HEBCI Refresher Wednesday 18th October 2023 Mark

Statutory requirements The HE-BCI record is collected in line with statutory requirements from all HE providers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in line with statutory requirements from all approved (fee cap) providers in England.

The HE-BCI record covers a range of activities: from the commercialisation of new knowledge, through to the delivery of professional training, consultancy and services, to activities intended to have direct social benefits. ‘Business' in this context refers to both public and private sector partners of all sizes and sectors, with which HEPs have interactions.

The HE-BCI record is seeking to collect interactions between UK HEPs and businesses and the wider community. This excludes interactions between a UK HEP and their constituent parts, colleges or corporate group, or with another UK HEP, regardless of whether in the UK or overseas.<br>

Small and medium-sized enterprise employ fewer than 250 employees worldwide (including partners and executive directors), and

has either an annual turnover not exceeding 50m euros, or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43m euros, and

conforms to the following independence criteria:

An enterprise is considered independent unless 25% or more of the capital or of the voting rights is owned by an enterprise falling outside the definition of an SME whichever may apply, or jointly by several such enterprises. (This ceiling may be exceeded if the enterprise is held by public investment corporations, venture capital companies or institutional investors, provided no control is exercised either individually or jointly, or if the capital is spread in such a way that it is not possible to determine by whom it is held).<br>

Research For the purposes of the HE-BCI, research is defined as ‘original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding'.

This definition excludes routine testing and analysis and the development of teaching materials that do not embody original research.<br>

Contract Research This includes contract numbers and income identifiable by the HE provider as meeting the specific research needs of external partners. You should exclude both any income already returned in collaborative research involving public funding and basic research council grants. Contract research income from charities may be included where the charity is contracting research for its own purposes.

Income must align with the accounting policies adopted by the provider. So, in the year when the financial accounts recorded that your provider received the income, it should be returned in the corresponding HE-BCI submission.<br>

Collaborative research involving public funding This includes research projects with public funding from at least one public body, and a material contribution from at least one external non-academic collaborator. The collaborative contribution may be cash or 'in kind' if this is specified in a collaborative agreement and auditable. In-kind contributions include contributions to the project from the non-academic collaborators (for example staff time, use of equipment and other resources, materials, provision of data etc.) as described in the project collaboration agreement.

Please note: Where a consortium of providers are receiving a benefit from in-kind contributions that are shared between multiple HEPs in the UK and overseas, it should be shared across all partners irrelevant of location so that the UK partners are showing a truer share.<br>

Collaborative Research Collaborative research involving public funding is analysed as follows:
UKRI Research Councils, Royal Society & British Academy
includes income from all collaborative research from research councils covered by the UK Research and Innovation as well as funding from cross UKRI programmes such as the Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) or similar cross UKRI funding that meets the requirements for collaborative research.<br>

Collaborative Research (2) Other UK Government departments
includes income from all government departments and Innovate UK (including income from Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)) should be included under this sub-head.
EU Government
includes all research income from all government bodies operating in the EU, which includes the European Commission but excludes bodies in the UK.
Other
includes charities, public and not-for-profit organisations as well as commercial businesses. This Sub-head can include non-EU funding and charities who are not registered in the UK.<br>

Worked Example 1 Ref. No: 76340Department: Institute for Employment ResearchPI: Jeisson CardenasRubioTitle: Green jobs in the Midlands with a special focus on hydrogen related economic activityFUNDER: Funder: Black Country Consortium Ltd HESA Category: Other 9HHEBCI Category: Contract research: SMEs (SME)
Subsequently advised that funder was changing to Staffordshire University.
Original and current funder acting as commissioner, not conduit.
Not funding from public source for research WITH contributions from non-HEP
Therefore Contract Research
Category changed to: Contract Research non-commercial organisation<br>

Worked Example 2 R.ESWM.3780 – funder Meridian Limited, classed on the return as Commercial.
Income invoiced to ZENZIC-UK Limited (formerly Meridian Mobility UK Ltd).
Parent company is Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Ltd (APC UK Ltd).
APC UK Ltd co-funds R&D with industry, utilising Government funds. Collaborative Research Other Government Departments?
Turnover of APC in excess of £50m (not SME)
In this specific case contract was/is with Meridian Mobility, fully funded, therefore Contract Research non-SME
NOTE: Companies can change category from SME to non-SME in subsequent years (eg British Volt), they can also be taken over, reduce in size or indeed go out of business… Not always consistent across years.<br>

Worked Example: BEIS Research Councils research projects with public funding from at least one public body, and a material contribution from at least one external non-academic collaborator.
Research project – AWARDED 2022-23, from an UKRI RC. Had two collaborators (PI & COI), Warwick based. No other contributing (cash or in-kind) collaborators.
On Ideate categorised as Collaborative research: BIS Research Councils (RC)
Is this correct?<br>

Worked Example: Collaborative Research Other Sources research projects with public funding from at least one public body, and a material contribution from at least one external non-academic collaborator.
2022-23 Award from EPSRC: EPSRC Core Equipment Award (institutional)
Contribution from one public body (EPSRC), listed as: Collaborative research: Other UK government depts (Gov)
Is this correct?
What additional information could we use to confirm this?<br>

Worked Example: Collaborative research: Other UK government departments research projects with public funding from at least one public body, and a material contribution from at least one external non-academic collaborator.
Award with funder listed as: UKRI C/O UK SHARED BUSINESS
Bonus Question: What is this for?
What information would I need to confirm the correct categorisation?<br>