Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-accelerator-fund

Change description : 2026-09-21 11:00:00: Removed the following documents:Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – Guidance for biddersEvaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – GuidanceEAF Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – proposal templateEAF Phase 5 – GENERAL competition – proposal templateEAF Phase 5 [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2026-06-11 16:03:51.865388930 +00:00..2026-09-21 10:00:07.831661109 +00:00

Guidance

Evaluation Accelerator Fund

The Evaluation Accelerator Fund (EAF) supports evaluation across government to transform our understanding of the impact of activity in priority policy areas.

From:
Evaluation Task Force
Published:Published
31 January 2022
Last updated:updated
21 11 SeptemberJune 2026 — See all updates

Documents

Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - Guidance for bidders

HTML

Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – Guidance

HTML

EAF Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - proposal template

ODT, 3.09 MB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

EAF Phase 5 - GENERAL competition - proposal template

ODT, 3.09 MB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

EAF Phase 5 - Financial case template - both strands

ODS, 14.1 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

EAF Phase 1 Selected Projects

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/evaluation-accelerator-fund-phase-5-project-summariesODT, 20.9 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

EAF Phase 42 Selected Projects

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/evaluation-accelerator-fund-phase-4-project-summariesODT, 17.9 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

EAF Phase 3 Selected Projects

MS Word Document, 10.2 KB

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EAF Phase 24 Selected Projects

ODThttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/evaluation-accelerator-fund-phase-4-project-summaries,

Details

Phase 17.95 KB

This(2026) fileapplications open

The Evaluation Task Force (ETF) is inpleased anto OpenDocumentannounce format Phase 5 of its Evaluation Accelerator Fund (EAF). The EAF is a competitive grant fund and supports research and evaluation projects that:

EAF Phaseis 1open Selectedto Projects

ODT,receive 20.9proposals KBfrom: 

This

  • Central filegovernment is(e.g. UK Government departments, arms length bodies, and non-departmental public bodies)
  • Local government (e.g. Local authorities, regional authorities, MCAs, etc) 
  • What Works Centres (WWCs)
  • Charities or organisations whose activities are charitable, benevolent or philanthropic in annature OpenDocument(e.g. formatuniversities, non-profits, community interest companies)

Funding is available for one-year projects which start in July 2026 and conclude by March 2027. All projects, with only a handful of exceptions, will be expected to produce findings that are shareable with the ETF and government partners by March 2027. It is acceptable if publication of findings follows soon after March 2027.

Details

ThePhase Evaluation5 Acceleratorof FundEAF washas setan overall value of up into 2022 to£3.5 million for FY26-27. This is split into two distinct strands:

  1. A minimum of £1 million available for projects designed to improve ourthe understandingevidence base around Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). 
  2. A maximum of ‘what£2.5 works’. Themillion keyavailable aimsfor projects related to artificial intelligence, local government and other government priorities. 

It is important to note that each strand has separate application guidance and forms, linked above.

EAF 5 Violence Against Women and Girls - open competition

The aim of the VAWG-specific fund is to create actionable evidence or build evidence and evaluation capability to support HM Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy and mission to half VAWG by 2030. 

We are to:open to proposals that align with priorities outlined in the HM Government VAWG Strategy with a preference for proposals focussed on:

  • accelerateOnline evaluationharms;
  • Early activityintervention / children and young people;
  • Prevention; and
  • Tackling sexual violence.

We are particularly interested in funding the creationfollowing types of actionableproposals, which will be favourably scored:

  • Partnerships between organisations to build a stronger evidence inand HMGevaluation priorityinfrastructure areasor evaluation capability across the VAWG sector.
  • Partnerships between charities/frontline services and universities/research organisations. 
  • Research or evaluations that will directly support HM Government’s commitment to informhalving decisionVAWG.

In makinggeneral, atwe are open to proposals to deliver impact evaluations, and we have a preference for funding experimental or quasi-experimental evaluations. However, given the nextshort spendingfunding reviewwindow, we are also open to bids for other types of research and evaluation such as: 

  • feasibility studies;
  • tacklesystematic evidence gapsreviews;
  • developing inoutcomes HMGframeworks; priorityand 
  • capability areasbuilding on evidence generation and/or use within organisations.

We will consider funding proposals for longer-term pieces of work that do not produce findings by rapidlyMarch building2027 as long as there is confirmed matched funding that can fund proposed activities beyond FY26-27. These proposals must demonstrate evidence of this matched funding commitment.

Please see the document “EAF Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - guidance for bidders” for more detail on the criteria for this funding. 

EAF 5 General strand - open competition

The second strand of the EAF fund aims to strengthen the evidence base wherefor departmentswider andgovernment Whatpriorities, Workswith Centresa particular focus on artificial intelligence and local government.

We are notinterested currentlyin undertakingfunding activityproposals in the following areas:

  • provideTechnology: Proposals that aim to improve the ability of the public sector to use or generate robust evidence about Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation, including evaluation of financialAI and digital policies/programmes. 
  • Local government: Proposals that aim to improve the ability of local government, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to use or efficiencygenerate savingsrobust fromevidence newand policiesevaluation.
  • Other government priorities: Proposals that aim to improve the evidence-base in relation to other government priorities, including:  
    • Kickstart economic growth
    • Build an NHS fit for the future
    • Safer streets
    • Break down the barriers to opportunity
    • Make Britain a clean energy superpower

We are open to funding different types of projects within these areas, including impact evaluations, feasibility studies, evidence reviews, development of outcomes frameworks, value-for-money assessments, development of data infrastructure, and interventions,implementation orresearch. 

Please innovativesee approachesthe document EAF Phase 5 - General competition - guidance for bidders for more detail on the criteria for this funding. 

To learn more

The ETF will hold drop-in information sessions for prospective applicants. These sessions will give attendees the opportunity to serviceask deliveryquestions about the fund and their project’s potential eligibility. The EAF information sessions will take place on:

  • 3 June, 12:00 - 13:00 
  • 4 June 16:00 - 17:00 
  • 10 June 15:00 - 16:00 
  • 11 June 15:00 - 16:00 

BetweenBook 2022/23your place on an information session via Eventbrite.

How to bid

Proposals must be submitted to to eaf@cabinetoffice.gov.uk by 28 June (6:00 pm). Your submission must consist of a proposal template (Word document) and 2025/26,financial case template (Excel document). Please ensure that you use the correct templates for the strand of funding you are applying for (i.e. VAWG or general). These templates are provided in the documents linked above.

For the general strand of funding, please also include any relevant endorsements or letters of support from local partners or frontline decision makers – these are optional but welcome.

Please refer to the EAF Phase 5 Guidance documents for additional information.

Previous phases of the Evaluation Accelerator Fund

The supportedEvaluation 47Accelerator projectsFund withprovided overa total of £19 million acrossof four funding rounds.between In2022/23 2026/27,and Round2025/26 5to selectedimprove 48our projectsunderstanding forof funding. Details“what works”. Details about selected projects, including the cost of each bid, matched funding contributions, and intended outputs are available in the linked documents above.

Further updates on the funded projects will be made available on this page.

Updates to this page

Published 31 January 2022
Last updated 2111 SeptemberJune 2026 — Show all updates

  1. Removed the following documents: Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - Guidance for bidders Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – Guidance EAF Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - proposal template EAF Phase 5 - GENERAL competition - proposal template EAF Phase 5

  2. Updated the frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  3. Updated the entire page and added the following documents: Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - Guidance for bidders Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – Guidance EAF Phase 5 - VAWG open competition - proposal template EAF Phase 5 - GENERAL competition - proposal template EAF Phase 5 - Financial case template - both strands EAF Phase 4 Selected Projects

  4. Information about applying for EAF Phase 4 funding has been added.

  5. We removed information on applying for Phase 3 funding as the deadline is over.

  6. Updating that the applications are now closed

  7. The deadline for EAF phase 3 has been extended to the 18th August 2023, 6pm.

  8. Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 2 selected projects have been added to the page. Phase 3 funding application is now open.

  9. Information about applying for EAF Phase 2 funding has been added.

  10. All the partners for the "Healthy and sustainable diets programme" have been listed

  11. Updated with information on the successful bids receiving funding from the Evaluation Accelerator Fund.

  12. First published.

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Update history

2026-09-21 11:00
Removed the following documents:Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – Guidance for biddersEvaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – GuidanceEAF Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – proposal templateEAF Phase 5 – GENERAL competition – proposal templateEAF Phase 5

2026-06-11 17:03
Updated the frequently asked questions (FAQs)

2026-05-29 09:00
Updated the entire page and added the following documents:Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – Guidance for bidders Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 5 – GENERAL Competition – Guidance EAF Phase 5 – VAWG open competition – proposal template EAF Phase 5 – GENERAL competition – proposal templateEAF Phase 5 – Financial case template – both strands EAF Phase 4 Selected Projects

2025-03-07 10:52
Information about applying for EAF Phase 4 funding has been added.

2024-03-25 10:45
We removed information on applying for Phase 3 funding as the deadline is over.

2023-08-23 09:43
Updating that the applications are now closed

2023-07-24 15:28
The deadline for EAF phase 3 has been extended to the 18th August 2023, 6pm.

2023-06-20 16:28
Evaluation Accelerator Fund Phase 2 selected projects have been added to the page.Phase 3 funding application is now open.

2022-10-06 09:09
Information about applying for EAF Phase 2 funding has been added.

2022-08-15 16:24
All the partners for the “Healthy and sustainable diets programme” have been listed

2022-08-02 13:23
Updated with information on the successful bids receiving funding from the Evaluation Accelerator Fund.