Edition: March 2016

Innovate UK focuses on thematic areas that are most likely to generate UK economic growth and which address global challenges and opportunities – and on competencies and technologies which enable innovation in these areas.

In making investments they apply four key criteria:

  • Is there a large (global) market opportunity?
  • Does the UK have the capability to develop and exploit the technology?
  • Is the idea ‘ready' – is the timing right?
  • Can Innovate UK make a difference?

Most of these calls are costed on a total project basis, with the funder then meeting a percentage of that cost. The percentage will depend on a number of factors including the length of the project, the total project cost and the size of the company.

Calls are announced on a regular basis and this document is updated monthly. If you have an idea or a challenge that meets the criteria for funding and where you think the University can help, come and talk to us. You can contact the Business Team at:

Further detail for all of the following calls can be found at

Agriculture & food
Through innovation we can raise productivity and reduce environmental impact
/ Satellites to improve agri-food systems
Award up to £3.75m
Scope
  • Collaborative R&D / technical feasibility studies to stimulate innovation to improve the productivity of agri-food systems using satellite technology
  • Projects must be led by a business and be collaborative. Consortia may be led by any sized company, though SMEs are particularly encouraged
Funding and deadlines
  • Collaborative R&D projects are expected in the region of up to £1m in cost, while feasibility studies will be between £45k and £200k
  • Registration deadline is 17th February 2016
  • Competition deadline is 24th February 2016

Built environment
Tough carbon emissions targets will require a revolution in build, design and operation
/ N/A
Digital economy
The internet and mobile communications are transforming business across the economy
/ *NEW* Future retail
Award up to £35k per business
Scope
  • Innovate UK is offering up to 5 businesses a £35k (ex VAT) grant to encourage innovation around ‘future retail’
  • Topics include:
  • Food waste reduction
  • Virtual fitting
  • Seamless shopping
  • Enhancing in-store and market experiences
  • Solutions should have the potential to appeal to a wide market, and successful applicants will be expected to trial their solution with their industrial partners for at least 3 months
Funding and deadlines
  • Up to £35k (ex VAT) available for each business
  • Competition deadline is 23rd February 2016

Emerging technologies and industries
Supporting new technologies that may become the industries of tomorrow
/ *FORTHCOMING* 5G applications and services
Award up to £m
Scope
  • Funding for collaborative R&D to stimulate innovative 5G use cases
  • Proposals should develop innovative applications and services that leverage the future 5G infrastructure. Services are defined as an application delivered as a service by a communications service provider
Funding and deadlines
  • Total project costs expected in the range of £150k to £220k
  • Note that the opening date for this call is to be confirmed by Innovate UK
* * *
*FORTHCOMING* Technology-inspired innovation
Award up to £2m
Scope
  • NB: The details provided for this scheme are provisional only, and are subject to change following the announcements of the Spending Review
  • Aim of the competition is to ensure that small and micro businesses in the UK are equipped to respond to market opportunities across a range of sectors
  • Proposals are sought that kick-start the delivery of genuinely new products and services
Funding and deadlines
  • Projects will be expected to last a maximum of 4 months, costing up to £33k. Innovate UK will fund up to 70% of eligible costs
  • Note that the opening date for this call is to be confirmed by Innovate UK
* * *
*FORTHCOMING* North Wales photonics Launchpad
Award up to £500k
Scope
  • Funding for innovative R&D projects in photonics, electro-optics and opto-electronics
  • Innovate UK and the Welsh Government are looking for the majority of project activities to be carried out in North Wales, but companies / institutions from outside the region can apply
  • Successful applicants will have demonstrated a programme of business support and growth that will run in parallel with the project, aiding the project on route to commercialisation
Funding and deadlines
  • Competition opens on 22nd February 2016
  • Total project costs are expected in the range of £50k to £90k
  • Projects can last up to 12 months
  • A briefing event is scheduled for 11th February 2016; see website for details
  • Competition deadline: 6th April 2016
* * *
*NEW* Synthetic biology for novel materials
Award up to £750k for Phase 1
Scope
  • Funding from the Ministry of Defence’s CDE (Centre for Defence Enterprise) to produce novel materials capable of addressing defence challenges
  • Particularly interested in the following areas:
  • Protective applications
  • Self-healing materials
  • Enhanced resistance to corrosion
  • Novel adhesives
Funding and deadlines
  • A CDE briefing event will be held on 10th February; see website for details
  • Competition deadline: 14th April 2016

Enabling technologies
Enabling technologies underpin innovation across many different markets
/ India-UK collaborative industrial research and development competition: Clean-tech, affordable healthcare and ICT
Award up to £3.4m
Scope
  • Collaborative R&D funding for new commercial solutions to socio-economic problems in clean-tech, healthcare and ICT
  • Projects must be collaborative, with both UK and Indian participants
Funding and deadlines
  • Total UK project costs of £350k to £450k are expected, with Innovate UK meeting between 50 and 70% of eligible costs according to the size of companies involved
  • Registration deadline is 13th April 2016
  • Competition deadline is 20th April 2016
* * *
*NEW* APC5: Driving UK productivity through low carbon propulsion innovation
Award up to £20m per project
Scope
  • Collaborative R&D funding to support the development of low carbon, low emission automotive propulsion technologies
  • Projects should be collaborative and led by a business. Groups must include a vehicle manufacturer or tier 1 supplier, along with an SME partner
Funding and deadlines
  • Total project costs are expected in the region of £5m and £40m
  • Projects may last between 18 and 42 months
  • Registration deadline: 23rd March 2016
  • Competition deadline: 30th March 2016

Energy
How the challenges of secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply bring opportunity
/ *FORTHCOMING* Energy game changer
Award up to £1.5m
Scope
  • Technical feasibility funding to encourage new entrants in the energy sector and stimulate the adoption of disruptive technologies
  • Projects must be led by an SME whose main business lies outside the energy sector
Funding and deadlines
  • Competition opens 28th March 2016
  • A briefing event will be hosted on 6th April 2016; see website for details
  • Total project costs are expected in the range of £25k to £100k, of which Innovate UK will fund up to 70% of eligible costs
  • Projects should last between 6 and 12 months
  • Registration deadline is 4th May 2016
  • Competition deadline is 11th May 2016

Health & care
Healthcare providers face great challenges from ageing populations and from disease
/ *NEW* Detection and treatment of hearing loss and tinnitus
Award up to £500k
Scope
  • Funding from the Ministry of Defence’s CDE (Centre for Defence Enterprise) to address hearing loss and tinnitus caused by harmful levels of noise at work
  • 2 challenges are to be addressed:
  • To monitor and diagnose
  • To treat and restore
Funding and deadlines
  • A briefing event will be held on 9th February; see website for details
  • A webinar will follow on 7th March
  • Competition deadline: 21st April 2016

High-value manufacturing
Innovation in manufacturing is vital to enable the advance of other sectors and technologies
/ *NEW* Surface engineering and coating technologies for high-value manufacturing
Award up to £2m
Scope
  • Funding for technical feasibility studies to stimulate innovative new concepts and applications in surface engineering and coatings
  • Possible areas to innovate in include:
  • Process informatics
  • Improved characterisation
  • Techniques
  • Projects must be led by a business
Funding and deadlines
  • Total project costs are expected in the region of £50k to £150k
  • Projects should last between 6 and 12 months
  • Registration deadline is 9th March 2016
  • Competition deadline is 16th March 2016

Resource efficiency
How can we use the Earth’s resources without deeply compromising ecosystems?
/ N/A
Space applications
Supporting innovative developments using satellite data and space-based satellite systems
/ N/A
Transport
A step change is needed to develop sustainable and efficient transport systems
/ Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Strategic Research and Technology Projects
Award n/a
Scope
  • Innovate UK acts as the delivery partner for ATI R&D programmes
  • Innovate UK and ATI are looking for ideas about the broader opportunities that might be offered by the programme, as well as to support long-term planning
Funding and deadlines
  • The programme is open to suggestions through to 31st March 2020

Urban living
Cities need a strong economy and reduced environmental footprint
/ China-UK research and innovation bridges competition
Award up to £16m
Scope
  • Funding for collaborative R&D that proposes new commercial solutions to critical socio-economic challenges faced by China
  • Interested in solutions related to energy, healthcare, urbanisation and agri-food
  • Projects must be collaborative, involving a UK and Chinese team
Funding and deadlines
  • Total UK project costs expected in the range of £800k to £1m, with Innovate UK meeting between 50 and 70% of the eligible costs depending on size of the companies involved
  • Registration deadline is 23rd March 2016
  • Competition deadline is 30th March 2016
* * *
*NEW* Schools financial health
Award up to £200k
Scope
  • Department for Education sponsored call, to find innovative and practical new ways to engage and enable schools to become more financially efficient
  • Call seeks to address challenges associated with increases to pupil numbers
Funding and deadlines
  • Two development contracts will be issued, worth up to £100k each
  • A briefing event will be held in February 2016; see website for details once they are announced
  • Registration deadline: 24th February 2016
  • Competition deadline: 3rd March 2016

Other areas
Includes creative industries, design, personal security, global challenges, financial services and programme development
/ Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Funding available throughout the year
Scope
  • They offer businesses the opportunity to work in partnership with a University to obtain knowledge and expertise and to address their business challenges and embed sustainable innovation. The knowledge sought is embedded into the company through a project undertaken by a recently qualified graduate or post-doc (known as the KTP associate) recruited specifically to work on that project.
Funding and deadlines
  • The Government part funds the KTP. SMEs contribute 33% and larger companies contribute 50%.
  • Deadlines run every two months. The next two are
  • 2nd March 2016
  • 11th May 2016
  • Be sure to follow @UniBham_KTP on Twitter for regular updates on UoB KTPs

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Questions? Contact the Business Team at , Tel: 0121 414 5070