Corporate report

Integrated Security Fund annual report 2024 to 2025

Published 30 October 2025

Introduction

The Integrated Security Fund (ISF) is the sole cross-government fund tackling the highest priority threats to UK national security, both at home and overseas. 2024 to 2025 was the first year of the ISF. It was created as a means of bringing together Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) work overseas with key domestic programmes like the National Cyber Programme (NCP) and the Economic Deterrence Initiative (EDI).

The ISF plays a unique role in the national security system by providing flexible funding to departments beyond their core budgets to be used for programming that embodies the ISF principles:

• integrated approach: the ISF supports integration by blending Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA funding and drawing together government departments, agencies and external experts to co-design and co-deliver programmes
• agility: the ISF is able to reprioritise funding in order to respond quickly to changing situations and shifts in UK national security priorities. The Fund’s agility and drive for innovation allows it to act as a platform to test new responses to emerging challenges
• catalytic effect: ISF programmes aim to have catalytic effect through interventions designed to establish best practice or trial solutions which can then be picked up at scale by relevant government departments. ISF-funded programmes have frequently succeeded in attracting additional support from international partners or, in areas such as cyber security, from the private sector
• high-risk: the ISF encourages programmes to test new, innovative approaches in response to threats and opportunities, balanced by prudent risk management. High-risk tolerance means that the ISF uses experimental approaches, learns lessons quickly and continues to innovate

The ISF allocates money on an annual basis via its cross-government governance structures that bring departments together to design, deliver and oversee programming. This encourages greater integration and coordination and allows the Fund to respond quickly to changes in National Security Council priorities.

The work of the Fund is structured around specific areas for example programming on cyber and tech which aims to defend the UK and allies against significant cyber threats or work to combat serious and organised crime including countering the supply of drugs and illicit firearms and restricting the ability of organised crime groups to operate, recruit and profit from crime.

In 2024 to 2025, the ISF invested £965 million through integrated programmes across over 20 government departments and agencies. Of this, ODA funding constituted £342.6 million (35.5%) and non-ODA £622.6 million (64.5%).

Combatting transnational threats

The ISF worked to combat threats to the UK and its interests from state-level actors and actors below state level including terrorist groups, violent extremist organisations and organised crime groups.

Serious and organised crime (SOC) is estimated to cost the UK £40 billion each year. ISF work to address SOC focused on countering illicit finance, corruption, and direct threats that fuel UK violent crime including firearms and Class A drugs. Working with partners, including the National Crime Agency, Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council, ISF programming prevented more potentially lethal firearms arriving on UK shores. For example, ISF funding led to the complete ban on readily convertible Turkish manufactured blank-firing firearms, resulting in a national amnesty with almost 3,000 firearms handed in to local police stations, and the seizure of 400,000 non-compliant blank firearms in Turkey. Many of these could otherwise have made their way to the UK and been easily converted into lethal weapons.

An ISF-supported operation delivered through the National Cyber Crime Unit in the National Crime Agency contributed to the successful infiltration into the infrastructure of the world’s largest criminal ransomware group, LockBit. This group targeted thousands of victims worldwide and caused losses of billions of pounds. ISF activity helped to build a specialist technical capability deployed in a joint UK-US operation - integrated across multiple agencies and industry partners - to improve understanding of how the group worked, access its data and ultimately lock the criminal enterprise out of systems, eventually obtaining keys to help victims decrypt their systems.

The Fund also supported programming to stop terrorist attacks in the UK and against UK interests overseas. In the Middle East, East Africa and South-East Asia, ISF-funded law enforcement support and training to partners led to the apprehension and disbandment of terrorist cells.

Ensuring geo-political stability

In 2024 to 2025 ISF-funded programmes contributed to enabling an open and stable international order. Work in this area included defending against malicious activity in the cyber domain, protecting critical national infrastructure, strengthening key international dependencies and shaping international rules and standards.

ISF programmes provided actionable intelligence and data to help the UK and over 150 countries defend against significant cyber threats through detection and disruption of cybercrime operations. Examples of this in 2024 to 2025 include supporting Ukraine and other partners in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans in the face of hostile state interference, as well as activity to strengthen our partners’ capabilities to counter misinformation and cyber-attacks. The Fund delivered vital cyber defence support to Ukraine, including facilitating the blocking of over 20 million malicious attacks against critical national infrastructure and vital services.

In Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, the ISF helped to catalyse a significant investment in institutional capacity and legislation which will support their continued cyber capability. Using UK expertise, the ISF also helped two Western Balkans NATO allies to counter and respond to malicious cyber-attacks. Elsewhere in the Western Balkans, a UK-supported app in Albania enabled women to report cases of intimidation during elections. Across the region the ISF has increased access to independent media that counters disinformation and hate speech, while ISF support for investigative journalism has helped civil society groups to put pressure on public institutions to improve transparency and accountability.

In 2024 to 2025, the ISF also supported the Economic Deterrence Initiative (EDI) to boost UK sanctions and other economic tools for responding to hostile acts by current and future aggressors. EDI enhanced the Joint Maritime Security Centre’s (JMSC) intelligence capability, thereby helping designate over 100 Russian ‘shadow fleet’ vessels; sanctioning the Russian insurance entity ‘Ingosstrakh’; and preventing vessels from unloading oil in accordance with UK sanctions.

Securing the UK upstream

In 2024 to 2025 the ISF continued to deliver upstream interventions to reduce the downstream risk to the UK resulting from crises, instability and threats to national security. The ISF’s ability to combine ODA and non-ODA at scale and its integrated, cross-government model is critical to its ability to do so: This enables the Fund to deliver holistic programming that combines the UK’s development, security, and diplomatic offerings to address both the symptoms and the causes of security challenges.

For example, in 2024 to 2025 the Fund continued to provide critical support to the government of Ukraine through strategic communications and security sector reform. ISF funded security sector reform assistance increased the government of Ukraine’s oversight to reduce corruption within military supply chains, whilst communications support has led to better government strategies to combat Russian information manipulation and interference. The ISF has also enhanced Ukraine’s capability to investigate and prosecute war crimes. Overall this has helped Ukraine to continue to resist Russian aggression and threats to its national security, maintain the unity of its international alliance, and move towards its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and obligations.

Our work in fragile and conflict affected States included effective delivery on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the delivery of the UK National Action Plan. The Fund tackled gendered misinformation and state threats through protecting democratic spaces in Poland, Georgia and Armenia. UK CT cooperation in Indonesia centred around securing a safe environment for British nationals. Programming in Africa supported women to advocate for their security priorities (Sahel, Somalia); improving security actors’ front-line behaviours and capacity to respond to gender-based violence (Nigeria, Sahel, peacekeeping operations) and supporting the role of women within security services (Nigeria, Sahel, Somalia, and peacekeeping). By working internationally on WPS the Fund recognises the transnational threat of gender inequality to UK national security. The ISF-funded WPS Helpdesk also provided dedicated advice, support and analysis across government and has increased the integration of gender with conflict and security work across the Fund and HMG more widely.

In addition, through the EDI the ISF supported allies to enhance their own sanctions capability, resulting in improved structures, better coordination of measures and more ambitious sanctions packages against Russia. EDI delivered intensive diplomatic engagement supported by technical assistance on sanctions, including in key circumvention risk countries, leading to an expansion of trade controls on ‘Common High Priority’ goods and tangible reductions in exports to Russia. This work underlines the UK’s international influence and global leadership role.

ISF governance

Ministerial accountability to Parliament for the ISF lies with the Cabinet Office. The ISF’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) is the Deputy National Security Adviser for International Affairs. Oversight and management of the ISF is provided by the Integrated Security Fund Unit (ISFU) within the National Security Secretariat of the Cabinet Office. In 2024 to 2025 the ISFU undertook the following key functions:

• ensuring that the Fund delivered against national security priorities
• ensuring that programming represented value for money and demonstrated impact
• setting the operating framework that underpinned ISF programme design and delivery
• ensuring that programmes across the Fund followed government best practice and had the appropriate structures in place to manage their allocated funds and risks to a high standard
• providing extensive technical advisory support to the ISF network, including through the sharing of best practice and emphasis on lesson learning

ISF allocation

The ISF allocates funding annually to cross-government portfolios and programmes. For the 2024 to 2025 allocation, the ISFU received bids for funds from UK government departments and existing ISF portfolios. Bids for funds had to demonstrate strategic alignment with UK National Security priorities and ISF principles, deliverability and impact. After ISFU moderation, indicative allocations were agreed by National Security Council Ministers, and Ministers with an ISF funding allocation and then approved by the Prime Minister.

ISF procurement

ISF programmes adhere to UK government procurement regulations and guidance and follow any additional processes set by the department from which they operate. The commercial case of the ISF Programme Document (Business Case) appraises and captures the mechanisms that will be employed to deliver the programme for example commercial contract, accountable grant agreement, MOU or direct delivery (in-house).  For commercial contracts, the most appropriate route to market to deliver Value for Money is assessed in a sourcing strategy, but primarily a bespoke Commercial Framework (CSSF (ISF) Framework 2023) is used to source goods or services. Commercial decisions are all assured through proportionate departmental commercial governance, and as required, Ministerial approval.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

A systematic and comprehensive approach to MEL is embedded at programme, portfolio and Fund level, to ensure that the ISF could improve delivery, strengthen value for money, demonstrate what it was achieving and show how the Fund contributed to UK national security priorities. For example, thematic evaluations provided robust evidence and a deeper understanding of how the Fund has had an impact through agile and high-risk programming; achieved security and stability objectives through funding Women’s Rights Organisations; and how programming had been effective in supporting Peace Processes.

Data analytics

Effective analysis and use of data is a central feature of the ISF. Data support was provided to the ISF network across all stages of the programme cycle, improving the ability of the ISFU to manage the Fund. For example, building custom tools to improve how programme data is managed and used by programme teams. This also included delivering data analytics projects to programme and portfolio teams so they could access the best data and analytical expertise the commercial sector could offer to help support programme delivery. Four data projects were delivered, including one that explored the analysis of open-source information and explored the utilisation of AI for data processing. This proof-of-concept tool has potential utility across UK government departments.

Gender

The ISFU worked across the whole ISF network to ensure that gender analysis was incorporated into all project-level activities. All ISF programmes are required to score themselves against Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Markers, as a way of ensuring that gender issues are considered from the design stage. These use data points to measure gender equality and inclusion and allow the collection of evidence on the extent to which ISF programming is addressing the needs of women and girls.

Non-discretionary funding

The ISF managed funding commitments linked to the UK’s international obligations, including mandatory assessed contributions for peacekeeping (to the UN, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and NATO) and Criminal Tribunals (the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT)). This also included the net additional costs for UK troop deployments to UN Peacekeeping Missions, and the UK’s bilateral contribution to support the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).

Annex A: ISF financial spend 2024 to 2025

The final ISF Financial Year 2024 to 2025 cross government allocation was £982 million. Total ISF spend was £965 million. This is subject to final departmental audits.

The total ISF 2024 to 2025 spend of £965 million can be split in the following ways:

1. Spend by region or theme

Figure 1: Total spend

	Spend (£ million)	Spend (% percent )
Peacekeeping	263.75	27.33
Cyber and Tech	124.57	12.91
Middle-East and North Africa (MENA)	109.40	11.33
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECAD)	105.74	10.96
Africa	62.20	6.44
Western Balkans	40.06	4.15
Counter Terrorism	36.72	3.80
Economic Deterrence Initiative	32.50	3.37
African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)	29.65	3.07
Information Threats and Influence	22.00	2.28
Overseas Territories	20.17	2.09
Serious and Organised Crime	19.42	2.01
South East Asia and Pacific	18.59	1.93
Ministry Of Defence Operations	15.15	1.57
International State Threats	14.23	1.47
Integrated Security Fund Unit	9.93	1.03
Migration	8.38	0.87
Americas	7.70	0.80
India and Indian Ocean	6.58	0.68
Gender, Peace and Security	5.39	0.56
Multilateral Strategy	4.57	0.47
National Security Communications Team	4.39	0.45
Afghanistan and Pakistan	4.07	0.42
Grand total	965.15	100.00

Figure 2: Non-ODA spend

	Non-ODA Spend (£ million )	Non-ODA Spend (% percent)
Peacekeeping	235.86	37.89
Cyber and Tech	110.22	17.70
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECAD)	41.37	6.65
Middle-East and North Africa (MENA)	34.52	5.54
Economic Deterrence Initiative	32.50	5.22
African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)	29.65	4.76
Africa	22.59	3.63
Information Threats and Influence	22.00	3.53
Overseas Territories	16.46	2.64
Counter Terrorism	16.33	2.62
Ministry Of Defence Operations	15.15	2.43
International State Threats	14.23	2.29
Western Balkans	8.15	1.31
Integrated Security Fund Unit	5.86	0.94
Serious and Organised Crime	5.49	0.88
National Security Communications Team	4.39	0.70
South East Asia and Pacific	2.65	0.43
Multilateral Strategy	2.39	0.38
Americas	1.45	0.23
Migration	1.36	0.22
India and Indian Ocean	1.01	0.16
Gender, Peace and Security	0.44	0.07
Afghanistan and Pakistan	-1.51 (Note)	-0.24 (Note)
Grand total	622.56	100.00

Note: The ISF received a lot of credits in relation to unspent funds connected to the ANATF (Afghanistan National Army Trust Fund), resulting in overall spend for the region being a negative.

 Figure 3: ODA spend

	ODA Spend (£ million)	ODA Spend (% percent)
Middle-East and North Africa (MENA)	74.88	21.86
Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECAD)	64.37	18.79
Africa	39.61	11.56
Western Balkans	31.91	9.31
Peacekeeping	27.89	8.14
Counter Terrorism	20.38	5.95
South East Asia and Pacific	15.94	4.65
Cyber and Tech	14.35	4.19
Serious and Organised Crime	13.94	4.07
Migration	7.03	2.05
Americas	6.25	1.83
Afghanistan and Pakistan	5.58	1.63
India and Indian Ocean	5.57	1.63
Gender, Peace and Security	4.95	1.44
Integrated Security Fund Unit	4.07	1.19
Overseas Territories	3.71	1.08
Multilateral Strategy	2.18	0.64
African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)	0.00	0.00
International State Threats	0.00	0.00
National Security Communications Team	0.00	0.00
Information Threats and Influence	0.00	0.00
MOD Operations	0.00	0.00
Economic Deterrence Initiative	0.00	0.00
Grand total	342.59	100.00

2. Spend by department

 Figure 4: Total spend by department

	Spend (£ million)	Spend (% percent)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)	778.93	80.71
Ministry of Defence (MOD)	61.52	6.37
Home Office (HO)	36.11	3.74
Cabinet Office (CO)	23.54	2.44
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)	17.87	1.85
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)	8.76	0.91
National Crime Agency (NCA)	8.65	0.90
HM Treasury (HMT)	6.57	0.68
Department for Transport (DfT)	5.41	0.56
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	5.14	0.53
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)	2.81	0.29
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)	2.44	0.25
Ministry of Justice (MoJ)	1.92	0.20
Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) (managed by Home Office)	1.64	0.17
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)	1.61	0.17
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)	1.03	0.11
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	0.49	0.05
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)	0.24	0.03
Welsh Government	0.21	0.02
Scottish Government	0.11	0.01
UK Space Agency (managed by DSIT)	0.06	0.01
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)	0.06	0.01
Grand total	965.15	100.00

Figure 5: Non-ODA spend by department

	Non-ODA spend (£ million )	Non-ODA spend (% percent)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)	469.54	75.42
Ministry of Defence (MOD)	53.89	8.66
Cabinet Office (CO)	22.85	3.67
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)	17.87	2.87
Home Office (HO)	15.60	2.51
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)	8.76	1.41
National Crime Agency (NCA)	8.24	1.32
HM Treasury (HMT)	6.57	1.05
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	5.06	0.81
Department for Transport (DfT)	3.13	0.50
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) (ex. DLUHC)	2.81	0.45
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)	1.90	0.31
Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) (managed by Home Office)	1.64	0.26
Ministry of Justice (MoJ)	1.52	0.24
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) (ex. BEIS)	1.03	0.17
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)	0.96	0.15
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	0.49	0.08
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)	0.24	0.04
Welsh Government	0.21	0.03
Scottish Government	0.11	0.02
UK Space Agency (managed by DSIT)	0.06	0.01
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)	0.06	0.01
Grand total	622.56	100.00

Figure 6: ODA spend by department

	ODA spend (£ million)	ODA spend (% percent)
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)	309.39	90.31
Home Office (HO)	20.51	5.99
Ministry of Defence (MOD)	7.63	2.23
Department for Transport (DfT)	2.28	0.67
Cabinet Office (CO)	0.69	0.20
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)	0.65	0.19
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)	0.54	0.16
National Crime Agency (NCA)	0.41	0.12
Ministry of Justice (MoJ)	0.41	0.12
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	0.07	0.02
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	0.00	0.00
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)	0.00	0.00
Welsh Government	0.00	0.00
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) (ex. DLUHC)	0.00	0.00
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)	0.00	0.00
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)	0.00	0.00
Scottish Government	0.00	0.00
UK Space Agency (managed by DSIT)	0.00	0.00
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) (ex. BEIS)	0.00	0.00
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)	0.00	0.00
Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) (managed by Home Office)	0.00	0.00
HM Treasury (HMT)	0.00	0.00
Grand total	342.59	100.00

ODA and Non-ODA

The 2024 to 2025 total spend was split by £342.59 million (35.5%) of ODA and £622.56 million (64.5%) of non-ODA.

Discretionary and non-discretionary

Of the total 2024 to 2025 spend of £965 million, £657 million (68%) was discretionary.

Non-discretionary spend consists of the continued funding of peacekeeping activities as part of UK membership to the various multilateral organisations, the UK’s troop deployments to UN Peacekeeping in Cyprus, and the UK commitment to ATMIS and UNSOS (Somalia).

Of the total 2024 to 2025 spend of £965 million, £309 million (32%) was non-discretionary. This included:

• assessed peacekeeping contributions (£263.75 million)
• Operational funds for the MOD (£15.15 million)
• ATMIS and UNSOS (£29.65 million)

A breakdown of these figures is included in Annex B.

Annex B: ISF non-discretionary spend breakdown

UN peacekeeping and other multilateral contributions

UN peacekeeping and other multilateral contributions	Spend (£ million)	ODA £ million)	Non-ODA (£ million)
United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO)	38.967	4.05	34.917
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)	51.896	7.136	44.76
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)	14.615	0.296	14.319
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)	51.892	5.507	46.385
United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS)	15.905	0	15.905
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)	22.352	2.457	19.895
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA)	12.807	1.408	11.399
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)	2.867	0	2.867
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)	2.773	0.304	2.469
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)	1.677	0.186	1.491
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)	0.932	0	0.932
UN Peacekeeping Credits	-4.101	0	-4.101
Sub total	212.582	21.344	191.238
UN Special Political Missions	23.449	2.483	20.966
UN Tribunals	2.315	0	2.315
International Criminal Court	13.36	0	13.36
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Field Missions	7.361	4.06	3.301
NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR)	2.136	0	2.136
Total	48.621	6.543	42.078
Foreign Exchange Adjustment (gains and losses on advance purchases of foreign currency)	2.543	0	2.543
Total peacekeeping budget	263.746	27.887	235.859

MOD operational spend

MOD operational spend	Non-ODA (£ million)
Operation TOSCA – Cyprus	15.15

AU Mission Somalia spend

AU Mission Somalia	Non-ODA (£ million)
AU Mission Somalia	29.65