Funding Competition: Launchpad – Net Zero Collaborative Research & Development (UK)

Deadline: 4-Nov-22

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £6 million for projects that grow activities in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley. This collaborative research and development (CR&D) funding is from Innovate UK.

This will support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses who are active or growing their work activities, in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley.

Specific Themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
- Hydrogen.
- Carbon capture and storage.
- Offshore engineering.
- Battery materials.
- The circular economy.
Projects can also consider key enabling themes:
- Digital technologies.
- The regulatory framework.
- Skills requirements.
- Collaboration building.
- Innovative business models.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects by businesses active, or growing their work activities, in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley.
Your project must be innovating within the specific net zero themes for this competition.
Your project must commercialise knowledge through innovation activities, and lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and generating economic impact in the net zero cluster centred on Tees Valley.
They also want you to consider how your team and project will contribute to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity of the innovation cluster.

Funding Information

Your project’s total grant funding request must be between £150,000 and £1 million.

Eligibility Criteria

Your project must:
- have a total grant funding request between £150,000 and £1 million
- start by 1 December 2022
- end by 30 November 2024
- last between 6 and 24 months
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian source.
Lead organisation
- To lead a project your organisation must:
  - be a UK registered business of any size,
  - be active, or growing your work activities, in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley
  - be or involve at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Project team
- To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:
  - business of any size
  - academic institution
  - charity
  - not for profit
  - public sector organisation
  - research and technology organisation (RTO)
The contribution of project partners must add to the economic growth of the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley.
Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once accepted, partners will be asked to login or to create an account and enter their own project costs into the Innovation Funding Service.

Projects they will not fund

They are not funding projects:
- That do not align with the net zero theme described in the scope.
- Where the work location does not add to the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley.
- That are dependent on export performance, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country.
- That are dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.

For more information, visit https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1212/overview/72dbe5e5-0e57-4bd0-95e3-b9bd2dd9032a