The Stage

NESTA granted full independence from government

Published Friday 15 October 2010 at 16:05 by Alistair Smith

The National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts has been granted full independence from government, as part of the recent so-called ‘bonfire of the quangos’.

NESTA will move from the public to the voluntary sector and become a charitable company. It does not receive money from central government, but is funded by a Lottery endowment. This will continue.

NESTA chairman John Chisholm said: “The NESTA board welcomes this decision. It is an extremely positive move for NESTA and the many partner organisations we work with. It will enable us to continue our important work in providing evidence-based solutions to enable the UK to maximise the innovative talent of its people.”

Jonathan Kestenbaum, NESTA’s chief executive, added: “We are delighted with this decision; it is an acknowledgement of the significant impact NESTA is having. Charitable status preserves and protects NESTA’s independent endowment, allowing us to continue, at no cost to the taxpayer, to back thousands of the most innovative ventures up and down the country.

“A move into the voluntary sector means NESTA will be able to strengthen its vital mission, tackling some of the UK’s most important social and economic challenges. We look forward to getting on with the job.”