Sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture: feasibility study

Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), all part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £2 million for this competition. The funding will support research and innovation projects to develop sustainable biomanufacturer based products.

The aim of this competition is to develop the design and delivery of new and disruptive sustainable biomanufacturing by 2050. Enabling the UK to be more globally competitive by supporting feasibility studies with collaborative development across different industries and sectors.

This can be by innovative use and re-use of renewable feedstocks and biotechnology based manufacture processes for sustainable and circular products.

Projects will allow businesses and academic researchers, to work together and develop more sustainable bio-based products, biotechnology processes and innovations.

Your project must:

• have total costs between £50,000 and £100,000
• start by 1 July 2023
• last between 3 and 6 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

In addition to this Feasibility Study Competition, a major collaborative R&D competition will be launched in Spring 2023.

Eligibility

To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• research organisation
• research and technology organisation (RTO)
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation

If the lead organisation is an academic institution, research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not for profit or public sector organisation it must collaborate with at least one business of any size. Applications involving collaborations with academics, research organisations and micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly encouraged to apply.

A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in a further 2 applications. If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications. An academic institution, research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not for profit or public sector organisation can lead or collaborate on any number of applications.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to develop the design and delivery of new and disruptive sustainable biomanufacturing by 2050. Enabling the UK to be more globally competitive by supporting feasibility studies with collaborative development across different industries and sectors.

The need for change is driven by the three strategic imperatives:

• climate change
• supply chain resilience
• the cost of energy

Your proposal must support organisations in biomanufacturing in the future to be:

• net zero and resource efficient
• resilient and responsive
• technologically advanced and digital

Your project must address the challenge of developing innovations in sustainable biomanufacturing processes.

This can be by:

• increasing the use of bio-based feedstocks
• developing alternative bio-based chemical replacements
• enhancing the sustainability profile of biotechnology processes
• innovative use and re-use of renewable feedstocks
• biotechnology based manufacture processes for sustainable and circular products

Specific themes

Your project must focus on one or more of the following themes:

• improving extraction of existing bio-based feedstocks and optimising these processes
• using biological systems for developing alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes including processing and catalysis for sustainability
• the design and development of future advanced bio-products with improved or differentiated properties
• the discovery of novel or optimisation of enzymes to whole organisms for biomanufacturing
• securing value from waste streams
• improving manufacturability and consistency at scale and progressing the development and adoption of biotechnology across multiple manufacturing industries and sectors

An online briefing event was held on 29th November 2022: click here to watch the recording.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Biotechnology or Manufacturing teams.