Funding the Future: Innovation and Sustainability

NATEP helping SMEs innovate in aerospace

Working in partnership with the Aerospace Technology Institute and the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy, Innovate UK is offering businesses the opportunity to bid for a share of £2.5m to develop innovative aerospace technologies. Projects costs can range from £150,000 to £300,000 and must focus on enhancing capability and increasing the ability to win new business in the civil aerospace sector. Applications must show clear benefit technically and businesses must demonstrate an improvement in productivity and competitiveness.

The fund is open until 12^th January, and more information can be found here.

Made Smarter Innovation: Sustainable Smart Factory

Innovate UK are looking to invest up to £20m in the development of digital innovations to improve the sustainability of manufacturing processes. Projects must develop and deliver sustainable solutions through the use of digital technology with a production facility, resulting in either reduced material or energy consumption. Split into two strands, applications can be submitted for one of the following areas:

1. Strand 1 – digital innovation with manufacturing data

2. Strand 2 – digital innovation in manufacturing processes

Total project costs must be between £1m and £8m, with grant limits applied to both strands. Applications can be submitted until 11am on the 26^th January, and more information can be found here.

Innovate UK Smart Grants: October 2021

The Smart Grant is Innovate UK’s funding programme which is open to game-changing and commercially viable innovative or disruptive ideas, with a clear business focus. Applications are welcomed from any are of technology and do not have to align with the UK’s grand challenge areas. Projects must be business led and costs can range from up to £500,000 6 to 18-month projects, to up to £2m for 19 to 36-month long projects. Project collaborators can include businesses, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations, and research and technology organisations. All work must be carried out in the UK.

Applications can be submitted until 12^th January and more information can be found here.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs): round 5

Business and academic institutions can apply for funding to utilise the new skills and latest academic thinking to deliver a strategic innovation project. Working in partnership with the University, the business will be able to utilise 1 or 2 graduates (known as associates) to work on the project. Applications must be submitted by a knowledge base, i.e. a University, and must include a business partner. Costs are considered on a case-by-case basis, but typically projects cost around £75,000 per year. Innovate UK has allocated up to £8m for this call, and SMEs can receive up to 67% of eligible project costs as grant funding.

Applications can be submitted until the 2^nd February and more information can be found here.

If you’d like more information on funding or support sourcing partners for collaboration, reach out to your Innovation Advisor today.