Submit Applications for Global Challenges Research Fund to foster Innovations tackling Global Societal Challenges

Deadline: 13 November 2019

Applications are now open for the Global Challenges Research Fund to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.

The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK Government in late 2015 to addresses global challenges through disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and innovation, and will strengthen capability for research and innovation within both the UK and developing countries. GCRF forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.

This competition aims to overcome some of those reasons and support new innovations to get to market quicker. As a primary outcome poor and disadvantaged people within developing countries can access and benefit from innovative and affordable products and services developed and deployed from new business partnerships. These include:

Direct benefits gained by consumers from the availability of a new product or service itself;
Benefits from creation of markets, the related infrastructure and value chains attached to those, and job creation within the partner developing country.

Themes

Projects have to meet 1 or 2 of 10 sustainable development goals recognised by the United Nations:

Good health and well-being;
Quality education;
Clean water and sanitation;
Decent work and economic growth;
Sustainable cities and communities;
Responsible consumption and production;
Climate action;
Life below water;
Life on land;
Peace, justice and strong institutions.

They must show understanding of the culture and needs of the relevant country and of the specific challenges and opportunities presented in that country by the innovative technologies.

Phases

This funding is split into 2 phases:

Phase 1 is for feasibility studies:
- The feasibility project can include activities to make sure their idea, and the means to demonstrate it, are technically feasible, and/or;
- Human-centred research and design to make sure their idea meets the needs of customers and users, and their demonstration plans reflect realistic use cases.
Phase 2 is for demonstrators:
- Phase 2 will then support project teams to carry out the demonstration in the developing country. a decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of phase 1, the project must:

Produce a validation of need for, and opportunity of demonstrating their innovation in the developing country;
Have identified all demonstration partners and their roles, other main stakeholders and the business case for the innovation in that country;
Outline the anticipated social and economic impact from their demonstration.

Funding Information

The project’s total eligible costs for phase 1 can be between approximately £85,000 and £120,000 with a maximum grant award of up to £60,000.

Eligibility Criteria

This competition is to secure funding for phase 1 projects only. Only successful phase 1 applicants will be eligible to apply for the phase 2 demonstrators phase funding;
Any UK business claiming funding must be eligible to receive state aid at the time they confirm them will be awarded funding;
The Administrative lead:
- Must be a UK registered business, of any size;
- Will be the recipient of the award and will distribute any funding to international (non-UK) partners;
- Will manage and be accountable for the project’s finances in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award;
- Must claim funding through this competition.
The Technical lead:
- Can be from any country;
- Can be a business, research organisation, public sector organisation, research and technology organisation or not for profit organisation;
- Will lead on the development of the scope, work packages within the project and other work from a technical perspective;
- Must claim funding through this competition.
To collaborate with the lead organisation, applicants must:
- Be a business, research organisation, public sector organisation, or research and technology organisation (RTO);
- Or be a charity and other not for profit organisation;
- Be invited to take part by the administrative lead.