Ideas for cutting-edge innovations: apply for up to £19 million funding

Information about Innovate UK’s ‘open’ programme for innovative businesses with high-growth potential

Open Sector Competition – Round 4: Application deadline: 28.02.18 at 12:00

Innovate UK has up to £19 million to invest in the best ideas for new innovations in a wide range of technology and business areas. The Innovate UK open programme provides businesses with funding for an innovative idea. It can also help them access knowledge and skills from the UK research base. This will help them become more competitive.

Applications should be for game-changing innovative ideas that will lead to new products, processes or services ahead of the field in any sector of the economy. Projects could fit into one of Innovate UK’s 4 priority areas of emerging and enabling technologies, health and life sciences, infrastructure systems and manufacturing and materials, or be outside them.

Highlights:

• the competition opens on 11 December 2017, and the deadline for applications is 28 February 2018
• projects must be led by a business working alone or with other organisations or researchers
• Innovate UK expect projects to range in size from ¬£25,000 to ¬£1 million depending on the type of research, and to last between 6 months and 36 months
• businesses could attract up to 70% of their total project costs

Applications should be for game-changing innovative ideas that will lead to new products, processes or services ahead of the field in any sector of the economy. They can range from feasibility studies through to experimental development that is closer to commercialisation. Innovative ideas can come from any sector or technology area and at any time. So as well as our sector-focused funding programmes we have a programme open to all innovative businesses. Applications can be from any technology or sector. As with Innovate UK’s sector-based competitions, Innovate UK’s open programme supports innovation at various stages. It helps companies develop projects from proof of concept through to prototype development and demonstration.

The open programme also helps businesses work with the research base. This will improve their ability to innovate and increase their competitiveness, through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. A further £14 million is available to fund Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

So apply now as a UK business for a share of up to £19 million to help them develop products and services of the future.

WEBINAR for more information on December 14th: To take part in a live webinar about this competition please register here