Resource-efficiency or bio-based materials and manufacturing - feasibility studies 2
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £1 million for innovative feasibility studies in advanced low carbon manufacturing.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), to invest up to £1 million in innovative feasibility projects.
The UK has clear potential to become a world class destination of choice for advanced low carbon manufacturing. The three strategic imperatives for this vision are that UK materials and manufacturing will be:
- net zero and resource efficient
- resilient and responsive
- technologically advanced and digital
The aim of this competition is that UK materials and manufacturing will be net zero and resource efficient. We encourage simultaneous demonstrations on how the sectors will be more resilient or technologically advanced. The Innovate UK materials and manufacturing vision 2050 and the BBSRC strategic delivery plan provide background for the three strategic imperatives.
Your project must relate to one or both of the following themes:
We want to fund a variety of projects across both themes.
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To lead a project, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:
- business of any size
- academic institution
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
- charity
- not for profit
- public sector organisation
The lead organisation must collaborate with other UK registered organisations and must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
An eligible organisation can lead on one application only but can be included as a collaborator in a further 2 applications.
If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.
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Your project must:
- have total costs of between £50,000 and £100,000
- 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
- start by 1 October 2024
- end by 31 March 2025
Your project must relate to one or both of the following themes:
- resource efficient materials and manufacturing
- sustainable bio-based materials and biomanufacturing
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The aim of this competition is to realise the three strategic imperatives for UK materials and manufacturing, which are:
- net zero and resource efficient
- resilient and responsive
- technologically advanced and digital
Your project must relate to one or both of the following themes:
Theme 1: Resource efficient materials and manufacturing
You must aim for a significant improvement of resource efficiency in UK materials and manufacturing.
Your project must focus on two or more of these five areas:
- Materials for the future economy: functional materials, material applications for cutting-edge products that reduce emissions, energy consumption and costs
- Smart design: effective design methods, design for resource efficiency, and design for maximum through-life value
- Resilient supply chains: complete supply chain visibility, sustainable feedstocks, and co-location of waste and emission streams
- World class production: flexible production capacity, minimal material use, high quality products, high productivity, and full adaptivity
- Longer in use and reuse: minimal material waste, practicing complete traceability, and new remanufacturing services
Theme 2: Sustainable bio-based materials and biomanufacturing
You must aim to improve the sustainability profile of bio-based materials and biomanufacturing. Which can be achieved by increasing the use or re-use of bio-based feedstocks, chemical replacements, and circular products.
Your project must focus on one or more of these five areas:
- Materials for the future economy: improving extraction of existing bio-based feedstocks using biological systems, or developing alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes, including bio-catalysis and microbiomes for sustainable biomanufacturing
- Smart design: utilising biotechnology for the design and development of advanced bio-products, such as chemicals, materials, and engineered biofilms with improved properties
- Resilient supply chains: discovering and optimizing enzymes and organisms for biomanufacturing or using biotechnology to secure value from waste streams
- World class production: improving manufacturability and consistency at scale, or progressing the development and adoption of biotechnology across multiple manufacturing industries and sectors
- Longer in use and reuse: enhancing the sustainability of products through the application of biotechnology
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Innovate UK Business Connect held an online briefing on 26 March: Watch the recording.
If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, please contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Materials team.
Related Events and Recordings
Related programmes
Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM)
The programme aims for the UK to be a leader in resource efficiency with organisations understanding the environmental, social and economic impact of the full lifecycle and thriving from adoption of resource efficient solutions which are fundamental to UK and global Net Zero ambitions.
Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)
The sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture (SusBioMM) programme seeks to address the challenge of developing innovations in sustainable and scalable biomanufacturing processes.