Higher Education Funding Council for England

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The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (previously the Department for Education and Skills) in the United Kingdom, which has been responsible for the distribution of funding to Universities and Colleges of Higher and Further Education in England since 1992. It was created by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

In 2007-08 HEFCE allocated £7.1 billion in public funds from the UK Government to universities and colleges in England to "support them in delivering high quality education, research and related activities" ^[1]. It only funds the institutions and does not give grants or loans to individual students. It also helps develop and implement higher education policy, based on research and consultation.

It is based in Northavon House, on the outskirts of north Bristol on the campus of the University of the West of England. Around 250 people are based in the building, including employees of HEFCE, JISC, the Office for Fair Access, and the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

In addition to distributing both teaching and research funding to higher education institutions HEFCE is also involved with: widening participation; developing links between higher education institutions and business and the community; and enhancing leadership, governance and management within the sector. It provides both a contribution to core funding, and ring-fenced funding for special initiatives, projects and strategic aims.

The Chief Executive of HEFCE is (since 1 September 2006) Professor David Eastwood. His predecessor, Sir Howard Newby, is now the vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England, Bristol.

The organisation itself is organised into three directorates, each comprising of policy and regional teams.