Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 9 – Stage 1

Innovate UK part of UK Research and Innovation will invest up to £3 million in small collaborative innovation projects working with our Analysis for Innovators (A4I) partners:

• the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
• the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at Laboratory of the Government Chemist Group (LGC)
• the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL)
• the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC)
• National Gear Metrology Lab (GEARS)
• Newton Gateway to Mathematics
• Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE 2020+)
• Henry Royce Institute (HRI)

The aim of this competition is to match the best UK scientists and cutting-edge facilities with businesses that have complex analysis or measurement problems.

Your proposal must describe a measurement or analysis problem where you are seeking a solution to improve your businesses productivity or competitiveness. You must provide an estimate of the value to your business of solving it.

This is stage 1 of a 2 stage competition. No funding is awarded at this stage. If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to brokerage consultations with relevant analysis for innovators (A4I) partners. These will focus on potential approaches to solving your problem. You will work together to propose joint projects to develop solutions and apply for the stage 2 competition to request funding.

Following assessment, successful stage 2 applications will be grant funded, to work with the relevant A4I partner organisations.

Your application must:

• meet the A4I problem scope requirements
• relate to work being undertaken in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• involve at least one of the A4I partner organisations
• indicate a stage 2 project duration of between 3 and 9 months
• indicate a stage 2 project start date of between 1 July 2023 and 1 October 2023

Confirmation of your stage 2 project duration and start date will be agreed with your A4I partner during brokerage following a successful stage 1 application.

Eligibility

To apply to this stage your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size. A business may make only one application to this competition.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to help businesses address their existing analysis and measurement problems. These are problems that can be best explored by scientists and cutting-edge facilities available in the UK.

You must outline what you consider to be the benefits of solving your problem, such as improved productivity or competitiveness.

We will only consider problems that:

• are related to an existing process, product or service
• are related to the measurement or analysis of some quantities or properties of your process, product or service
• are not effectively solvable by simple ‘off the shelf’ methods or techniques

You must outline any methods and attempts that you have previously tried to address the problem. Do not propose how the problem should be solved.

Analysis problems cannot be simply software related, for example pure data analysis.

As part of your application, you must include a short video, up to 2 minutes long.

You must use Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Video platform to record your video and then provide a link in your application.

If we are unable to view your video, your application will be made ineligible.

Out of scope

We will not consider problems that are:

• not measurement or analysis problems
• ones we consider to be resolvable with easily available methods, such as those that do not require any innovative or cutting-edge science or facilities
• solely computer software analysis problems, such as algorithms to analyse objects
• not related to a company’s existing processes, products or services

Briefing and support

Click here for details of our online briefing event on 8th November, 10am-noon. A recording will be added after the event.

If you need assistance with using the video platform, or if you have queries about the A4I programme, please contact the KTN A4I support team at a4i@iuk.ktn-uk.org.