Innovate UK Competitions

Innovation Loans Future Economy Competition: Round 8

Innovative UK offers loans up to £25 million to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Loans are given to extremely cutting-edge, late-stage research and development (R&D) initiatives with the greatest future potential. A clear path to commercialization and economic impact ought to exist.

Your project must yield in new innovative products, processes, or services that are far improved to those already on the market, or it must suggest an innovative use of an already existing products, processes, or services. Additionally, an innovative or creative business plan might be used. Your project must be centred on at least one of the future economy sectors included in the Innovate UK action plan.

You must be able to show that you:

need public funding
can cover interest payments
will be able to repay the loan on time

The available funds will be allocated among series of competitions, with the following round commencing on the day the preceding round concludes.

To fund your project's eligible costs, you can apply for a loan between £100,000 and £2 million. The entire project, including the R&D and commercialization phases, may take up to 5 years. Beginning of projects are expected by September 1, 2023.

be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
carry out your project from or in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
give evidence that your business is suitable to take on a loan

Competition opens: Friday 13 January 2023

Competition closes: Wednesday 8 March 2023 11:00am

More Information:

The applications are open until Wednesday 1 March 2023 11:00am. For more information and registration, please check here.

RedKnight has a strong track record of securing Innovate UK Smart Grants and can help you develop a competitive application! If you would like help putting together a competitive proposal, please contact us today.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Innovate UK Smart grants: January 2023

Smart is a grant funding programme by Innovate UK. The scheme is designed to assist SMEs and their partners in developing disruptive innovations with the potential to contribute substantially to the UK's economic prosperity.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation is investing up to £25 million in the most innovative concepts that have the potential to change the world and are geared toward successful commercialization. Truly original and creative concepts are required, not merely ones that are disruptive within their industry.

It is essential that your proposal is business-focused, with realistic, deliverable, adequately resourced plans for achieving returns on investment, growth, and market share following the completion of your project.

This round's Smart questions highlight the significance of achieving financial advantages from public support as well as the possibilities for successful commercialization, growth, and exports. Applications are accepted from any technological field that can be used in any sector of the economy, but not limited to net zero, the arts, design, and media.

Your project must:

start by 1 October 2023
end by 30 September 2026
include at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as the lead or a collaborative grant claiming partner
follow specific rules dependent on its duration
carry out all of its project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

Your project's scheduled completion date won't be extended. All funding for this round of the competition must end by the end by date.

If your project’s duration is 6 to 18 months, it must:

have total eligible project costs between £100,000 and £500,000
be single or collaborative

If your project’s duration is 19 to 36 months, it must:

have total eligible project costs between £100,000 and £2 million
be collaborative

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

Scope

a game-changing, innovative, and disruptive idea that will lead to new products, processes or services
an idea that is significantly ahead of others in the field, set for rapid commercialisation
clear potential to positively impact the UK’s position, productivity and competitiveness within the global economy
a clear, evidence-based business plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment (ROI) and growth through commercialisation, as soon as possible after project completion
why Smart funding is the right potential funding for your project, and the journey you have already been on to reach the point of application
a team with the necessary skills and expertise to deliver the project successfully and on time, and to achieve rapid commercialisation
awareness of all the main risks the project will face with realistic management, mitigation and impact minimisation plans for each risk
sound, practical financial plans and timelines that represent good value for money, including the funding of post-project activities

Competition opens: Thursday 19 January 2023

Competition closes: Wednesday 26 April 2023 11:00am

More Information:

The applications are open until Wednesday 1 March 2023 11:00am. For more information and registration, please check here.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Switzerland expelled from coordination body for European research infrastructure

Switzerland is expelled from the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) since it is not associated with Horizon Europe, the European Union's (EU) research and innovation initiative. Under ESFRI rules, members must be EU states, associated to Horizon, or an EU candidate country to be the part of it.

Switzerland is deeply ingrained in the landscape of European research infrastructures. Additionally, it participates actively in associations like the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the European Southern Observatory, and the European Space Agency. Switzerland hosts one of the world's largest scientific infrastructures, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), its exclusion is particularly problematic.

ESFRI, which was established in 2002, publishes roadmaps for research infrastructure in Europe to ensure that nations don't build identical facilities and that development complies with scientific goals. Swiss researchers participated in a number of ESFRI working groups for its most recent strategy in 2021. But the Swiss Academy of Sciences has announced that these experts would no longer be permitted to participate in these groups.

Researcher commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to renewing Switzerland's participation and re-engage at all levels as soon as possible, to allow for closer cooperation.” ESFRI is currently having “a general reflection on its cooperation with third countries,” she said. The outcome, which could include changes to the rules that exclude the Swiss, is expected this year. But any rule change to allow Switzerland back into ESFRI “also needs to take into consideration the exploratory talks on the future of our relationship,” Gabriel added, referring to the wider EU-Swiss negotiations.

Jana Kolar, ESFRI’s chair, acknowledged that research and innovation cooperation between the EU and Switzerland was part of “international relations” and so any return of Switzerland to ESFRI, even as an observer, “depends on the outcome of political decisions on the highest levels”.

If long-term affiliation is impossible, Switzerland is considering alternative measures that would begin in 2024 at the earliest.

by Jonny O'Rourke

How to Write a Successful Innovate UK Grant Application

It takes a significant amount of time, effort, and (possibly) frustration to prepare and submit a high quality Innovate UK application. In order to be successful, you must ensure you present the strongest possible case for why your technology is more valuable and stronger than all other applications being considered. This blog post intends to assist you in creating the best possible application for Innovate UK competitions. Below are some Do’s and Don’ts you should consider to make your application stand out from the crowd.

Do’s

Keep it structured - Tell a compelling story that is gripping and has a theme running through it. Make it simple for the assessors to grasp your idea by putting yourself in their position, and read the assessor criteria to understand what they are looking for.
Information is key - Your project will have been created to solve a problem, fill a market gap, or meet the need of a target audience. You will need to provide strong proof, facts, and figures to back up your claims.
Be truthful and reasonable - Especially if your proposal is very technical, make sure it is sensible and believable. Assessors that have some expertise or knowledge of your field will evaluate your application, and they will understand what is realistic and what is merely imaginative.
Give yourself time - at least two months' notice and 12–15 days to work on your application if you want to do it justice, especially if you've had little to no prior experience writing funding applications.
Proofread, again, and again - Before submitting your application, get it proofread by another person (e.g. bid writing professional, colleague, academic). Preferably somebody with bid writing experience who can assess the technical, market and management aspects of your project, as well as the language, grammar and spelling.

Don’ts

Leave any questions unanswered- Read every question, including the sub-questions, very carefully. The most common reasons for low scores is where a response is incomplete, inconsistent, or hasty.
Forget to submit all the needed documentation - List all the supporting materials you must supply. Once you have prepared them, cross reference the information with the application narrative to ensure they are consistent.
Submitting your application at the last minute - It is important to know the competition closing date and time and submit the application as early as possible, in case of technical issues with the portal at the last minute.

Download our step-by-step guide on How to Write Successful Innovate UK Grant Application

RedKnight has a strong track record of securing Innovate UK Smart Grants and can help you develop a competitive application! If you would like help putting together a competitive proposal, please contact us today.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Farming Futures: automation and robotics, industrial research

Farming Futures: automation and robotics, industrial research funding is a part of Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs' (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme, which is delivered in partnership with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge. UK-registered companies can submit applications for a share of up to £12.5 million across the two prongs of this competition to develop cutting-edge robotics and automation solutions. These funds are provided by Farming Futures R&D Fund.

This competition aims to provide funding for cooperative development projects with innovative robotics and automation solutions in horticulture and agriculture solutions.

Support specific recommendations from recent Defra reviews and the Government Food Strategy for automation innovation funding.
Address key issues facing the sector, where automation and robotics can reduce labour challenges and enhance productivity.

You need to be able to show in your proposal how the project will benefit English farmers or growers.

This competition is split into 2 strands:

Strand 1 - Farming Futures: automation and robotics industrial research; accelerating collaboration with the UK's world-class research base, agri-tech businesses, SMEs and UK agriculture to develop new agricultural and horticulture innovations.
Strand 2 - Accelerating the deployment and uptake of innovations in robotics and automation in agriculture and horticulture that are almost commercially viable.

Your project must:

have total costs between £500,000 and £1 million
start by 1 September 2023
end by 31 August 2026 for 36 month duration projects
end by 31 August 2027 for 48 month duration projects
be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers or growers in England

Competition opens: Monday 9 January 2023

Competition closes: Wednesday 15 March 2023 11:00am

More Information:

The applications are open until Wednesday 1 March 2023 11:00am. For more information and registration, please check here.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Biomedical Catalyst 2023 Round 1: Industry-led R&D Funding Competition

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is providing a share of up to £25 million in grant funding for UK registered SMEs to develop innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges.

Your project can focus on:

proactive health and chronic condition management and disease prevention
earlier and more accurate disease identification and diagnosis results in better patient outcomes
customised medical interventions that either alter the underlying illness or offer potential remedies
transforming of healthcare delivery
the advancement of technologies for digital health.

To be eligible for this funding competition your project must:

have total project costs between £150,000 and £4 million
not exceed a grant request of £2 million
have at least 50% of the total project costs shared by the SMEs, if collaborative
start by 1 October 2023
end by 30 September 2026
last between 6 months and 36 months
carry out all of its project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

More Information:

The applications are open until Wednesday 1 March 2023 11:00am. For more information and registration, please check here.

by Jonny O'Rourke

European Innovation Council 2023 Work Programme

The 2023 work programme for the European Innovation Council has been adopted by the European Commission. It opens up funding opportunities for breakthrough entrepreneurs to scale up and explore new markets valued over €1.6 billion in 2023.

The support and funding in 2023:

EIC Pathfinder (€343 million) for multidisciplinary research teams to conduct innovative work that could result in technological breakthroughs

Grants of up to €3 or €4 million are available to research teams. On December 7 (Pathfinder Open) and June 20, calls will go live (Pathfinder Challenges).
While €163.5 million is allotted to address five challenges, the majority of the cash is distributed through open calls without any established thematic goals. Precision nutrition, responsible electronics, digital construction, clean and efficient cooling, and in-space solar energy

For more information download infographic for EIC Pathfinder

EIC Transition (€128.3 million) to transform research results into innovation opportunities.

Calls focused on the outcomes of ERC Proof of Concept and EIC Pathfinder projects to mature the innovations and create a business case for particular applications. Apply whenever (Deadlines: 12 April and 27 September).
€60.5 million is granted to address and tackle three Transition Challenges: micro-nano-bio devices, environmental intelligence, chip-scale optical frequency combs.

For more information download infographic for EIC Transition

EIC Accelerator (€1.13 billion) for start-ups and SMEs to produce and expand high-impact ideas that have the potential to open up new markets or disrupt ones that already exist.

Grants of less than €2.5 million and equity investments from €0.5 up to to €15 million are available. A pplication can be submitted at any time (the deadlines are 11 January 2023 (Accelerator Open only), 22 March 2023, 7 June 2023, and 4 October 2023)).
The New European Bauhaus, quantum or semiconductor components, resilient agriculture, space technologies and services, as well as biomarkers for cancer, decontamination for pandemic management, energy storage, and are just a few of the next-generation technologies that have €525 million set aside for them in strategic areas for Europe.

For more information download infographic for EIC Accelerator

Access to Business Acceleration Services, which offers coaches, mentors, and expertise, as well as collaboration opportunities with businesses, investors, and others, as well as a variety of additional services and events, is available to all projects of the European Innovation Council.

For more information on how RedKnight can work with you to develop a competitive application, contact us today.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Software Enabled Quantum Computation

Apply for software enabled quantum computation funds to develop the theoretical capabilities required to construct superior quantum computing architectures. This investment will form part of EPSRC’s contribution to the National Quantum Technologies Programme.

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and EPSRC are looking to finance projects that will enhance the necessary improvements in theory, benchmarking, error correction, and algorithms. The following areas of research are encouraged:

algorithms independent of hardware.
creation of error-correcting codes that conserve resources while addressing various types of errors.
creation of data embedding techniques to speed up problem resolution.
building knowledge of the classes of potential system vulnerabilities and including quantum-enabled components for assurance and to "bake security in"
development of theoretical knowledge to address unanswered issues in quantum computing.
the creation of techniques for rewriting or reworking quantum algorithms to lower hardware requirements.
create quantum computing verification and assurance techniques.

Eligibility:

Who can apply for research grants:

UK higher education institutions.
research council institutes.
independent research organisations with UKRI approval qualified public sector researc.
institutions qualified research and technology organisations.
NHS organisations with research capabilities.

More Information:

The applications are open until 1st February 2023. For more information and registration, please check here.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Sustainable Bio-Based Materials and Manufacture- Feasibility Study

Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), all part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £2 million for sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture: feasibility study competition.

The aim of this competition is to create and implement innovative, disruptive, sustainable biomanufacturing by 2050. enhancing the UK's ability to compete internationally by funding feasibility studies and encouraging cross-sector growth.

This can be achieved through creative uses of renewable feedstocks and technologies for manufacturing sustainable and circular goods that are based on biotechnology. Businesses and academic researchers will be able to collaborate on projects to create more sustainable bio-based goods, biotechnology innovations, and processes.

Eligibility:

Your project must:

have total costs between £50,000 and £100,000
start by 1 July 2023
end by 31 December 2023
last between 3 and 6 months
carry out all of its project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

A Russian or Belarusian organisation cannot serve as the lead, partner, or subcontractor in any procurement, commercial, business development, or supply chain activity funded by this competition due to current prohibitions. All products and services coming from Russian or Belarusian sources fall under this category.

A company, academic institution, RTO, charity, not-for-profit organisation, or public sector organisation can lead only one application but may be a partner on up to two other applications.

If a company isn't in charge of any particular application, it can collaborate on any number of them.

More Information:

The applications are open until 1st February 2023. For more information and registration, please check here.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Future flight: closing the skills gaps

The Future flight challenge for Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. It would put up to £500,000 towards initiatives to fill skills shortfalls in the aviation sector. The "Future Flight" challenge will revolutionise how we connect people, carry commodities, and offer services by utilising new classes of electric, hydrogen, and autonomous air vehicles. It will encourage firms to share their knowledge and resources, hastening the introduction of these vehicles into service.

The objective of this competition is to develop and supply instructional materials and course content that will promote knowledge, abilities, and training in the field of future flight. This will increase public awareness of developing markets for future flights and close significant skills and training gaps in the UK workforce.

Eligibility:

Your project must:

have a total grant funding request between £5,000 and £50,000
start by 1 July 2023
last between 3 and 6 months
carry out all of its project work in the UK

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

A company, academic institution, RTO, charity, not-for-profit organisation, or public sector organisation can lead only one application but may be a partner on up to two other applications.

If a company isn't in charge of any particular application, it can collaborate on any number of them.

More Information:

The applications are open until 19th December 2022. For more information and registration, please visit Innovate UK KTN

RedKnight has a strong track record of securing funding for transnational innovation projects and can help you develop a competitive application! Contact us to arrange a free consultation.

by Jonny O'Rourke