UK and Canada biomanufacturing innovations in cell and gene therapies
Innovate UK has partnered with the National Research Council of Canada for a new funding opportunity aimed at UK SMEs. They aim to identify UK partners who will bring innovative solutions to support and collaborate with the NRC Challenge Program in Health and Disruptive Technologies for Cell and Gene Therapy.
This competition aims to support improvements in biomanufacturing for cost-effective gene and cell-based therapies. Your project must develop solutions to address one of the following two areas:
1. Process improvement for adeno-associated virus (AAV) based gene therapy.
In this area, your proposal must:
- Demonstrate economic viability by coupling your proposal to more cost-effective downstream processing options than what is currently available.
- Be based on transient transfection, developing improvement of serum free media or processes to increase AAV upstream yields.
- Develop faster in-line, online, at-line or off-line process analytical assays in order to support process development.
- Develop more cost effective, robust and scalable AAV particle separation methods (preferably chromatography based).
2. Deploy process analytical technologies to perfusion-enabled lentiviral vector manufacturing.
In area 2, you will have access to the perfusion-enabled high yield LV production process developed at NRC. Your proposal must show how you will develop and deploy complementary in-line monitoring technologies for real time process characterisation using:
- Capacitance frequency scanning (Aber Instruments).
- Multi-wavelength fluorometry (NRC technology).
- Raman spectroscopy including analysis algorithms.
Eligibility
Firstly, your project must:
- Start by 1st May 2021.
- Be up to 24 months in duration.
- Have total eligible costs of up to £128,000, of which up to 75% will be funded by this initiative.
To lead a project, your organisation must be either a SME, catapult, charity, or not for profit. Before starting an application, you must also have established a partnership with an appropriate research team at NRC Canada. The Knowledge Transfer Network is holding an information session on the 3rd November where NRC researchers will explain the type of projects they are looking for. This provides a great opportunity to connect with NRC counterparts before applying.
This competition closes on 23rd December 2020. To find out more, please visit Innovate UK. Alternatively, you can contact us with any further enquiries.
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Robotics for a more resilient future
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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NATEP: helping SMEs innovate in aerospace
Innovate UK, working with the Aerospace Technology Institute and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has announced new funding for aerospace innovation projects. From 5th October, UK registered SMEs can apply for a share of £2.5 million for industry-led civil aerospace research projects.
Scope
This competition aims to help SMEs develop their own innovative technologies, thereby enhancing their capabilities and increasing their ability to win new business in the civil aerospace sector. Eligible projects must have a potential application within the civil aerospace sector. You can find information on specific themes here. More generally, all projects must have a credible route to market and preferably have identified their end-users.
Additionally, all projects should:
- Demonstrate improvement in business productivity and competitiveness
- Show clear benefits technically.
- Be able to pull through new technology or processes for use in a current or future product or manufacturing process.
- Show clear benefits in creating or safeguarding jobs.
- Be able to enhance capabilities within the broader aerospace industry, as well as other sectors e.g. advanced manufacturing.
Innovate UK intends to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, markets, and technological maturities.
Eligibility
Firstly, your project’s total eligible costs must be between £100,000 and £300,000. Furthermore, all projects must:
- Be collaborative
- Be led by a UK registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- Start by 1 May 2021 and end by 31 October 2022
- Last between 12 and 18 months
This competition closes on 18th November 2020. You can find more information on eligibility, scope, and how to apply here. Before you start your application, check out our '5 steps to success' to ensure you write a competitive proposal.
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SBRI: using geospatial data to solve transport challenges, phase 1
Organisations can apply for a share of £2 million to develop feasibility studies for one of four themed challenges. Funded by the Geospatial Commission, this competition aims to identify innovative geospatial solutions to current challenges and enable the future of mobility.
This is phase 1 of a potential 2-phase competition. A decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1. Only successful applicants from the first phase will be able to apply to take part in phase 2.
Your application must focus on at least one of the following themes:
- Mobility as a service – Overcoming siloed transport networks by enabling more seamless and accessible integration of transport modes.
- Active travel – Mitigating safety risks to promote active travel.
- Supply chains - Tackling logistical challenges including planning distribution networks and routing, optimising storage and warehousing, and last-mile delivery to reduce freight transport costs.
- Increasing capacity - Managing over and under-capacity to increase efficiency of our transport networks without compromising safety.
More information
The Geospatial Commission expects to fund around 30 projects. To lead a project, you can be an organisation of any size and work alone or with other organisations. Contracts are available only for single legal entities, but subcontractors are also permitted.
Phase 1 contracts are for up to £75,000 for projects lasting up to 12 weeks. Projects should start by 4th January 2021 and end by 31st March 2021. Subsequently, phase 2 will award R&D contracts to businesses chosen from the successful phase 1 applicants. Funding of between £500,000 and £1 million will be allocated for each phase 2 contract, in order to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for 12 months.
If you think you are eligible for this funding, apply through Innovate UK before 4th November. You can learn more about Innovate UK bid writing here.
ISCF Faraday Battery Challenge: Round 4
The fourth round of the ISCF Faraday Battery Challenge is now open for grant funding applications. UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £10 million for innovation in electric vehicle battery technology. The competition aims to establish the UK's position as a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.
Innovate UK is looking to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, sectors, technological maturities, and research categories. There are two strands running at the same time:
1. Feasibility Studies
Firstly, Innovate UK will support business-led feasibility studies. They will fund the most exciting, high potential impact, early-stage research projects, where a 12-month feasibility study will accelerate commercialisation.
Proposals should clearly show how the feasibility study will accelerate the development of technologies with the potential to significantly advance the performance characteristics of batteries for electric vehicles. The project must last between 3 and 12 months and plan to end by 31st March 2022. Eligible costs should be between £100,000 and £1,000,000.
2. Innovation R&D
Secondly, Innovate UK will support the research and development of the most promising innovative battery technologies for the propulsion of electric vehicles. Projects should build on the outputs of previous activity to accelerate towards commercialisation.
Innovate UK is encouraging two types of project:
- New projects building on the outputs and outcomes of previously funded Innovate UK projects or activities.
- New projects building on internal activity within the organisation.
Proposals must clearly demonstrate a significant value-add and exploitation from a preceding feasibility study, collaborative research and development project, or previous non-grant-funded activity. Eligible costs must be between £300,000 and £1,500,000 and projects must again last between 3 and 12 months.
You can find more information on the ISCF Faraday Battery Challenge here. Alternatively, to discuss your project with one of our expert advisers, contact us today.
European Green Deal: €1 billion available for innovative projects
One of the European Commission’s top priorities is to tackle climate change and make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. As a result, the Commission has launched a €1 billion call for research and innovation projects that respond to the climate crisis. Funded by Horizon 2020, the European Green Deal Call aims to drive Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities.
Due to the urgency of the challenges it addresses, the Green Deal Call aims for clear, discernible results in the short to medium-term, but with a perspective of long-term change. Therefore, there are fewer, but more targeted, larger and visible actions. The focus is on rapid scalability, dissemination, and uptake.
Scope
The projects funded under this call must deliver results with tangible benefits in ten areas. Firstly, there are eight thematic areas reflecting the key work streams of the European Green Deal:
- Increasing climate ambition
- Clean, affordable and secure energy
- Industry for a clean and circular economy
- Energy and resource efficient buildings
- Sustainable and smart mobility
- Farm to fork
- Biodiversity and ecosystems
- Zero-pollution, toxic-free environments
Secondly, there are two horizontal areas: strengthening knowledge and empowering citizens. They offer a longer-term perspective in achieving the transformations set out in the European Green Deal.
Furthermore, we are pleased to confirm that UK scientists, researchers, and businesses are eligible to apply for this funding. UKRI has confirmed that projects will receive funding for the lifetime of Green Deal projects, even if they continue beyond 31st December 2020 (when the UK’s period of transition out of the EU ends).
The closing date for applications is 26th January 2021, with selected projects expected to start in autumn 2021. For our assistance in putting together a competitive proposal, contact us today.
Women in Innovation: Closing the Gender Gap
Following the launch of the Women in Innovation Awards 2020/21, we're reflecting on the steps Innovate UK has taken to increase gender diversity in innovation.
The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship estimated that an additional £250 billion could be contributed to the UK economy if female entrepreneurs started and scaled their businesses at the same rate as men. However in 2016, just 14% of applications to Innovate UK were led by women – despite success rates between men and women being largely equal! Survey research found securing funding to be the biggest challenge facing women innovators. Furthermore, a third said they found being a woman in a male-dominated industry had negatively affected their career. Thus, there was a clear demand for more focused support services for female innovators.
Women in Innovation
This led to the creation of Innovate UK’s first diversity and inclusion campaign, Women in Innovation. The programme aims to address the under-representation of women engaging with Innovate UK. It encourages female-led innovation through specific events and funding competitions. So far, the programme has made significant progress in closing the gender gap; there has been an impressive 70% increase in the number of women leading Innovate UK grant applications.
Since 2016, Innovate UK has successfully engaged a new community of over 3000 women in innovation. Could you be next? The Women in Innovation Awards 2020/21 aim to find women with exciting ideas and ambitious plans that will inspire others. 10 winners will each receive a £50,000 grant, as well as a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching, and business support. If you think you might be eligible for this funding, you can apply here before 14th October 2020. Be sure to check out our '5 steps to success' to ensure you write a competitive proposal!
Founders4Schools
Additionally, Innovate UK has recently forged a new partnership with an award-winning educational-tech charity, Founders4Schools. The charity aims to increase the employability skills of pupils by facilitating encounters with employers. Through this partnership, inspirational members of the Women in Innovation community will volunteer to connect with their local schools. The goal is to encourage young people to explore innovative career pathways, regardless of their background or gender. We look forward to finding out how this initiative progresses.
What needs to happen next to close the gender gap in innovation? Share your thoughts with us in a comment below!
5G enabled road and rail transport trials in the West Midlands, round 2
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £2.5 million to support the development of 5G enabled transport innovations. This funding is from West Midlands 5G, working in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the West Midlands Combined Authority through Transport for West Midlands. Innovate UK is managing the competition process.
Scope
This funding is available for innovative projects that develop a new service or product. These must improve road and rail operational efficiency, provide better-connected transport, or improve traveller experience. Furthermore, your project should include 3 months of user or product testing in your chosen location in the West Midlands using the live 5G environment.
Projects must focus on products or services in one or more of the following areas:
- Movement of things – freight and logistics.
- Movement of people – public transport, economic recovery, and traveller confidence following Covid-19.
- Road operation and management.
Your project proposal should also demonstrate how 5G is essential to developing your new service or product. Alternatively, it can show how 5G offers a significant enhancement compared to current mobile communications.
Eligibility
Your project must:
- Only claim up to £500,000 in grant funding.
- Be up to 12 months in length.
- Start by 15 March 2021 and end by 21 March 2022.
You must consult with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) if the transport monitoring and control system needs to integrate with physical road or rail networks, or requires data. In these cases, you must also ask TfWM to provide a letter of support for your project.
To confirm 5G functionality is available for your project in the West Midlands, you must also consult with a mobile network operator (Vodafone, O2, BT or 3). Additionally, a public or private communications network provider or a communications integrator should be included as a partner or sub-contractor in your consortium.
This competition closes on 2nd December 2020. For our help in putting together a competitive proposal, please contact us. To stay up to date on the latest grant funding opportunities, subscribe to our free monthly newsletter today.
How to write a winning Innovate UK Smart Grant proposal
The latest round of Innovate UK’s open grant funding programme launched last month. It has £25 million available to invest in the best game-changing and commercially viable innovative or disruptive ideas. Smart grant applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy.
However, applying for grant funding is complex, time-consuming, stressful, and highly competitive. While there is no magic formulae to winning grants, we’ve found that the following self-assessment process can increase your chances of success:
1. Idea
Before you begin writing your Smart Grant application, it is crucial that you have a clear understanding of exactly what it is you want to do. You should identify your aims and objectives and the tasks you need to undertake to achieve these. Clarity is key to writing a successful application - Innovate UK use the word “clear” three times in the competition scope alone!
2. Funding
The next step requires you to read and understand exactly what the funding call is looking to fund. By doing this, you can ensure your project fits within its scope. Remember, square pegs do not fit round holes!
It is important to note that Innovate UK will not fund proposals that do not:
- Meet the competition eligibility or scope
- Address the size, potential and access to market for the innovation
- Evidence the potential for their idea or concept to lead to significant return on investment (ROI), positive economic impact, growth and scale-up of the business.
You can find the full scope for this competition here.
3. Capacity
Do you have the in-house skills to achieve what you are setting out to do? It is important that you are honest with yourself here. If you don’t have the in-house skills to convince Innovate UK of your capability to complete the project, it is unlikely that they will award you any funding. In this case, you may wish to consider working with a collaborative partner.
4. Track record
Are you able to convince the evaluators that you can deliver the project? Innovate UK requires proposals to demonstrate “a team, business arrangement or working structure with the necessary skills and experience to run and complete the project successfully and on time.” If you do not have the necessary skills and experience to do this, we would again recommend teaming up with a more experienced partner.
5. Partners
Lastly, applicants should consider whether they need project partners. For this competition, projects with durations between 6 and 18 months can be single or collaborative. In contrast, projects lasting between 19 and 36 months must be collaborative. If you answered ‘no’ to points 3 or 4, you will likely need the support of a project partner to secure an Innovate UK Smart Grant, regardless of project length. Through our extensive global network, RedKnight can help you in the search for a suitable project partner with the expertise and resources to complement your own.
These 5 steps will help to ensure that the funding you bid for is right for your organisation, thereby helping you to put forward the most competitive proposal possible.
If you're looking for further help, you can download our free application guide today! Alternatively, please get in touch if you'd like to set up a consultation with one of our innovation funding advisers.
Have you claimed your Research and Development (R&D) tax relief?
RedKnight Consultancy has teamed up with LimestoneGrey, a leading independent chartered R&D tax credit consultancy, to promote the benefits of R&D tax credits. They are a government incentive designed to make innovation easier for small companies. SMEs can claim back up to 33p for every £1 spent on R&D activities, with the average claim currently standing at £54,000!
The tax definition for R&D purposes is more far-reaching than many businesses realise. Generally, it refers to the work undertaken to develop new products, processes, services or software. Making improvements to existing ones may also qualify. For example, if your business has developed an automated process, or one that is quicker, more efficient, and creates less waste, it may be eligible.
R&D tax credit claims are directly linked to the level of qualifying expenditure a business has incurred. Qualifying categories of expense include staffing costs, expenditure on subcontracted activities, external workers, consumables, computer software, and utilities. However, knowing which costs qualify is the easy part. Preparing a claim requires thorough understanding of the extensive rules and regulations, as well as the ability to produce a robust project report that withstands scrutiny from HMRC.
To find out how to maximise your claim and retrieve some of the money you've invested in innovation, contact us today.