Housing in the UK is among the least energy efficient in Western Europe. Although houses in England are recommended to be at least 18˚C at all times, many households do not meet this standard, leaving the inhabitants at risk of ill health.
To overcome this issue, on April 1st 2019, Innovate UK launched a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition in which all UK based businesses can compete for up to £1.25m to develop non-intrusive ways to monitor a household’s environmental condition. Successful projects will work with Leeds City Council and the City of York Council, so it critical that applicants take into consideration the different types of homes in Leeds and York, including high rise tower blocks which include a variety of tenants.
Overall, the competition will consist of 2 stages:
- Around 5 research and development contracts are expected to be awarded, with projects lasting up to 3 months. A total of £250,000 including VAT has been allocated to this phase.
- Amongst the successful applicants from phase 1, two will be awarded R&D contracts of up to £500,000 including VAT, to develop a prototype and begin field testing that can last up to 12 months.
All applicants must take in due account the following conditions for eligibility:
- Provide reporting and predictive modelling
- Improve the health and well-being of council tenants
- Enable tenants to make environmental and lifestyle changes to improve the condition of their home
If you think your business is up to the challenge, but you need further support, please do not hesitate to call our experts, or visit our website redknightconsultancy.co.uk
Source: InnovateUK
