Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity
Are you a small or medium-sized business seeking to develop a new product, process or service? The SMART: SCOTLAND grant can support technically focused feasibility studies to help discover if your idea will work in the real world.
The SMART: SCOTLAND grant is one of the research and development (R&D) grants that aims to support high-risk, highly ambitious projects.
What projects can SMART: SCOTLAND funding support?
- They can support feasibility studies that help to show your idea could work in the real world.
- Your business will need to own any intellectual property (IP) generated from your project.
Funding Information
- They can support up to 70% of the eligible costs for a small enterprise and up to 60% of the eligible costs for a medium enterprise.
- Studies must last between 6 and 18 months, and the maximum grant is £100,000.
- Feasibility is paid with a third of the grant in an upfront instalment and the rest is quarterly in arrears.
Eligibility Criteria
- You may be eligible if:
- You’re a small or medium sized business, university spin-out or an individual
- You’re based, or planning to set up, in Scotland
- Your project represents an advance in technological innovation for the UK industry or sector concerned
- There are technical risks and challenges associated with defining and developing the technology
- You own, or have rights to use, the intellectual property required to undertake the project
- You’ll own all intellectual property developed throughout the project
- You have the necessary management and technical expertise and resources (either in-house or brought-in) to make the project a success
- Both the project and the business are financially viable
- Financial assistance from SMART: Scotland is essential for the project to go ahead
- All companies which are awarded a SMART: SCOTLAND grant will have the opportunity to work with the specialist teams to review their approach to Fair Work. This will include:
- Appropriate channels for effective voice and employee engagement, such as trade union recognition
- Investment in workforce development
- Action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace
- No inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts
- Payment of the Real Living Wage
For more information, visit https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/support-for-businesses/funding-and-grants/business-grants/smart-scotland-grant