham.

 Applications

SPF Project Strategy

SPF Project Proposal Bid form

SPF Project Bidding Form Guidance

SPF Project Invitation to Tender form [word, 253k, new window]

The first bidding round of Financial Year 2009 - 2010 is currently open to the public until 3 November 2008.

Please contact the Energy & Climate Change Programme Managers for further details:

For climate change projects at national level:	For energy projects and climate change projects at provincial level:
Xu Hao Energy & Climate Change Programme Manager Environment & Energy Section British Embassy Beijing Tel: (8610) 5192 4277 Fax: (8610) 6532 1937 E-mail: Xu.Hao@fco.gov.uk	Sherry Ma Energy & Climate Change Programme Manager Environment & Energy Section British Embassy Beijing Tel: (8610) 5192 4470 Fax: (8610) 6532 1937 E-mail: Sherry.Ma@fco.gov.uk

 Economic Reform Programme

 Programme Purpose

The Economic Reform (ER) Programme aims to increased international commitment to achieve an open, stable and equitable low carbon global economy delivering higher standards of living.

 Objectives of the ER Programme

to promote a low carbon, high growth, global economy

 Previously Funded Programme - Example

Example : Risk Management and Supervision on China Financial Conglomerates

Project purpose: To improve the co-ordination of the three financial regulators of to ensure effective supervision of financial conglomerates.

Outputs:

• Formation of a taskforce from regulators and banks
• Discussion papers on international (specifically UK) best practice produced and disseminated
• Final report with consolidated recommendations produced and presented at China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in April 2008

Activities: Workshops; study visits, seminars, roundtables, report writing, conference

In last financial year (from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008), we had 14 project running in China with total value of £376,000. Those projects we ran in last financial year (FY) covered different thematic areas, such as, Intellectual Property Rights, Labour Market Reform, Financial Market Reform, Anti-Corruption, Anti-Financial Crime, and Corporate Social Responsibilities. We co-operated with central and local governments, NGOs, universities, think tanks, and research institutes. We aimed to make use of UK's expertise to make positive change to China's Economic Policy and legislation to speed up China's reform in Economic, financial, and trade policy areas.

 Applications

SPF Project Proposal Bid form

SPF Project Bidding Form Guidance

SPF Project Invitation to Tender form [word, 253k, new window]

The first bidding round of FY 2009-2010 is now open to public until 1 December 2008.

SPF Project Call for Proposals

Please contact the ER project manager for further details:  

Liu Ke SPF Project Manager (Economic Reform) Economic Section British Embassy Beijing Tel: (8610) 5192 4337 Fax: (8610) 6532 1937 E-mail: Ke.Liu@fco.gov.uk

 Human Rights and Democracy Programme

 Programme Purpose

The Human Rights and Democracy Programme aims to implement projects in three priority areas:

• Abolishing the death penalty;
• Criminal justice
• Freedom of expression

through working with Chinese legislative, judicial and law enforcing departments, and non-governmental organisations and academic institutions.

 Applications

SPF Project Proposal Bid form

SPF Project Bidding Form Guidance

Please contact the HRD project manager for further details:

Liu Ming SPF Project Manager (Human Rights and Democracy) Political Section British Embassy Beijing Tel: (8610) 5192 4224 Fax: (8610) 6532 1937 E-mail:  Ming.Liu@fco.gov.uk