Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 10 – Stage 1

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.

Innovate UK will invest up to £3m in small collaborative innovation projects working with our Analysis for Innovators (A4I) partners to solve complex analysis or measurement problems:

• the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
• the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at Laboratory of the Government Chemist Group (LGC)
• the TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory (NEL)
• the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• National Gear Metrology Lab (GEARS)
• Newton Gateway to Mathematics
• Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE 2020+)
• Henry Royce Institute (HRI)

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.

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 6 months
• indicate a stage 2 project start date of between 1 January 2024 and 1 April 2024

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.

The funded stage 2 of this competition will be in two strands:

• grant funding in strand 1 will be awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA)
• grant funding in strand 2 will be match-funded but contributions made by A4I partners will count towards your company’s MFA limit

If you have received over £315,000 of MFA funding in the last two financial years plus this one (combined), you will be ineligible.

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 you need assistance with using the video platform, please contact the KTN A4I support team at a4i@ktn-uk.org

We held a virtual briefing event on Thursday 20th April for an overview of the A4I programme, an insight into the capability of a programme partner, and an update on the eligibility and criteria for Round 10. Click here to view the recording and slides.

Innovate UK KTN will also be holding roadshows as follow:

3 May 2022, 12:00-16:00
A4I Round 10 Stage 1 Roadshow – Swansea University

4 May 2022, 12:00-16:00
A4I Round 10 Stage 1 Roadshow – Daresbury, Warrington

Click here for roadshow details and to book a place.

Innovate UK Analysis for Innovator video platform

We have partnered with Pitchtape, an online platform where you can create and submit a video with the help of templates and recording tools. We are trialling this video platform as part of this competition and may ask for your feedback.

You will need to create an account before you are able to record your video. The platform will guide you through this process and provide step by step instructions to help you create your video.

For all support queries, including assistance with using the video platform, please contact the dedicated Innovate UK KTN A4I support team at a4i@ktn-uk.org.