Deadline: 25-Aug-21
Innovate UK has opened applications for Smart Grants Program.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £25 million in the best game-changing and commercially viable innovative or disruptive ideas. All proposals must be business focused.
Applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy, such as, but not exclusively:
Scopes
Your proposal must demonstrate:
- a clear game-changing, innovative, disruptive, and ambitious idea leading to new products, processes or services
- an idea that is significantly ahead of others in the field, set for rapid commercialisation
- a strong and deliverable business plan that addresses (and documents) market potential and needs
- a clear, evidence based plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment (ROI) and growth through commercialisation, as soon as possible after project completion
- a team, business arrangement or working structure with the necessary skills and experience to run and complete the project successfully and on time
- awareness of all the main risks the project will face (including contractor or equipment failure, recruitment delays, etc) with realistic management, mitigation and impact minimisation plans for each risk
- clear, considerable potential to significantly impact either or both, the UK economy and productivity in a positive way
- sound, practical financial plans and timelines that represent good value for money, which will always be a consideration in Innovate UK funding decisions
Specific Themes
- Your project should:
- demonstrate realistic, significant potential for global markets
- take customer and user needs into account to deliver more desirable and useful solutions
- Proposals from innovation-based businesses with significant ambition and potential for growth or scale up are welcome.
Research Categories
They will fund innovative research and development (R&D) projects across a variety of technologies, markets and research categories, including:
- feasibility projects
- industrial research projects
- experimental development projects
Funding Information
- Projects of 6 – 18 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £500,000 and can be single or collaborative.
- Projects of 19 – 36 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £2 million and must be collaborative.
Eligibility Criteria
- Your project must:
- include at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as the lead or a collaborative grant claiming partner
- start by 1 February 2022
- end by 31 January 2025
- follow specific rules dependent on its duration
- If your project’s duration is 6 to 18 months:
- it must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £500,000
- it can be single or collaborative
- If your project’s duration is 19 to 36 months, it must:
- have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £2 million
- be collaborative
Lead organisation
To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO)
- be an SME if you want to work alone
- include at least one SME if you are a large business or RTO and wish to collaborate with other UK registered businesses, research organisations, academic organisations, public sector organisations or charities
- carry out your project work in the UK
- intend to commercially exploit the results from or in the UK
Project team
To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
- carry out its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
For more information, visit https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/937/overview