UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £6 million for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies. This funding is from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. There are two strands running at the same time: feasibility studies and R&D.
The challenge aims to:
- develop robotic solutions to make UK industries more resilient to future disruptions
- increase productivity
- open up new cross-disciplinary opportunities
Scope
Innovate UK is looking for robotic solutions that exploit business opportunities in areas such as healthcare, logistics, agriculture, construction, and robotics that can contribute towards the UK’s net-zero greenhouse gas commitment. More specifically, proposals must:
- Clearly identify the operational needs and the market segments and sizes that the proposed Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI) technology or system will be addressing
- Identify the precise operational scenario or scenarios that the RAI system is expected to operate if successful
- Quantify the system’s performance objectives and targets
- Be based around a service robotics sector
- Articulate what is innovative about the proposed project
- R&D project proposals must explain the technological maturity at the start and end of the project
- Clearly identify how proposed solutions will improve productivity or improve the resilience of the UK’s workforce to future disruptions to economic activity, supply chains and productivity
- Demonstrate what market needs are being addressed
- Clearly demonstrate understanding of the market and provide a commercialisation plan for the solution developed
Eligibility
Feasibility studies must:
- Have total eligible costs between £25,000 and £100,000
- Start on or after the 1st April 2021 and then end by 31st March 2022
- Last between 3 and 12 months
In addition, single applicants for feasibility studies must be a UK-registered SME.
R&D Projects must:
- Have total eligible costs between £75,000 and £500,000
- Start on or after 1st April 2021 and then end by 31st March 2022
- Last between 6 and 12 months
To lead a R&D project, your organisation must be a UK-registered business and work in collaboration. If you are a large business, it is essential that you also involve an SME.
This competition closes on 20th November 2020. If you’re applying to the R&D strand and require a collaborative partner, read more about our partner search service here. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us with any further enquiries.
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