Overview of the Evaluation Accelerator Fund
In May 2026, the Evaluation Task Force (ETF) unveiled Phase 5 of its Evaluation Accelerator Fund (EAF), which boasts a total allocation of £6.5 million for the financial year 2026/27. This competitive grant initiative is designed to support research and evaluation projects that aim to generate actionable evidence in priority government areas, address existing evidence gaps, and provide solid proof of financial or efficiency savings associated with new policies or innovative service delivery methods. The fund specifically prioritises projects aimed at enhancing the evidence base regarding Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and those related to artificial intelligence and local government priorities.
Funding Distribution and Key Projects
A total of £4.7 million has been awarded to 40 projects through competitive bidding. This amount includes £1.1 million contributed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support VAWG-related initiatives and £590,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for employment-related projects. Notably, £1.4 million was allocated directly to What Works Centres, while an additional £376,000 was distributed to Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Highlighted below are some of the funded projects aimed at addressing critical issues within society.
Transforming Access to Education for NEET Youth
The project, led by Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO), received £114,330 to evaluate the University of Exeter’s exam centre initiative. This centre provides mock and real GCSE examinations for Year-11-equivalent young individuals who are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET). The independent evaluation will assess the centre’s scalability and feasibility, ultimately serving as a model for university-college-council partnerships aimed at improving access to GCSEs and reducing NEET rates.
Local Energy Infrastructure Planning Evaluation
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been awarded £90,348 to establish a comprehensive baseline of the administrative burdens and system performance related to local energy infrastructure planning. This project addresses critical evidence gaps concerning consenting times and decision-making delays, enabling a robust evaluation of recent planning reforms. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the project will generate valuable insights on practical system operations and assess the potential for AI-enabled data extraction from planning documents.
Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Evidence Base
Funded by £83,152, the London School of Economics aims to create a tool capable of effectively measuring public confidence, trust, and legitimacy concerning the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG). By conducting a comprehensive survey of 1.7 million users of the Neighbourhood Alert platform, the project will help establish baselines and gauge the relationship between perceptions of neighbourhood policing and actual outcomes as the NPG is implemented.
Impact of Income Tax Changes on the Economy
The London School of Economics has also received £124,481 to evaluate the broader economic impacts of changes in Income Tax. This project utilises quasi-experimental methodologies to assess the causal effects of past tax reforms on various firm-level outcomes, including profits, capital investments, and innovation indicators. The findings are expected to provide new insights into the fiscal effects of tax changes and their wider economic implications.
Real-Time Domestic Abuse Research Aggregation
The University of Sussex has been awarded £218,909 to develop RADAR, an AI-enabled tool designed to enhance access to domestic abuse service delivery evidence. By scraping and synthesising publicly available data, the project seeks to refine the tool’s dataset and quality appraisal functions, ultimately improving the understanding of user evidence needs and facilitating better-informed decisions in service provision.
Addressing Career Choices of NHS Trainee Doctors
With a funding of £76,130, the Institute for Fiscal Studies will examine how pay supplements for out-of-hours work influence career choices among NHS trainee doctors. This project will analyse linked data to quantify how changes in remuneration structures affect specialty choices, particularly in relation to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.
Enhancing Local Authority Decision-Making through Evidence
Southampton City Council has been awarded £48,891 to assess the representation of various evidentiary types in local authority decision-making. This project aims to leverage AI technology to generate actionable insights regarding the use of evidence in local governance, ultimately contributing to improved decision-making processes.
Evaluating Talking Therapies for Young People
The London Borough of Havering has secured £49,857 to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based counselling programme for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. By analysing linked data from education, social care, and health sectors, the study aims to measure the programme’s short- and mid-term outcomes, providing evidence to inform future local decisions regarding mental health services for young people.
Strengthening Evaluation Capacity in the West Midlands
The University of Birmingham has been awarded £179,802 to enhance evaluation capabilities within the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). This partnership involves embedded academic support to improve evaluation design, delivery, and reporting, ultimately aiming to bolster the region’s capacity to implement and assess various public service initiatives.
Impact-Based Heat-Health Alerts Evaluation
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has received £124,407 to evaluate the UK’s Impact-Based Heat-Health Alerts. This project will assess the effectiveness of these alerts in reducing adverse health outcomes associated with extreme heat, while also exploring opportunities for improving the current alert system to support public health measures in a changing climate.
Using AI to Combat School Absenteeism
Newcastle City Council has been awarded £60,496 to evaluate an AI tool aimed at identifying students at risk of high absenteeism. The project employs a randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of early intervention strategies, providing crucial data on the impact of AI in educational settings.
Evaluating AI Tools in Employment Support Initiatives
With a funding of £235,060, the Institute for Employment Studies will assess the impact of AI tools within the Restart programme. This evaluation will compare the outcomes of participants receiving AI-supported services against those receiving standard support, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of technology in enhancing employment outcomes.
Framework for Evaluating the Abolition of the Two-Child Limit
Manchester Metropolitan University has secured £17,497 to develop an evaluation framework for assessing the impact of abolishing the two-child limit on educational outcomes. This project focuses on creating reusable analytical tools and guidance to facilitate future evaluations as data becomes available.
Parenting and Home Learning Environment Programmes Evaluation
NESTA has been awarded £261,225 to scope a new initiative aimed at evaluating parenting and home learning environment programmes. The project will assess the readiness of various initiatives for impact evaluation and explore the factors that influence how local authorities engage with and implement evidence-based practices.
Teenage Relationship Harm Referral Pathway Evaluation
Northumbria University has received £52,256 to evaluate the Teenage Relationship Harm Early Help referral pathway. This innovative project aims to gather actionable evidence on early intervention strategies for addressing relationship harm among under-16s, contributing to national prevention efforts against VAWG.
Retrospective Evaluation of Operation Vigilant
Nottingham Trent University has been awarded £69,293 to conduct a retrospective evaluation of Operation Vigilant, a proactive policing initiative aimed at preventing VAWG. The study will assess the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing incidents of violence against women and girls in public spaces.
Impact of Arresting Suspects in VAWG Cases
The University of Cambridge will evaluate the impact of arrests on the highest-harmed VAWG victims across several police forces. This project aims to provide a detailed understanding of how arresting suspects affects victim outcomes and the overall effectiveness of VAWG intervention strategies.
Evidence Infrastructure for VAWG Support Services
Rape Crisis England & Wales has secured £233,647 to build the evidence infrastructure necessary for evaluating specialist support services for VAWG survivors. This project will focus on stakeholder engagement and the development of a comprehensive theory of change to inform future evaluations.
Evaluation of Relationship and Sex Education Sessions
Yellow Door has received £27,213 to evaluate the effectiveness of specialist Relationship and Sex Education sessions in preventing misogyny and violence against women and girls. The project compares the impact of these sessions with standard school-led provisions, aiming to enhance educational approaches to VAWG.
Evaluating Sexual Harm Prevention Orders
Leeds Beckett University has been awarded £99,367 to evaluate the effectiveness of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders introduced under recent legislation. This project aims to provide actionable insights into compliance and reoffending rates, ultimately improving national perpetrator management practices.
Utilising Health Data to Identify VAWG Legal Needs
JUSTICE has secured £320,215 to improve data quality across advice and support services in Liverpool, focusing on VAWG-related legal needs. The project aims to develop indicators for identifying early intervention opportunities, thereby