All posts tagged: fund

DfE won’t fully fund unexpected enrolments

DfE won’t fully fund unexpected enrolments

Published by skeptic

Squeezed school budgets are set to take another hit after the government revealed it won’t fully cover growth funding for the “unprecedented” rise in the number of post-16 pupils. Instead, the Department for Education will only cover two-thirds of what schools and sixth-form colleges expected as student increases have leapt above the levels ministers had budgeted for. Sector leaders are urging the government to correct “years of underinvestment in post-16 education” to ensure schools cope with the continued growth in numbers. “In-year growth funding” plugs gaps between expected pupil numbers in post-16 settings – used to calculate initial allocations – and the number actually in class as of November. It is meant to help with cashflow for schools and colleges that end up taking on more students than they were expecting. ‘Very large’ increase in older students But in an update published this week, the DfE noted that while the “very large” increase in 16 to 19-year-olds in education this year was “positive”, it was “significantly above the budget for in-year payments”. “The current growth …

Mark Cuban offers to fund government tech unit that was cut in the middle of the night

Mark Cuban offers to fund government tech unit that was cut in the middle of the night

Published by skeptic

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban waded into the latest government tech shake-up on Saturday, posting an unexpected offer of support for newly laid-off federal workers on the social network Bluesky. His message, which quickly gained traction, urged the displaced engineers and designers to turn the upheaval to their advantage. “If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company,” wrote Cuban. “It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably created. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help.” Cuban’s offer came after the government’s General Services Administration (GSA) abruptly gutted its 18F technology unit, which helps other government agencies build, buy, and share tech products. Per Politico, the layoffs affected roughly 70 individuals who learned the news around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. Among other things, the unit had reportedly built Login.gov, a secure and private way for the public to access services at government agencies, including …

£2m for ‘writing framework’, CPD and resources fund

£2m for ‘writing framework’, CPD and resources fund

Published by skeptic

DfE says new guidance will ‘articulate a common approach to teaching writing rooted in evidence and good practice’ DfE says new guidance will ‘articulate a common approach to teaching writing rooted in evidence and good practice’ More from this theme Recent articles The government will spend £2 million on a “writing framework” to “articulate a common approach to teaching”, as well as reading and writing professional development and a fund for secondary resources. The Department for Education said its investment would benefit “thousands of pupils”. However, it works out as the equivalent of around 22p for each pupil in the country. Of the £2 million, some will be spent on a “writing framework”, which the DfE said would be a “first step to support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England ensuring all pupils have a strong foundation in writing”. The new writing guidance “will articulate a common approach to teaching writing rooted in evidence and good practice”. The plans for a writing framework when a full review of the curriculum is ongoing …

“Great Strategic Importance” – Bitcoin Rallies As Trump Signs ‘Sovereign Wealth Fund” Executive Order

“Great Strategic Importance” – Bitcoin Rallies As Trump Signs ‘Sovereign Wealth Fund” Executive Order

Published by skeptic

With Secretary of State Marco Rubio setting in El Salvador (perhaps the most bitcoin-friendly nation in the world currently), and President Trump’s crypto ‘tzar’ David Sacks’ recent comments on the importance of outpacing China on the tech (crypto and AI) front, one could be forgiven for anticipating something large coming very soon with regard the possibility of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. And sure enough, this morning,  President Trump signed an executive action he said would direct officials to create a sovereign wealth fund for the US, following through on an idea he floated during the presidential campaign. “We have tremendous potential,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday as he announced the move. The president said the action would charge Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, the nominee for Commerce secretary, with spearheading the effort. Bessent, who joined Trump at the Oval Office, said the fund would be created in the next 12 months, calling it an issue “of great strategic importance.” Lutnick suggested the fund could be used to facilitate the sale of TikTok, which …

OpenAI Asking for Tens of Billions in New Investment to “Fund Its Money-Losing business Operations”

OpenAI Asking for Tens of Billions in New Investment to “Fund Its Money-Losing business Operations”

Published by José

After getting epically roasted by an upstart competitor, OpenAI is seemingly refusing to reevaluate its approach, asking investors to close their eyes and give them another $40 billion anyway, pretty please. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Sam Altman-led company is in early talks for a new round of funding that would value it at a gargantuan $340 billion — which would put it among the 30 biggest companies in the world by market cap, not to mention more than twice the $157 billion it was valued at in October. Despite its sky-high valuation, it bears repeating that OpenAI isn’t expected to make virtually any profit until 2029, at the very earliest — and even that’s a highly optimistic read of the situation, given the many shortcomings still plaguing the tech. For evidence, look no further than the WSJ’s diplomatic phrasing: the “startup also expects to use the cash to fund its money-losing business operations.” OpenAI is looking to raise funds at least in part to fulfill its promise of committing roughly $18 billion to …

Cate Blanchett, IFFR’s Hubert Bals Launch Displaced Filmmakers Fund

Cate Blanchett, IFFR’s Hubert Bals Launch Displaced Filmmakers Fund

Published by skeptic

Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is teaming up with the Rotterdam film festival‘s Hubert Bals Fund to launch a new program to support filmmakers displaced by war and other catastrophes. The Displacement Film Fund, which Blanchett, a global Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, will launch at the Rotterdam festival this year, will provide funding for displaced filmmakers to work on short film projects. The pilot program will offer grants of €100,000 ($104,000) each to five displaced filmmakers to make original short films. Blanchett will head up the selection committee to pick the filmmakers, joined by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, documentarians Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Flee) and Waad Al-Kateab (For Sama), director Agnieszka Holland (Green Border), Rotterdam festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, activist and refugee Aisha Khurram, and Amin Nawabi [alias], the LGBTQ+ asylum seeker who was Rasmussen’s inspiration for the Oscar-nominated Flee. “Film can drop you into the texture and realities of someone’s life like no other art form,” said Blanchett in a statement. “When people are forced to leave their homes, they lose …

Lerer Hippeau files to a raise Fund IX

Lerer Hippeau files to a raise Fund IX

Published by skeptic

Lerer Hippeau, one of New York’s most prolific A-list VC firms, has filed to raise its ninth fund, according to an SEC filing made Wednesday. There is no target raise amount.  Lerer Hippeau did not immediately respond to our request for comment.  The firm, founded in 2010, has more than $1.2 billion in assets under management, according to Pitchbook, and has invested in more than 400 companies including footwear maker Allbirds, eyewear maker Warby Parker, social media platform Pie, gifting platform On Me, mattress company Casper, and the online furniture marketplace Kayio.  Last year, it announced the close of two new funds: Select Fund IV for $85.9 million, which we reported would be used to back companies from Series A to C, and Fund VIII for $143 million, which we reported would focus on pre-seed and seed-stage companies. Source link

The Fund by Rob Copeland

The Fund by Rob Copeland

Published by skeptic

In the rarefied air of high finance, where billion-dollar decisions are made daily, few figures loom as large as Ray Dalio. The founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, has long positioned himself as a sage dispenser of wisdom about markets, management, and meaningful living. But in The Fund, Rob Copeland’s riveting exposé, we discover that the emperor’s “Principles” might be wearing rather transparent clothes. A Masterful Deconstruction Copeland, a veteran financial journalist formerly with The Wall Street Journal and now at The New York Times, has crafted a fascinating narrative that reads like a psychological thriller set in the world of high finance. Through meticulous reporting and hundreds of interviews, he peels back the layers of mythology surrounding Dalio and his $150 billion hedge fund empire, revealing a complex tapestry of contradiction, control, and occasional chaos. The Heart of the Matter The book’s central tension revolves around Dalio’s famous “Principles”—his collection of management maxims that emphasize “radical transparency” and “truthful relationships.” Yet as Copeland masterfully demonstrates, these noble-sounding ideals often served as …

Guido Fawkes appeals for donations to fund Dale Vince libel fight

Guido Fawkes appeals for donations to fund Dale Vince libel fight

Published by Sam

Dale Vince at the Restore Nature Now protest demonstration in London on 22 June 2024. Picture: Shutterstock/John Gomez Political blog Guido Fawkes has launched a fundraising bid to help defend a libel claim brought by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince. Guido’s editor and owner Paul Staines is aiming to raise £100,000, saying legal costs are already approaching £50,000 before the case has even got to court. The first hearing is due next week. It is the first time the site has launched a crowdfunding campaign in its 20 years of publication. Staines says Guido only reported “the actual words” that green energy industrialist Vince said about Hamas during an appearance on Times Radio in March. Guido generally ignores British court orders and escapes the legal perils faced by most UK publishers given that he and his site’s servers are based outside the country. Thanks for subscribing. Close But Ireland-based Staines has decided not to use his usual “safe haven protection”. “We’re going to make a stand and defend free speech and the reporting of the actual …