Cube buys AI operational risk provider Acin
London-based RegTech Cube has acquired operational risk AI and technology provider Acin. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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Cube says the deal for Acin, which is also based in London, expands its capabilities with a proven regulatory controls data network and full traceability.
The combination is designed to help clients in the financial services sector and adjacent regulated industries to navigate increasingly complex compliance and risk environments - providing an industry-first data driven end-to-end regulatory compliance and risk management platform.
Acin's AI-based platform enables financial institutions to safely digitise their non-financial risk analysis, using data intelligence and analytic capabilities. The firm has built a network that calibrates control data and facilitates the appropriate sharing of best practice and standards between financial institutions.
Ben Richmond, CEO, Cube, says: 'This is a significant step forward in how financial services firms across the globe can take a truly integrated approach to their compliance and risk management."
The deal also signals the beginning of an expanded global industry collaboration led by Cube and supported by Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, JP Morgan and Lloyds to accelerate AI innovation, reduce compliance costs and raise industry risk standards.
Cube has been on an acquisition spree over the last 18 months, snapping up Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden products and businesses, New York-based Reg-Room, and AI-driven data capture firm The Hub.
The firm now serves 1000 customers and has grown its global team to 700 employees across 20 countries. Just last month, it opened its new global headquarters in the City of London and announced a commitment to create another 200 jobs over the next twelve months.
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The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Solar panel grants and UK funding – how does it work? (cloned)
If you are considering installing solar panels at your home, the good news is that there is financial help available, be it loans or grants. You can even have panels on a subscription. If you are interested in a grant, there are a number of options, depending on where in the UK you live and what you earn. Most are for those on low incomes in homes with poor insulation. The biggest is the ECO4 scheme, or Energy Company Obligation 4, to give its full title, since it covers all the UK and can cover the entire cost of solar panel installation for low-income families. Another perk, although it isn't a grant as such, is the 0 per cent VAT which applies to solar panels. This compares to the standard value added tax rate of 20 per cent for most goods and services and the reduced 5 per cent rate which applies to your domestic electricity and gas bills. The Treasury cut the rate from 5 per cent to zero per cent in 2022 and it said it will return it to 5 per cent in April 2027. Then there's the smart export guarantee, which offers a guaranteed price for the electricity you sell back to the grid. Again, not exactly a grant, but it can make balancing the books on a solar project easier and it's open to all. The schemes at a glance Name of grant Who's it for? What's on offer? Run by? Closing date ECO4 Low-income families which receive benefits Can fund all of a solar panel installation, plus other improvements UK government but funded by big energy firms March 2026. May be extended as ECO5 Warm Homes Nest Scheme Low-income families in Wales on benefits Can fund all of a solar panel installation Welsh government None Home Upgrade Scheme (HUG2) Low-income families on certain benefits Up to £18,000 UK government March 2025 Solar Together Everyone Save a third on the cost of a solar installation Some local councils Varies by local council 0 per cent VAT on solar panel installations in homes Everyone Save 5 per cent on the price of an installation UK government April 2027 Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme Scottish home owners A loan of up to £5,000 but only for hot water or hybrid panels Scottish government Closed for electric solar panels, but ongoing for thermal Smart Export Guarantee Everyone Guaranteed income for unused electricity sold to the grid Energy companies None Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) grant What it is If you or someone you live with qualifies for state benefits, then the ECO4 grant could be for you. It is a government efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions. As the name suggests, this is the fourth version of the scheme, it runs to 31 March 2026, and it is funded by big energy companies and administered by the energy regulator Ofgem. Who it's for You can get help if you earn less than £31,000 as a family, and receive one of the following benefits: Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Universal Credit Pension Guarantee Credit Pension Savings Credit Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Child Benefit Housing Benefit If you own your house, it must be rated D or lower for energy efficiency, and if you rent, it's E or lower. If you are in social housing, you may get help for insulation and heating systems, but not solar installations. You can apply with your energy company for up to £10,000 of funding. The scheme is for broad energy efficiency, so you might find that insulation and a smart thermostat are better uses of the funding for your energy use. You can also receive help for air source heat pumps, electric storage heaters, loft and wall insulation, and smart heating controls. How to apply You can apply for the funding in England, Wales and Scotland, but not Northern Ireland, by contacting your local council or a big energy firm such as British Gas. A list of participating firms is on the Ofgem website. About 18,700 homes have received solar panels or a heat pump through the scheme, according to data from the Department for Energy and Net Zero. LA Flex LA Flex, also known as ECO4 Flex, is an extension of the ECO scheme, and it allows local authorities – councils and local government, in this case – to set their own criteria for getting funding, which could mean that you might not need to be on benefits to qualify. It is targeted at people vulnerable to the effects of the cold, including the elderly and those with health problems. Your local government website should indicate if it is part of the scheme and what criteria it has chosen. So, if you earn a little above the £31,000 for most applicants for the ECO4 scheme, applying through your local council might be the best plan. Welsh Government warm homes nest scheme What it is This scheme is targeted at disadvantaged communities in Wales on low incomes, and it is unusual in having no end date yet. As with other schemes, you can apply for a plethora of improvements beyond a solar installation, including insulation and heating systems. Who it's for Naturally, this scheme is only for those who live in Wales. You will need to own a home or be a private tenant and receive a means-tested benefit or earn a low income. Finally, you will need to be in a home with an energy efficiency rating of E or lower. If your rating is D and you or someone you live with has a health condition, you may also qualify. The health conditions include respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; circulatory diseases such as strokes and heart attacks; mental health struggles, dementia and developmental disorders. There is no listed claim limit, although the Welsh Government said in 2023, that the average claim is £2,457. How to apply Contact Nest on 0808 808 2244 during office hours, Monday to Friday. Solar Together What it is Solar Together is a scheme to group-buy solar panels and batteries, keeping costs down. Solar panel providers bid for the chance to install the solar panels. It is more of a bulk discount than a grant. It is available in certain local authorities that have signed up to the scheme. Who it's for This is probably the scheme with the broadest appeal. It's open to homeowners and tenants who have gained their landlord's permission in council areas that are part of the scheme. It is UK-wide and can offer discounts of about a third compared to going it alone. How to apply Firstly, check that your council is part of the scheme. You can do that on the Solar Together website, where you can also apply. Some councils have run the scheme in the past and then withdrawn, often due to a lack of interest. Solar Together encourages you to register your interest to show that there is demand if your local authority is not taking part. Once you have applied, you wait until registration closes in your area. Then, solar installers are invited to bid for your work, with the cheapest winning. This is particularly useful for those who don't want to haggle themselves over their solar quotes. 0 per cent VAT on solar installations What it is The government typically applies VAT to most things, with food and children's clothes being the big exceptions. Domestic power also receives some relief, being charged at 5 per cent, rather than the 20 per cent levied on much of everything else. In 2022, the government decided to cut the 5 per cent it added to solar installations to zero in a bid to help homeowners to pay for them and get the UK closer to zero emissions. The government plans to end the tax break in 2027, and while it could be extended, chancellor Rachel Reeves has been looking for ways to raise money for the Treasury, and solar panels may find themselves in the firing line. Who it's for If you are buying panels and installation, you automatically get the tax break. The tax is simply not applied. Smart Export Guarantee What it is Replacing the previous feed-in tariff, the smart export guarantee was introduced in 2020 and ensures energy companies offer a rate for homeowners to sell their unused power back to the grid. This is particularly important since many homeowners will use more power at home in the evening, while solar panels generate most power during the day. Who it's for It is available across the UK, and even if you have panels and a solar battery to use your panel-generated power later in the day, it's important to have a good export agreement in place to get a good price for your power, since bigger homes may sell more than they use. How to apply The guarantee means power companies must offer a rate for selling to the grid, so there is no need to apply. But it is worth shopping around to ensure your purchased power is cheap and that you are getting a good rate when you sell, too. Home Upgrade Grant 2 Home Upgrade Grabt 2 closed in March 2025 after two years. Up to £630m of funding was available for local authorities to spend on energy efficiency and low-carbon heating in the second phase of the endearingly titled HUG, which offered up to £18,000 in some areas. It was for people who live off the gas grid, making it rather more niche than ECO4, and you must earn as a household less than £36,000 to qualify. Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme What it is This scheme is for those living in Scotland and now covers solar thermal panels – ones which heat water rather than generate electricity – and hybrid units which do both. A £5,000 interest-free loan is available for these panels. Who it's for The criteria are much more relaxed than other schemes and anyone in Scotland can apply if they are doing so for their own home. The loans are interest-free, although a 1.5 per cent fee is applied to the loan. Even after this fee is applied, it is still a very cheap way to borrow for these panels if you live in Scotland How to apply Ring Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 during normal office hours How we did our research We spoke to solar companies and fitters across the UK as well as insiders in the solar market to find you the best options on solar grants and discounts. Why trust us? The Independent has been reporting on green energy and climate matters since it was founded in 1986. Since then, we have written hundreds of reviews and news stories on energy, including the best solar fitters and various other guides on green power. Frequently asked questions Are there government grants for solar panels? Yes, the ECO4 scheme offers grants and there is also support for Welsh families through the Welsh Government warm homes nest scheme. Are there solar panel grants for tenants and landlords? Yes. Tenants will have to ask landlords for their permission to access some of these schemes, but most landlords will not object to improvements being made to their homes once they understand the nature of these schemes. The ECO4 scheme offers grants for tenants, as does the Welsh Government warm homes nest scheme. Can I get free solar panels? It is possible to get free panels if you are on benefits or have a vulnerable family member living with you, such as someone with a serious health condition. The ECO4 scheme and the Welsh Government warm homes nest scheme can offer free installation for those who qualify.
BBC News
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Telegraph
40 minutes ago
- Telegraph
British manufacturing could disappear for good under Labour
Sir Keir Starmer is gaslighting the great British public. The news that net zero taxes will be slashed for thousands of manufacturers in the long-overdue industrial strategy is of course to be wholeheartedly welcomed. Yet, the idea that this means 'Britain is back and open for business,' as the Prime Minister declared last week, really is preposterous nonsense. Perhaps, if Starmer extricated himself from the Westminster bubble even just for a few seconds, he may be able to spot something deeply troubling unfolding across the country on his watch: far from being open, Britain's industrial base is in grave danger of shutting down for good. It's not as if it's happening gradually. The pace at which UK heavy industry is collapsing under the dead hand of Labour is truly extraordinary. Barely a day goes by without another major factory waving the white flag. The latest casualty is Lindsey Oil Refinery in north-east Lincolnshire – one of the country's last remaining refineries and a vital regional employer, as my own father will attest to. The plant provided him with much-needed work in the late 1980s after he left the RAF. With its parent company forced to call in the administrators on Monday morning, a facility that churns out nearly 5.5m tonnes of oil a year – equivalent to roughly about one tenth of the country's capacity – is now in the hands of a government-appointed special receiver. At this rate, the Humber estuary and Teesside may soon be competing to become the country's biggest industrial graveyard as one-by-one, the big plants that dominate the east coast threaten to crumble into the North Sea. In Hull, the owners of Vivergo, the UK's largest bioethanol plant, are threatening to pull the plug. Further north in Redcar, the axe hangs over another big bioethanol producer, while barely a stone's throw away, the Olefins chemicals complex is scheduled for permanent closure. Among the largest of its kind, the site has been a feature of the Teesside skyline since it began operating in the late 1970s. With Labour asleep at the wheel, it is no exaggeration to say that this Government could conceivably preside over the total disappearance of this country's manufacturing capabilities. The North Sea oil and gas industry is surely past the point of no return. The future of other so-called foundational industries such as chemicals, cement, glass, paper, ceramics are all similarly bleak with catastrophic consequences for regional growth, national output, and our self-reliance. Every factory closure threatens to make us even more reliant on foreign imports. It's not as if the Government has any answers, other than the usual hurried handouts. With Jonathan Reynolds reportedly willing to offer support to Lotus to persuade the struggling Chinese-owned carmaker not to shift production to the US, subsidies are at risk of becoming the default solution for ministers bereft of proper ideas any time a fire needs putting out. But history tells us that's never a real solution. Lotus may yet stage a miraculous recovery, but this is a company that has survived for years on handouts amid a tortuous battle to make money. Most of this has come in the form of generous loans from its owners running into the hundreds of millions of pounds, but it has also been the recipient of government funding on several occasions. Taxpayers are entitled to ask why they should have to keep picking up the bill whenever a company is in trouble. In the case of Lindsey Oil Refinery, its owners are facing calls for an official inquiry after they were 'unable' to answer questions about its finances, energy minister Michael Shanks said. Lotus's latest issues, meanwhile, are largely the result of US tariffs, and the bioethanol sector says it will be unable to withstand the onslaught of 1.4bn litres of duty-free ethanol allowed under the UK-US trade deal. Ultimately, the responsibility for a crisis as serious as this has to lie with those in power. It is the consequence of a lethal cocktail of long-term neglect, complacency, short-termism and muddled decision-making. Labour's long-awaited Industrial Strategy will provide some relief – but only some. A reduction in green levies will be meaningful for many manufacturers, but for a great number it is a case of too little, too late. If Sir Keir really wanted to protect British industry and commerce, he would temper the green crusade of his fanatical Energy Secretary, which almost seems deliberately designed to put swathes of perfectly viable companies out of business just to satisfy the militant activists at Greenpeace and Just Stop Oil. The plight of Lindsey is a stark reminder of the folly of over-burdening companies with environmental costs. In corporate filings, the company talks glowingly about its embrace of eco-friendly initiatives such as LED lighting, electric cars, and renewable energy. It even felt compelled to swap face-to-face meetings for zoom calls in the name of saving the planet. One wonders whether the plant may have fared better if management had been less distracted by box-ticking green initiatives. But the Prime Minister is weak, as proven by the horribly one-sided trade agreement he returned from Washington with. Starmer's deal with Trump sold Britain's ethanol makers down the river. One thing that's for certain is that repeated handouts are unsustainable. Somebody needs to get a grip on the tsunami of issues – not just green taxes but other energy costs, along with reams of red tape, and National Insurance rises – that threaten to drown businesses. Starmer faces a choice: find a way to allow more businesses to survive without taxpayer money or allow a slew of failing companies to shut down and accept that the foundations of the economy must change. The current approach is neither one nor the other. It harks back to the days of British Leyland – but in some ways it's worse. At least then the policy of nationalising everything was deliberate. In the absence of anything remotely coherent under the bumbling duo of Starmer and Reeves, the flurry of interventionism seems almost entirely accidental.
