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Data Analytics

Innovation Voucher Application Form

A Data Analytics Innovation Voucher (DAIV) gives you up to £2,000 (excl. VAT) to work with experts within the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (BLG DRC) at the University of East Anglia, Essex, Kent or LSE. The scheme can be used to access consultancy from our world class researchers to review your data and improve your analytics and/or training for your staff.

Innovation Vouchers provide a funded way to undertake a feasibility study or scope a new development and are the perfect way for companies to collaborate with the University for the first time.

Eligibility

  • You must be part of a local authority or a micro, small or medium-sized business, charity, or not-for-profit organisation located in the UK.
  • For the purposes of this application, the criteria for small or medium-sized businesses include:
  • less than 250 employees
  • turnover under £25.9 million
  • other enterprises do not hold 25% or more of the capital or voting rights
  • You may be unaware of the type of data we can help with- you do not need to have any specific data already collated or stored.
  • You may apply for up to two vouchers a year, up to a maximum of three years.
  • Preference will be given to organisations that have not worked with the Centre before.

By signing this application, you are agreeing to the information included above and in the terms of reference below. Please speak to us before signing if there is anything which needs further clarification.

YOUR DETAILS
Contact name
Role / Job Title
Email address
Landline Telephone
Mobile Telephone
Address
Postcode
Website/Twitter/
ORGANISATIONAL DETAILS
Organisation/Company name
Type of Organisation – Local Gov/ SME/ NFP
Limited Company / Company/ Charity number:
Sole Trader / Individual
VAT Registered / VAT number if registered:
Number of employees
SIC Code
Please describe your business, including the revenue generating activities
Address of Head Office
(if different to above address)
Are you part of a group? If yes please provide details.
Total number of employees in group
Turnover for the last financial year. If a pre-start up, please provide a forward plan for the upcoming financial year.
Do you or any other partner, member or director of your business have any interests in or control over any other business?
Have the company worked with the BLG DRC before? /  YES
 NO
PROJECT DETAILS
Project Title
(Max 10 words)
Objectives
Description of Work
(use separate page if necessary)
Deliverables and Timescales
(The BLG DRC working with the University will provide costings) / Deliverable / Number of Days / Cost
Expected cost (excluding VAT) / £
Proposed Start Date
How will this help your business to grow or what new opportunities will this work allow?
Describe risk or assumptions for delivery and implementation of outcomes
What further work are you intending with The Data Research Centre or partner universities?
Signature
Name
Job Title

Following the successful completion of the project, you may be asked to give permission for the Centre to work with you to write a brief case study and use this in future marketing.

Terms of Reference

Data Analytics Innovation Vouchers (DAIV)

Eligibility Criteria

External criteria

  • You must be part of a local authority or a micro, small or medium-sized business, charity, or not-for-profit organisation located in the UK.
  • For the purposes of this application, the criteria for small or medium-sized businesses include:
  • less than 250 employees
  • turnover under £25.9 million
  • other enterprises do not hold 25% or more of the capital or voting rights
  • The idea that you want help with should be a challenge for your organisation that needs innovative data analytics expertise;
  • You may be unaware of the type of data we can help with- you do not need to have any specific data already collated or stored.
  • Preference will be given to organisations who are looking to work with the BLG DRC or University of Essex, Kent or UEA for the first time
  • Your idea may help your organisation to grow and you need to have the capacity to grow – i.e. your organisation needs to be capable of ‘hosting’ an additional person for the duration of the project
  • Your organisation may apply for a maximum of six DAIVs over a three year period
  • Following the successful completion of the project, you may be asked to give permission for the Centre to work with you to write a brief case study which may be used in future marketing materials.

What is not eligible

DAIVs cannot be used to buy equipment, off-the shelf software, marketing or branding items. They also cannot be used to procure standard business advice.

They may not be used to purchase capital items (including software) even if these support the aims and objectives of the project.

How the process works

The Data Analytics Innovation Voucher (DAIV) will allow you to work collaboratively with external experts as well as helping you to move forward with a particular idea. The DAIV can also be used to help you think through an idea that might lead you to apply for other types of support, such as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

  • The application process will be through our Centre (The BLG DRC)
  • You can apply anytime, but the work must take place within six months of the award of the vouchers
  • Once received, the DAIV application will be reviewed by our DAIV panel. Once you pass our eligibility checks, we will work with you to identify the university and researcher most suitable to work with.
  • You may apply for two vouchers per annum, for up to a maximum of three years. You can use the vouchers to work on one specific project, or on different projects. If the cost of a project cannot be covered by a DAIV you may spend more with us if you wish to do so.
  • Please note: the DAIVs have a notional monetary value attached to them only. so if the full £2000 is not needed to cover the costs of the project applied for, the difference cannot be “cashed in.” E.g. if the researcher time is given a value of £1850, the DAIV holder cannot claim a £150 payment from us for the difference.
  • It may be possible to apply to other Innovation Voucher schemes operated on a local or regional basis (for example, Innovate UK formerly Technology Strategy Board).
  • The researcher allocated to work on your project will discuss the project with you in detail and work through it with you. However, please note that there is no warranty or guarantee with the service provided, and so if you are not happy with the advice or service offered by the Centre we cannot be held liable, and cannot ‘refund’ the funds provided by the DAIVs.
  • On receipt of the DAIV we will provide you with a word template to complete a short report of the work undertaken. Please note that details about the project may be added to our website, unless agreed otherwise by both parties (a request to withhold any project information from the website must be made in writing).

How we assess applications

Applications are assessed on the scope of the project and the project fit with the Centre research themes.

Proposals will be assessed by the DAIV panel within 15 working days. At least two members of the panel need to assess the application if others are unavailable.

- Vania Sena, Director – Chair

- Most relevant lead partner (depending which university the project is most suited to)

- Alexandra Beaumont – Outreach and Engagement

- Research Enterprise Office

- Tom Howard – Project Manager

Criteria for assessment

The project

- Likely value for the organisation from expertise

- Alignment with academic expertise and ability to deliver

- Budget and timescales: need to be within the constraints of the available funding

Intended outcomes

- Potential for the project to lead onto a larger scale paid/ grant funded project: is the project a starting point for a larger piece of work?

- Potential for the SME to engage in a larger project: assessed by turnover and growth potential

OR

- Value added by the project to develop the relationship (e.g. providing feasibility data for a larger funding application or engaging researchers in consultancy who have not previously been involved)

Additional points to note:

  • For business consultancy requirements, we forward the lead to the University of Essex Research and Enterprise Office (REO) to follow up (or where Kent or Norfolk led, business schools of University of Kent or UEA)
  • We will develop a point ranking system to rate and identify the most appropriate organisations to work with
  • Researcher expenses can be covered by a DAIV

University of Essex Innovation Voucher scheme

Once we have confirmed our service, the University of Essex Research and Enterprise Office are happy to add details to the above website as an additional IV scheme the University offers.

A Beaumont| 06.06.2017

Exploring Data. Enhancing Knowledge. Empowering Society

ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ

E. W.