Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 8

Up to £3 million in collaborative innovation projects will be invested by Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation including partnerships with:

• the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
• the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC group
• the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) and
• 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+)

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.

If you are successful at the first stage, you will be invited to brokerage consultations with relevant analysis for innovators (A4I) partners. These will focus approaches to solving your problem. You will work together to propose joint projects to develop solutions.

Successful stage 2 applications will be grant funded, to work with the relevant partner organisations.

A briefing for this competition was held on 26th July: click here to watch the video recording.

This competition is split into 2 strands. These are:

• Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 8 Mini Projects
• Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 8

For mini projects (open to SMEs only), your proposed project in stage two must:

• have total costs of up to £50,000 – up to 100% can be funded by the grant
• start between 1st March 2023 and 1st June 2023
• end by 31 August 2023
• last up to 3 months

For all other projects (open to UK registered businesses of any size – including SMEs if this strand is more suitable), your proposed project in stage two must:

• have total costs of between £15,000 to £120,000 – up to 60% can be funded by the grant, depending on your business size
• start on or after 1st March 2023
• end by 31 August 2023
• last between 3 and 6 months

For both strands, you must carry out all project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results from or in the UK, and involve at least one of the A4I partner organisations.

Scope (both strands)

The aim of this competition is to help businesses address their existing analysis and measurement problems. These are problems that are 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 the measurement or analysis of some quantities or properties of an existing 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.

If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, or have other queries, please email KTN’s Analysis for Innovators team on A4I@iuk.ktn-uk.org.