• R.P. Walker, R. Bartolini, C. Christou, J.H. Han, J. Kay, I.P.S. Martin, G. Rehm, J. Rowland
  Diamond, Oxfordshire
• D. Angal-Kalinin, M.A. Bowler, J.A. Clarke, D.J. Dunning, B.D. Fell, A.R. Goulden, F. Jackson, S.P. Jamison, J.K. Jones, K.B. Marinov, P.A. McIntosh, J.W. McKenzie, B.L. Militsyn, A.J. Moss, B.D. Muratori, S.M. Pattalwar, M.W. Poole, R.J. Smith, S.L. Smith, N. Thompson, P.H. Williams
  STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire
• N. Bliss, G.P. Diakun, M.D. Roper
  STFC/DL, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire
• J.L. Collier, C.A. Froud, G.J. Hirst, E. Springate
  STFC/RAL, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon
• J.P. Marangos, J.W.G. Tisch
  Imperial College of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, London
• B.W.J. McNeil
  USTRAT/SUPA, Glasgow
• H.L. Owen
  UMAN, Manchester

The New Light Source (NLS) project was launched in April 2008 by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to consider the scientific case and develop a conceptual design for a possible next generation light source based on a combination of advanced conventional laser and free-electron laser sources. Following a series of workshops and a period of scientific consultation, the science case was approved in October 2008 and the go-ahead given to continue the project to the design stage. In November the decision was taken that the facility will be based on cw superconducting technology in order to provide the best match to the scientific objectives. In this paper we present the source requirements, both for baseline operation and with possible upgrades, and the current status of the design of the accelerator driver and free-electron laser sources to meet those requirements.

• S.L. Smith, R. Bate, C.D. Beard, M.A. Bowler, R.K. Buckley, S.R. Buckley, J.A. Clarke, P.A. Corlett, M. Dufau, D.J. Dunning, B.D. Fell, P. Goudket, A.R. Goulden, S.A. Griffiths, J.D. Herbert, C. Hill, F. Jackson, S.P. Jamison, J.K. Jones, L.B. Jones, A. Kalinin, N. Marks, P.A. McIntosh, J.W. McKenzie, K.J. Middleman, B.L. Militsyn, A.J. Moss, B.D. Muratori, J.F. Orrett, S.M. Pattalwar, P.J. Phillips, M.W. Poole, Y.M. Saveliev, D.J. Scott, B.J.A. Shepherd, R.J. Smith, N. Thompson, B. Todd, T.M. Weston, A.E. Wheelhouse, P.H. Williams
  STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire
• J.R. Alexander, P. Atkinson, N. Bliss, I. Burrows, G. Cox, P.A.D. Dickenson, A. Gallagher, K.D. Gleave, J.P. Hindley, B.G. Martlew, I.D. Mullacrane, A. Oates, P.D. Quinn, D.G. Stokes, J. Strachan, P.J. Warburton, C.J. White
  STFC/DL, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire
• W.R. Flavell, E.A. Seddon
  UMAN, Manchester
• F.G. Gabriel
  FZD, Dresden
• C. Gerth
  DESY, Hamburg
• F.E. Hannon, C. Hernandez-Garcia, K. Jordan, G. Neil
  JLAB, Newport News, Virginia
• K. Harada
  KEK, Ibaraki
• P. Harrison, D.J. Holder, G.M. Holder, P. Weightman
  The University of Liverpool, Liverpool
• S.F. Hill, G. Priebe, R.V. Rotheroe, M. Surman
  STFC/DL/SRD, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire
• G.J. Hirst, P.G. Huggard
  STFC/RAL, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon
• P. vom Stein
  ACCEL, Bergisch Gladbach

ALICE (Accelerators and Lasers in Combined Experiments) is a 35 MeV energy recovery linac based light source. ALICE is being developed as an experimental test-bed for a broad suite of science and technology activities that make use of electron acceleration and ultra-short pulse laser techniques. This paper reports the progress made in accelerator commissioning and includes the results of measurement made on the commissioning beam. The steps taken to prepare the beam for short pulse operation as a driver for a Compton Back Scattered source and in preparation for the commissioning of the free electron laser are reported.