Innovate UK Competitions

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 19^th September and submit an Innovate UK application before 28^th 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.

by Jonny O'Rourke

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 1^st November 2022 and ending by 30^th 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 11^th July until 26^th 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 12^th and 18th July if you have any questions.

by Jonny O'Rourke

£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 25^th May until 13^th 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.

by Jonny O'Rourke

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 1^st January 2023 and 31^st 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 1^st January 2023 and 31^st 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 17^th August 2022. You can find more information on both strands via the Innovation Funding Service.

by Jonny O'Rourke

£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 1^st April 2023 and end by 31^st 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 18^th May until 10^th August. For more information, visit the competition page or register to attend the online briefing event on 25^th May.

by Jonny O'Rourke

SBRI Rail Demonstrations: First of a Kind 2022

Organisations can apply for a share of £7.6 million to deliver 'First of a Kind' rail demonstrations . This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) funded by the Department for Transport. It is part of a larger initiative to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector and enable technologies to be readily integrated into the railway system.

First of a Kind 2022 has three themes:

1. Low emissions and a greener railway

Projects must address reduced carbon emissions and the impact of the railway on the environment. Up to £60,000 is available per phase 1 project. In phase 2, three successful phase 1 applicants will receive up to £740,000 to develop a prototype and undertake field testing.

2. Rail freight

Projects must focus on one of the specific themes listed on the competition page. A total of £2.4m is available for Theme 2 projects. Contracts will be up to £400,000 for projects lasting no longer than 12 months.

3. Cost efficiency and performance priorities for a reliable railway

Projects must focus on one of the priorities listed on the competition page. A total of £2.5m is available for Theme 3 projects. Contracts will be between £150,000 and £250,000 for projects lasting no longer than six months.

Eligibility

Applicants are welcome from all sectors. The lead applicant must be an organisation of any size, and they can work alone or with other organisations as subcontractors. Projects must involve each of the following:

An owner of railway assets
An experienced railway organisation
A rail organisation that has the potential to become a customer

They must also include a potential integration partner and have a letter of support from a potential railway customer organisation.

More Information

First of a Kind 2022 is open for applications from 20^th April until 8^th June. For more information, register to attend the competition briefing event taking place in Birmingham on 5^th May. The event will also be available to watch online.

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.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Innovate UK Smart Grants: April 2022

Child with jet pack reaching for the sky - Smart Grants innovation concept A new round of Smart Grants is open for applications! Up to £25m is available for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy.

Innovate UK has changed some of the application questions for this round of Smart Grants. You can read the updated application form here.

Scope

Applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy. All ideas must be genuinely new and novel, not just disruptive within their sector. To be in scope, your proposal 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

Your application must include at least one SME; they can be the lead or a collaborative grant claiming partner. The project must start no later than 1st January 2023 and end no later than 31st December 2025. Your project must 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.

This competition is open from 25th April until 27th July. For more information, please visit the competition page or attend the online briefing event on 3rd May 2022. If you need help putting together a competitive proposal, please contact us today.

You may also be interested in our Innovate UK application guide – subscribe to RedKnight’s monthly newsletter today to receive a free copy direct to your inbox!

by Jonny O'Rourke

Funding available from the Farming Innovation Programme

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched two new competitions under the Farming Innovation Programme. Funding will help England’s farmers and growers to become more productive, environmentally sustainable, and more resilient to the global food security challenges of the future.

1. Farming Innovation Programme - Large R&D Partnership Projects

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £8m for collaborative projects that address major on-farm or immediate post-farmgate challenges or opportunities. Solutions must significantly improve productivity, sustainability and environmental impact, progression towards net zero emissions, and resilience.

The lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size. In addition, projects must:

have total costs between £3m and £5m
be collaborative, involving at least one SME and one research organisation
last up to 48 months, starting by 1^st February 2023 and ending by 31^st January 2027
carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in England
have a minimum of 50% of any grant requested by farmers, growers or foresters allocated to farmers, growers or foresters based in England

Apply before 11am on Wednesday 29^th June.

2. Farming Futures R&D Fund: Climate smart farming – EoI

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £12.5m to develop ambitious new solutions for reducing emissions and adapting to a changing climate. Solutions should significantly improve productivity, sustainability and environmental impact, progression towards net zero emissions, and resilience.

The lead organisation must be a UK-registered business of any size, academic institution or research and technology organisation. Projects must also:

have total eligible costs between £3 million and £6 million
be collaborative
address the specific requirements of the Defra key priorities for reducing emissions and adapting to a changing climate
last between 24 and 48 months, starting by 1st April 2023 and ending by 31st March 2027
carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in England
have a minimum of 50% of any grant awarded to farmers, growers or foresters allocated to farmers, growers or foresters based in England

Expressions of interest must be submitted before 18^th May. Successful applicants at this stage will be invited to apply for funding at stage 2 of the competition.

Planning to apply? 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.

by Jonny O'Rourke

£4 million available for UK and Canadian net zero transportation projects

UK registered businesses and Canadian SMEs can apply for a share of £4 million to collaborate on joint R&D projects that enable the transition to net zero transportation. They must demonstrate high potential for commercialisation, address a technological challenge and target large global markets.

Scope

All projects must focus on innovations that enable the transition to net zero for the automotive, rail, or maritime sectors. They must focus on at least one of the following themes:

Low and zero emission propulsion
Advanced sustainable materials and manufacturing
Highly disruptive technologies
Assistive technologies and control systems

Funding is available for industrial research projects and experimental development projects.

Eligibility

The lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size or a Canadian registered SME. However, all consortia must include at least one grant claiming UK registered SME and one eligible Canadian registered SME.

In addition, all projects must:

Have a grant funding request of no more than £300,000 allocated to UK organisations
Have a grant funding request of no more than CA$500,000 allocated to each eligible Canadian SME
Start by 1^st January 2023 and end by 31^st December 2024
Last between 12 and 24 months

You can read the full eligibility criteria here.

More Information

This competition opens on 4^th April and closes at 5pm UK time on 29^th June 2022. Canadian applicants must register and submit an Expression of Interest before submitting an application.

For more information, please visit the competition page or attend the online briefing event on 7^th April. You might also be interested in the matchmaking event taking place on 25^th April.

How can RedKnight help?

RedKnight has extensive experience of developing bids for transnational innovation projects. To find out more about how we can help, please contact us in order to arrange a free consultation.

by Jonny O'Rourke

Biomedical Catalyst 2022 Round 1: Industry-led R&D

The Biomedical Catalyst will return later this month! In Round 1, UK registered SMEs can apply for a share of £15 million to develop innovative health or healthcare-focused products, technologies and processes.

Scope

Projects can focus on any health or healthcare challenge. 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

As this is the Industry-led R&D stream of the Biomedical Catalyst programme, applicants must also demonstrate existing evidence of commercial and technical feasibility.

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 December 2022 and end before 30 November 2025
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 1 of the Biomedical Catalyst is open from 28^th March until 25^th May. For more information, please visit the competition page or join the online briefing event on 5th April.

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.

by Jonny O'Rourke

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