Recommendation 17

HM Government Not Addressed

The government agrees with the recommendation on the importance of clear, consistent and transparent performance reporting across the Catapult Network. This is why Catapults already operate under a standardised set of key performance indicators, developed as part of the current Catapult business case covering the 2023–2028 funding period. These indicators underpin the monitoring and evaluation of all Catapults and are applied consistently across the Network, ensuring comparability, transparency and accountability. The common metrics include: • Industry engagement measures such as the number of discrete partners and CR&D industry match funding • Business growth indicators, including private and public funding secured, headcount growth and turnover growth of Catapult supported SMEs We also agree with the Committee’s recommendation to strengthen the evidence base. However, this must be balanced against the reality that Catapults operate in diverse technology domains, at different stages of market maturity, and with varied industry structures. Overly prescriptive KPIs risk reducing the Catapults’ responsiveness to business needs, or distorting their focus over time. DSIT and Innovate UK are working to expand the data available on Catapult activities, including in areas such as innovation adoption, market readiness, and longer-term economic outcomes. Ahead of agreeing the next 5-year core grant for Catapults (April 2028 onwards) we will implement an improved approach to measuring performance of the Catapults. This will balance the need for robust data, against the administrative burden on organisations which need to remain agile. The Committee also raises the issue of transparency which we agree is important. Since their creation in 2011, several assessments of the Catapult Network have been conducted to evaluate its impact. The outcomes of these reviews consistently indicated positive results, confirming that Catapults contribute effectively to the UK innovation ecosystem. Furthermore, Catapults ensure public access to information via annual impact reports, independent evaluations, and case studies presented on their websites.