The 'levelling up' bidding process wastes time and money – here's how to improve it

By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

The UK government recently announced the results of the second round of successful bids for for its £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund. This money is provided to local governments with the ambitious (but pretty unspecific) aim of “creating opportunities for everyone” by addressing economic and social imbalances across the UK.

Winning projects have received as much as £50 million. In this round, the money…

Read complete article

~	Myanmar: Rohingyas in firing line as Rakhine conflict intensifies

~	Sevdah: The perfect marriage of preservation and innovation

~	Five things our research uncovered when we recreated 16th century beer (and barrels)

~	The UK is poorer without Erasmus – it’s time to rejoin the European exchange programme

~	China’s new world order: looking for clues from Xi’s recent meetings with foreign leaders

~	Three reasons to support environmental defenders

~	Taylor’s clues and Ripley’s secrets – what you should see and listen to this week

~	Wild turkey numbers are falling in some parts of the US – the main reason may be habitat loss

~	Getting a good night’s rest is vital for neurodiverse children – pediatric sleep experts explain why

~	Caring for older Americans’ teeth and gums is essential, but Medicare generally doesn’t cover that cost