Funding available for circular economy innovation projects
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £1.5 million for circular economy innovation projects. This competition is part of the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research programme, which aims to accelerate the UK’s transition to a circular economy.
Scope
This competition will support feasibility studies, industrial research and experimental development projects that address the challenges of transitioning to a circular economy. Specifically, projects can focus on one or more of the following examples:
- piloting the introduction of a circular economy business model
- development or improvement of products and processes to enable remanufacturing, repair and retention of value
- increasing understanding and exploitation of material flow data in a defined place, for example; city, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), cluster, region
- scaling-up of credible feasibility studies
- evaluating whether proposed approaches are more sustainable when considering broader life cycle thinking
Innovate UK will also consider other focus areas that clearly address the challenges of this transition.
Eligibility
All projects must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
- Have total costs between £100,000 and £150,000
- Start no earlier than 1st May 2023 and end before 31st October 2024
- Last between 12 and 18 months
- Carry out all project work in the UK
- Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
To lead a project or work alone, your organisation must be a UK registered SME. Within your application, you must also include a letter of support from at least one of the UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centres or the NICER CE-hub.
More Information
This competition is open from 13th October until 7th December. For more information and to apply, click here. Or, if you would like to discuss an application with one of our innovation funding experts, contact us today.
Innovation Loans Future Economy Competition
There are continued opportunities for UK registered businesses to apply for Innovation Loans from Innovate UK. A share of £25 million is available for innovative, late-stage projects with strong commercial potential.
In the Strategic Delivery Plan 2022-25, Innovate UK confirmed a full national roll-out of the Innovation Loans programme. They have committed £50 million for ten competitions in 2022-23, with an additional £15 million allocated to the DASA Innovation Loans programme.
Eligibility
You can apply for a loan of between £100,000 and £2 million to fund your project’s eligible costs. Projects can last up to 5 years, including both the R&D and commercialisation phases. Loan recipients must also:
- Be a UK-registered SME
- Carry out their project from or in the UK and intend to exploit the project’s results from or in the UK
- Give evidence that their business is suitable to take on a loan
Scope
All projects must lead to new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of current state-of-the-art solutions. They can also involve a new or innovative business model. Projects should focus on one or more of the following themes and sub-themes:
Net Zero
- energy
- impact of industrial processes and use of materials
- agriculture and food and other sources of emissions
- capital intensity
Health and Wellbeing
- tackling ill health
- enhancing wellbeing
- diet and food
Next generation digital technologies
Technology families
- advanced materials and manufacturing
- artificial intelligence
- digital and advanced computing
- bioinformatics and genomics
- engineering biology
- electronics, photonics and quantum technologies
- energy and environment technologies
- robotics and smart machines
Dates
Innovation Loans Round 6 is open for applications until 9th November 2022. The next round will open on the day the previous round closes, with the final round closing on 8th March 2023.
How RedKnight can help
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing Innovate UK funding and can help you develop a competitive application! Please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
If you’re looking for grant funding, you may be more interested in Innovate UK Smart Grants.
£5 million available to scale up manufacturing in the PEMD supply chain
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £5 million to scale up manufacturing in the Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) supply chain. This funding is from Innovate UK’s Driving the Electric Revolution challenge. The competition has two strands:
1. PEMD Scale-up: Strand 1, adopting manufacturing best practice
This strand is for collaborative feasibility projects that will facilitate and de-risk the transfer of knowledge, solutions and technologies from other manufacturing sectors into the UK PEMD community. The aim is to improve manufacturing best practice in these technologies which are critical for net zero. The following elements of the manufacturing supply chain are in scope:
- materials processing
- sub-component and component manufacturing
- sub-system integration and assembly
- final assembly of PEMD specific modules
- remanufacturing
- end of life disassembly and recycling
Eligibility
To apply, your project must have a grant funding request of between £50,000 and £400,000. It must start by 1st May 2023 and last between six and twelve months. You must carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.
2. PEMD Scale-up: Strand 2, manufacturing process development
Innovate UK is also looking to fund innovative process development projects that impact manufacturing cost, capability and efficiency to grow resilient manufacturing PEMD supply chains. Again, projects must be collaborative. The following elements of the manufacturing supply chain are in scope:
- materials processing
- sub-component and component manufacturing
- sub-system integration and assembly
- final assembly of PEMD specific modules
- remanufacturing
- end of life disassembly and recycling
Eligibility
To apply, your project must have a grant funding request of between £50,000 and £800,000. It must start by 1st May 2023 and last between six and eighteen months. You must carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.
More Information
This competition is open from 21st September until 9th December. Further information is available on the competition pages: Strand 1 and Strand 2. If you are looking for bid writing support, please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.
Innovate UK publishes Strategic Delivery Plan 2022-2025
Innovate UK's recently published Strategic Delivery Plan sets out how it will support UK business innovation over the next three years. There are several key highlights for UK grant applicants to be aware of, as summarised below:
New innovation focus areas
Over the next three years, Innovate UK will focus on innovation and commercialisation in the following areas:
- Net Zero - As part of an overall investment of over £1.2 billion in Net Zero, Innovate UK will focus on key challenges and technologies through Catapults, ISCF challenges, and targeted programmes. Key themes include power, mobility, and green finance.
- Healthy Living and Agriculture – Over £600 million will be invested in Healthy Living and Agriculture over the Spending Review period. Significantly, there will be an expansion of the Biomedical Catalyst programme.
- Digital and Technologies – With a £380 million budget, Innovate UK will invest in new programmes in five key areas: Creative Catalyst, Bridge AI, Quantum, Services, and Semiconductors.
Increased range of innovation finance support
Innovate UK will ensure that businesses can access funding at all stages of innovation. They will:
- Continue to provide grant funding for high-potential early-stage innovation ideas on the route to commercialisation through Innovate UK Smart Grants.
- Launch the full national roll-out of the Innovation Loans programme, committing £50 million for 10 competitions in 2022–2023.
- Provide early-stage funding through Fast Start: Innovation grants for small and microbusinesses that have not previously received Innovate UK funding.
- Roll out a scaled-up programme of Investor Partnerships for investment-ready SMEs.
In addition, there will be growth and commercialisation support through Innovate UK EDGE for high-potential scaling businesses.
Supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Innovate UK will also take steps to create a more diverse innovation ecosystem in the next three years. For example, they are planning to:
- Introduce the No Limits Mission in 2022.
- Deliver a new £2.5 million cohort of Women in Innovation awards and a new £2.4 million cohort of Young Innovators awards.
- Launch the Inclusive Innovation Awards to celebrate success and showcase good practice.
- Act to engage and enable disabled innovators to benefit from Innovate UK support.
Levelling up
To support the government’s commitment to level up the UK, Innovate UK will:
- Invest in the Catapult network and Innovate UK KTN to deliver Government priorities across the UK.
- Implement a programme of Launchpad investments across the UK.
- Deliver three new Innovation Accelerator pilots in partnership with BEIS and local leadership.
- Increase funding for global programmes by 2025 to build partnerships with key countries in areas of complementary strengths.
How RedKnight can help
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 Innovate UK application, please contact us to arrange a free consultation.
The Strategic Delivery Plan is available to read here.
£2.5 million available for smart and sustainable plastic packaging projects
UK registered businesses and organisations can apply for a share of £2.5 million for early-stage and mid-stage projects in smart and sustainable plastic packaging. This funding is from the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge - the largest and most ambitious UK government investment to date in sustainable plastics research and innovation.
The SSPP aims to establish the UK as a leading innovator in smart and sustainable plastic packaging for consumer products. Its goals are to drive cleaner growth across the supply chain and deliver a dramatic reduction in plastic waste entering the environment by 2025.
Scope
Funding is available for projects that address widely known problems in relation to plastic packaging for consumer products. To be in scope, projects must aim to:
- help make the plastics packaging supply chain more circular
- deliver the objectives of the UK Plastics Pact, creating a circular economy for plastics, keeping them in the economy and out of the natural environment
- embed life cycle thinking and end of life in packaging design and decisions
Eligibility
All projects must meet the following criteria:
- have a grant funding request between £30,000 and £250,000
- start before 1st April 2023 and end before 31st March 2025
- last up to 24 months
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
Projects can be single or collaborative. To lead a project or work alone, your organisation must be a UK registered business, a research and technology organisation (RTO), or a charity, not for profit or public sector organisation. If the lead organisation is an RTO, it must collaborate with two businesses (at least one SME).
More Information
This competition is open from 12th September until 9th November. You can find more information and apply for SSPP funding via the competition page. If you are looking for bid writing support, please contact us as soon as possible to arrange a free consultation.
Funding available for innovation in professional and financial services
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £7 million for projects that develop new products and services within Professional and Financial Services. The aim of this competition is to advance these sectors by supporting them in the creation and adoption of digital approaches and new digitally supported services. The competition is split into two strands:
- Innovation in Professional and Financial Services – single applicants (SMEs only)
- Innovation in Professional and Financial Services – collaboration
Scope
Your project must focus on one or more of the following areas:
- legal services
- accountancy and audit
- insurance
- open finance innovation
- financial planning and support for consumers and SME’s
- financial regulatory compliance and financial crime prevention (such as fraud and anti money laundering)
- payments and transactions
In your proposal, you should explain how you will help these sectors to 1) deliver better products and services, 2) increase access to these services, and 3) make these services more effective for their customers.
Eligibility
Your project must:
- have a total grant funding request between £50,000 and £200,000 for single applicants
- have a total grant funding request between £50,000 and £500,000 for collaborations
- start before 1st April 2023
- last between 6 and 18 months
- carry out all of its project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
To apply to Strand 1, your organisation must be a UK-registered SME. To lead a collaborative project in Strand 2, your organisation must fulfil the following criteria:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- collaborate with other eligible UK registered organisations
- if you are a large organisation, include at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
More Information
This competition is open from 5th September until 9th November. 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.
Innovate UK funding: what’s available?
Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. It supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions through a range of key funding competitions, including:
Challenge-led competitions
Innovate UK runs regular challenge-led competitions which focus on specific opportunity areas for UK business innovation. Known as the ‘Grand Challenges’, they include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data
- Ageing society
- Clean growth
- Future of mobility
Open competition
As well as challenge-led competitions, Innovate UK runs Smart Grants – an open grant funding competition that accepts applications from any area of technology. Funding is available 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 in each round.
Innovation Loans
Innovation Loans were introduced to ensure businesses can access funding at all stages of innovation, with £150 million on offer over the next 3 years. Businesses can apply for loans of between £100,000 and £2 million for late-stage research and development projects with strong commercial potential.
Small Business Research Initiatives (SBRI)
SBRI competitions provide innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector. The programme is best suited to small and medium-sixed businesses, as the contracts are of relatively small value and operate on short timescales.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
KTPs connect businesses with academic expertise to deliver business-led innovation projects. Each KTP is a three-way partnership between i) a UK-based business or not-for-profit, ii) a knowledge base e.g., a university or college, and iii) a suitably qualified graduate with the capability to lead the innovation project.
International Collaboration
Innovate UK also supports international collaboration. For example, there have been recent opportunities for UK registered businesses to collaborate with organisations from countries such as Canada, Singapore and South Korea.
Innovate UK also funds the UK’s involvement in Eureka Eurostars. Through this competition, UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £2.5m for collaborative research with organisations from participating Eureka Eurostars member countries.
How can RedKnight help?
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing Innovate UK funding and can help you develop a competitive application. Speak to the team today.
Women in Innovation Awards 2022/23
The Women in Innovation Awards 2022/23 will provide up to 50 women entrepreneurs with a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support. The competition aims to fund and support a diverse portfolio of Women in Innovation Award winners who:
- will be relatable role models for women from all backgrounds
- are from regions across the UK
- are solving a range of pressing societal, environmental and economic challenges
Applications can come from any area of innovation and be applied to any part of the economy.
Eligibility
Projects must start on 1st April 2023 and end on 31st March 2024. To be eligible for an award, you must fulfil the following criteria:
- be a woman founder, co-founder or senior decision maker within a UK registered micro or SME business which has been operating for at least 12 months by the competition closing date
- be resident in the UK
- carry out your project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
- be legally and contractually able to use the funding
- attend an online interview panel during the weeks beginning 5 December and 12 December 2022
- attend 2 bootcamps on the week commencing 20 March 2023 and in September 2023
- commit to work as a role model for up to 5 days over the duration of the award
Background
Innovate UK launched Women in Innovation in 2016 to promote greater diversity and inclusion in business innovation. At the time, just 14% of applications to Innovate UK were led by women – despite success rates between male and female applicants being largely equal! Since then, the number of women leading applications for grants to Innovate UK has increased by 71%.
More Information
The Women in Innovation Awards 2022/23 will open on 22nd August and close on 19th October. For more information, visit the competition page and register to attend the online briefing event on 18th August. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Biomedical Catalyst 2022 Round 2: Industry-led R&D
The Biomedical Catalyst will reopen on 15th August. Through this competition, UK registered SMEs can apply for a share of £25 million to develop innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges.
Scope
Projects can focus on any health or healthcare sector or discipline, including digital health. They can include a range of activities, such as:
- experimental evaluation (at laboratory scale)
- use of in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate proof of concept or safety
- exploring potential production mechanisms
- prototyping
- product development planning
- intellectual property protection
- a demonstration of clinical utility and effectiveness
- a demonstration of safety and efficacy (including phase 1 and 2 clinical trials)
- regulatory planning
Applicants must demonstrate existing evidence of commercial and technical feasibility in this stream of the Biomedical Catalyst programme.
Eligibility
All projects must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- have total project costs between £150,000 and £4 million, not exceeding a grant request of £2 million
- have at least 50% of the total project costs shared by the SMEs, if collaborative
- start before 1 May 2023 and end before 30 April 2026
- last between 6 months and 36 months
- carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
To lead a project or work alone, your organisation must be a UK registered SME. You can work in collaboration with other organisations, including businesses of any size, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profits, public sector organisations, or research and technology organisations. They must also be registered in the UK.
More Information
Round 2 of the Biomedical Catalyst is open from 15th August until 12th October. For more information, please visit the competition page or join the online briefing event on 23rd August.
RedKnight has a strong track record of securing funding for life science companies. If you would like to discuss working together, please contact us to arrange a free consultation.
Innovate UK Smart Grants: July 2022
A new round of Innovate UK Smart Grants will open on 28th July. Through this competition, up to £25m is available for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy.
Scope
Applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy. To be in scope, proposals must demonstrate:
- 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
Eligibility
Applications must include at least one SME; they can be the lead or a collaborative grant claiming partner. The project must start by 1st May 2023 and end by 30th April 2026. It should also follow specific rules based on its duration:
- Projects with durations between 6 and 18 months must have total eligible project costs between £100,000 and £500,000. They can be single or collaborative projects.
- Projects with durations between 19 months and 36 months must have total eligible project costs between £100,000 and £2 million. In contrast to shorter projects, they must be collaborative.
More Information
This competition is open from 28th July until 26th October. For more information, please visit the competition page or attend the online briefing event on 4th August.
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.