£70 million available through IETF Phase 2: Summer 2022
The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) supports businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future. The fund targets existing industrial processes, helping industry to cut their bills and emissions through increased energy efficiency and decarbonisation.
Scope
IETF Phase 2: Summer 2022 will provide up to £70 million of grant funding across three competition strands:
- Studies - feasibility and engineering studies to investigate identified energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects before making an investment decision.
- Energy efficiency – deployment of technologies in order to reduce industrial energy consumption.
- Deep carbonisation – deployment of technologies in order to achieve industrial emissions savings.
Businesses can apply to more than one strand if they meet the scope and eligibility criteria for each of them. All projects must aim to improve the performance, emissions, and environmental outcomes of the industrial process beyond standards currently required by both UK and international law.
Eligibility
This competition is open to businesses registered and operating in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The lead applicant must carry out an eligible industrial process at a site which will be the focus of the application. To be eligible, the industrial process must also fall into one of the following SIC codes:
- Mining and quarrying - 05101 through to 05200; 07100 through to 08990; 09900
- Manufacturing – 10000 through to 33200
- Recovery and recycling of materials – 38320
- Data centre – 63110
More Information
IETF Phase 2: Summer 2022 is open until 9th September 2022. You can find everything you need to know, including the full eligibility criteria and how to apply, in the competition guidance document.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing innovation funding and can help you develop a competitive application! If you are interested in bid writing support, please contact us to arrange a free consultation.
An update on the EIC Accelerator
The European Commission has provided an update on the EIC Accelerator – Europe’s flagship programme for start-ups and SMEs developing breakthrough technologies and innovation. It claims implementation is back on track amid continued strong interest in the programme.
State of implementation
Since its launch in March 2021, the EIC Accelerator has experienced delays in the signature of grant and investment agreements. This is due to disagreement over the management of the EIC Fund.
Things finally appear to be back on track as the European Commission expects to approve all delayed grant decisions from the 2021 cut-offs by the end of the summer. They also announced the first equity investment this month, with further investments set to follow in the next few weeks.
Revised strategic goals
The EIC Board has published a revised set of strategic goals for 2021-27. In short, the European Innovation Council aims to:
- Be the investor of choice for those with visionary ideas.
- Crowd €30-50 billion investment into European deep tech.
- Pull through high-risk technologies in critical areas for society and strategic autonomy.
- Increase the number of European unicorns and scale ups.
- Catalyse innovation impacts from European public R&D.
- Achieve operational excellence.
Operational excellence is underpinned by two significant key performance indicators: i) startups to receive first grant payment within 4-5 months of applying to the EIC and ii) EIC Fund to agree investment term sheet within 8 weeks. You can read the full list of strategic goals and key performance indicators here.
Level of interest
The European Innovation Council received 986 full applications to the June 15th cut-off. The highest number of applications came from Germany (110), Israel (87), Italy (85) and Spain (81). Successful companies will be invited to interview in September, with selection decisions expected in October.
UK participation
UK entities can apply to most Horizon Europe funding opportunities on the same terms as EU-based applicants. While this includes the grant element of the EIC Accelerator, UK applicants are unfortunately not eligible to receive loans or equity from the EIC Fund.
Please note that the UK is still in the process of associating to Horizon Europe. However, there is a ‘Horizon Europe guarantee’ scheme in place for successful UK applicants who are unable to sign grant agreements with the EU.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing innovation funding and can help you develop a competitive application! Please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
Grant funding available for UK-Israel collaborative R&D
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £2 million to fund collaborative research and development projects with Israel. This is a joint funding competition under the Eureka framework.
Scope
Funding is available for industrial research projects from any technological or market area. All proposals must demonstrate the following:
- a clear game-changing or disruptive innovative idea leading to new products, processes or services
- a strong and deliverable business plan
- sound, practical financial plans and timelines
- good value for money
- a clear, evidence-based plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment and growth through commercialisation
- clear, considerable potential to significantly benefit the UK economy or national productivity
- the benefit of participants from the countries working together and how this adds value
- a clear definition of where intellectual property (IP) can be used and shared between the participants and countries
- a clear route to market within 2 to 3 years of project completion
Eligibility
UK applicants can apply for up to £250k. In addition, projects must be collaborative and last between 12-24 months.
Project Team
The UK lead applicant must collaborate with at least one organisation from Israel. They can also collaborate with other UK registered businesses of any size.
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition but they must not account for more than 20% of the UK partners’ total eligible costs.
More Information
More information is available on the competition page. To apply, UK applicants must complete a Eureka application by 19th September and submit an Innovate UK application before 28th September.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing Eureka funding and can help you develop a competitive application! Please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
Innovate UK launches £30m Fast Start: Innovation competition
This week, Innovate UK announced a brand new series of grants worth £30 million to fund innovation in net zero and healthcare. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available for UK start-ups developing highly innovative products, processes and services across seven technology areas:
- advanced materials and manufacturing
- AI, digital and advanced computing
- bioinformatics and genomics
- engineering biology
- electronics, photonics and quantum
- energy and environment technologies
- robotics and smart machines
Scope
Projects must focus on how one of the seven technology areas can enable affordable, adoptable, and investible solutions for achieving net zero or self-driven healthcare. You can find more information on both challenge themes here. Innovate UK is particularly interested in proposals that help:
- develop both the idea and the business
- create a new revenue stream
- evidence and enable market, funding and commercialisation plans
- show what’s feasible, helping the business decide whether to pursue the idea further
- catalyse further innovation on the path to commercial success
- respond to changing market conditions
Eligibility
To lead a project, your organisation must be a UK-registered micro or small business. You must not have exceeded your £315,000 limit of de minimis or minimal financial assistance funding during the current and previous 2 fiscal years.
All projects must have total project costs between £25,000 and £50,000. They should last between 3 and 6 months, starting by 1st November 2022 and ending by 30th April 2023.
Fast Start: Innovation grants are only available for businesses that have not previously received Innovate UK funding. Successful applicants will also receive tailored business support through Innovate UK EDGE.
More Information
This competition is open from 11th July until 26th July. For more information, please see the competition document and watch the pre-recorded applicant briefing. Innovate UK is also holding online Q&A events on 12th and 18th July if you have any questions.
Innovate UK: How to complete the project setup process
Have you recently submitted a successful application to Innovate UK? Congratulations! This blog post provides an overview of the project setup process to prepare you for what happens next.
Successful applicants will be instructed to start the project setup process in their notification email. It is accessible via the Innovation Funding Service portal and has eight steps:
Step 1 – Project details
Firstly, you need to provide the proposed start date and location of the project.
Step 2 – Project team
In step two, you need to supply Innovate UK with contact details for your assigned project manager and the assigned finance contact for your organisation. The finance contact is responsible for providing bank details for your organisation and responding to any financial queries from Innovate UK.
Please note that you will need a finance contact for each partner organisation if the project is collaborative.
Step 3 – Documents
In Step 3, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A signed collaboration agreement if you are working on a collaborative project
- A completed spend profile
- An exploitation plan
- Any other documents that may be required specific to the competition
Step 4 – Monitoring officer
Once the first three steps are complete, Innovate UK will assign a monitoring officer to your project. They will be your point of contact throughout the project. The Monitoring Office will help you make sure that the project complies with the terms and conditions of the award and report on your progress to Innovate UK.
Step 5 – Bank details
Step 5 requires you to fill in your bank details if you have not received grant payments from Innovate UK before. You will also need to upload a redacted business bank statement for Innovate UK to verify and approve that you have a suitable clearing bank account.
Step 6 – Finance checks
Next, Innovate UK will review your financial information. They may have some queries in areas such as matched funding, subcontracting, and labour costs.
Step 7 – Spend profile
Once Innovate UK have approved your project finances, you can change your project spend profile. This should detail your costs across the duration of the project.
Step 8 – Grant offer letter
And finally, project setup is complete! You will receive a grant offer letter from Innovate UK that you need to sign and return, giving you the green light to start your project.
More Information
You can find more information on the project setup process here. If you have just been successful in securing an Innovate UK grant and are looking for project management support, we’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch to arrange a free consultation.
£12 million available for innovative clean maritime projects
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £12 million for innovative clean maritime projects. This funding is from the Department for Transport. The Clean Maritime Demonstration Round 2 competition has two strands:
1) Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 - Feasibility
Firstly, funding is available for feasibility studies associated with the development and real-world demonstration of one or more of the specific themes listed in the competition scope. The real-world demonstration you are developing should be operational before March 2025.
The lead organisation must be a UK-registered business and work with other UK-registered organisations. In addition, Strand 1 projects must:
- have total costs between £100,000 and £1 million
- end before 31 August 2023
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- carry out the majority of the work in the UK for green corridor projects
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
2) Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 – Collaborative R&D
Secondly, Strand 2 will support agile development and pre-deployment testing of clean maritime technologies. Projects must design, develop and test novel clean maritime technologies focused for on-vessel technologies or shoreside infrastructure.
Again, the lead organisation must be a UK-registered business and collaborate with other UK-registered organisations. Strand 2 projects must also:
- have total costs between £100,000 and £3 million
- end before 31 August 2023
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
More Information
This competition is open from 25th May until 13th July. You can find more information on both strands via the Innovation Funding Service.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing innovation funding and can help you develop a competitive application! If you would like to explore an application, please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
Beginner’s Guide: How to build an effective consortium in Horizon Europe
International cooperation is at the heart of Horizon Europe; for most calls for proposals, you will need to apply as a team of at least three partner organisations from different Member States or Associated Countries. However, building a winning consortium is no easy task! Here are five tips to keep in mind if you’re just getting started:
1. Start early
It’s important that you give yourself plenty of time to build a consortium. This will allow you to speak with numerous organisations to ensure you get the very best people on board for your project.
Where possible, we recommend starting the consortium-building process before calls are even announced. It is worth familiarising yourself with the Horizon Europe strategic plan, which sets the strategic orientations for research and innovation investments in the programme's first four years. In addition, work programmes set out funding opportunities under Horizon Europe and can help you anticipate upcoming calls. From here, you can start building out a network of relevant organisations.
Tip: Think about the time needed to prepare the bid. The more partners, the longer this will take!
2. Use your network
Your network is the best place to start looking for potential project partners! Firstly, consider whether you have existing collaborators who can help you deliver the project. Not only this, but do your existing collaborators have contacts who can help?
Tip: Previous (successful) collaborations indicate your consortium work well together, therefore mitigating some of the risks associated with the project.
… But don’t be afraid to look beyond it!
While your network is a great place to start, it’s important that you don’t just work with your friends. If they have the necessary skills and experience – great! If not, you should look outside of your network to find organisations that better fit the project.
One way to find new partners is through the built-in Partner Search tool on the European Funding and Tenders Portal. Organisations can search for potential partners for collaborative projects through the partner search page (link this) and through specific topic pages.
Other places to find partners online include Crowdhelix, an Open Innovation network for organisations seeking Horizon Europe funding, and LinkedIn groups. We would also recommend participating in Info Days and brokerage events where possible, as they are a great way to network and form new collaborations.
Tip: Short on time? You can publish your own Partner Search request on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal with details of what you are looking for.
3. Keep the budget in mind
The size of the consortium will be impacted by the size of the grant available. You need to ensure that you have a sufficient budget to fund the number of partners involved in the project. All partners will also need to be aware of the grant amount ceiling so they can construct their work plans in line with the money available.
Tip: If the budget is stretched, you may need to consider scaling back the number of partners involved in the project.
4. Keep your end objectives in mind
Before you approach potential partners, you should have a clear understanding of what it is you want to do. This way, you will know exactly who to approach and can ensure that the consortium brings together the necessary expertise to fulfil the project’s end objectives.
Tip: Consider the evaluation criteria - in what way does each of the partners contribute to the project? Do they each have a valid role, and adequate resources in the project to fulfil that role?
5. Manage expectations from the very start
As the project coordinator, your role is to manage the expectations of all partners. We recommend:
- Discussing roles and responsibilities, in terms of both writing the proposal and delivering the project.
- Ensuring all partners agree on the budget. As the project coordinator, you should have the final say.
- Discussing the likelihood of success. All partners should recognise that EU funding calls are extremely competitive and even excellent teams aren’t guaranteed to succeed.
- Ensuring all partners have access to a project management and delivery handbook.
Tip: Organise a face-to-face meetup if you can! It’s important that all partners get to know each other to ensure the project runs smoothly.
How can RedKnight help?
RedKnight can help you identify potential project partners as part of our retained consultancy package. You can find more information here. Or, if you’ve already formed a consortium and are looking for bid writing support, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us to arrange a free consultation.
Faraday Battery Challenge Round 5 open for applications
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £25 million for innovation in propulsion battery technologies for electric vehicles. This funding is from the Faraday Battery Challenge.
The aims of the competition are to:
- support business-led research and development of sustainable propulsion batteries
- support technologies with the potential to enter the automotive market within the next 10 years and, where appropriate, allow for early or cooperative entry into other sectors
- move UK battery innovations from technological potential towards commercial capability
- develop and secure material and manufacturing supply chains for battery technologies in the UK
The competition has two strands:
1. Collaborative Research and Development
The CR&D strand will support the research and development of innovative and sustainable battery technologies for the propulsion of electric vehicles in the automotive sector. All projects need to meet the following eligibility criteria. Firstly, they must have total costs between £500,000 and £12 million. They can last up to 24 months and should take place between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2024. Projects must be collaborative, led by a UK registered business, and involve at least one SME.
2. Feasibility Studies
In this strand, projects should focus on exciting early-stage research where a feasibility study could catalyse the route to commercialisation. To be eligible for funding, projects must have total costs between £100,000 and £750,000. They can last up to 12 months and should take place between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023. Projects must be collaborative, led by a UK registered business, and involve at least one SME.
More Information
Faraday Battery Challenge Round 5 is open from 23rd May until 17th August 2022. You can find more information on both strands via the Innovation Funding Service.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing innovation funding and can help you develop a competitive application! If you would like to explore an application, please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
£20 million available through Energy Catalyst Round 9
Energy Catalyst Round 9 is open for applications! Organisations can apply for a share of £20 million to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific regions.
Scope
To be in scope for Energy Catalyst Round 9, your project must:
- Focus on improving energy access in official development assistance (ODA) eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Indo-Pacific regions.
- Have a technology or business model which is affordable, reliable and low carbon.
- Consider the role of gender equality and social inclusion.
Eligibility
This competition is split into three strands:
- Early-stage – Projects must last between 3 and 12 months and have total costs between £50k and £300k.
- Mid-stage – Projects must last between 6 and 24 months and have total costs between £50k and £1.5m.
- Late-stage – Projects must last between 6 and 36 months and have total costs between £50k and £5m.
To be eligible for funding for mid and late stage projects, at least some of the research and development, testing or demonstration activities must be conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Indo-Pacific regions. In addition, all projects must:
- Start by 1st April 2023 and end by 31st March 2026.
- Intend to use the results to help deliver clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, or the Indo-Pacific.
- Include a UK-registered administrative lead. If you are an international organisation, you must partner with a UK administrative lead.
- Involve at least one SME from anywhere in the world.
More information
This competition is open from 18th May until 10th August. For more information, visit the competition page or register to attend the online briefing event on 25th May.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing innovation funding and can help you develop a competitive application! If you would like to explore an application, please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
Key changes to Innovate UK Smart Grants
This blog post provides an overview of the recent changes to Innovate UK’s Smart Grants competition.
What is Innovate UK Smart Grants?
Smart is Innovate UK’s open grant funding programme. It provides funding for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. The competition typically runs quarterly, with up to £25 million available per round. The next deadline is 27th July 2022.
What are the changes?
According to Innovate UK, the changes reflect how important it is that the project has economic benefits and potential for successful commercialisation, growth and exports. The key takeaways are as follows:
- There will be an increased focus on ‘game-changing’ innovation, as shown in Question 2.
- Projects will not be funded if the technology is available or used in another sector.
- There is a greater requirement to show how the proposal will lead to a significant return on investment for the UK taxpayer.
- Applicants must explain why they need Smart funding to succeed (over other routes of investment).
- Projects will not be funded if other Innovate UK funding support is available and deemed more appropriate.
- Applicants must demonstrate their capability to deliver the project in the required timeframe.
Innovate UK has updated the application form in line with these points. There are now seven questions to answer, which you can find on the competition page.
What next?
Before starting an application, you should carefully read the competition scope, eligibility criteria, and application questions. You may also find it useful to watch the competition briefing event.
In addition, Innovate UK recently revealed that around 50% of all Smart Grant applications aren’t right for funding! As a result, they have released a five-question checklist for prospective applicants to consider.
How can RedKnight help?
RedKnight can help you prepare a competitive application. Not only will this save you time, with grant applications taking an average of 6-10 weeks to complete in-house, but it will also increase your chances of success! You can view a selection of our case studies here. In addition, we can provide application reviews and support with resubmissions.
If you are looking for support with an Innovate UK Smart Grant application, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.