Foundation Industries and Supply Chains Innovation Exchange

We are looking for Challenge Holders that are seeking new technologies and solution providers to help overcome a technical innovation challenge. The technical challenges should lead to the development and adoption of more sustainable materials and/or products. This could include for example:

• Improving resource efficiency e.g. valorisation of waste
• Improving energy efficiency e.g. optimising production processes
• Alternative materials with lower carbon footprint or other environmental impacts

We are looking for specific challenges that will have the greatest potential impact for sustainability and realising economic opportunity for the UK materials and manufacturing industry. The challenge should be related to your business needs but ideally will have benefits to wider industry.

Challenge Holders should be willing to work with new technologies and solution providers from other sectors, to solve their challenge.

This scheme is being managed by Innovate UK Business Connect. Please fill in this form to submit your application. Applications will then be assessed, and successful applicants will enter a process to further define their challenge.

For this opportunity, we are looking for challenges from revenue generating businesses. Organisations that are pre-revenue are not eligible.

This is not for organisations that are trying to solve an existing challenge primarily through their own organisation. For example, if you are developing a solution to your proposed challenge and looking to commercialise that solution, this is not the right opportunity for you.

If you have a technology that requires an end user to test/trial and aid product development, what you are suggesting is technology push rather than a technology/solution pull by a challenge holder and doesn’t require the solution provider to innovate and provide a solution for the challenge holder – this would not be eligible.

If you already know who you want to work with and/or the preferred solution, this would not be eligible, as iX is a cross-sector programme supporting innovation transfer by matching industry challenges to innovative companies from other sectors. Therefore it is not suitable for those who already know their preferred solution provider.

1. If selected as a potential Challenge Holder, we will work with you to define and scope the challenge. At this stage, we may conclude that the Innovation Exchange approach is not appropriate for your challenge and provide a different type of support. [2-3 hours of your time]
2. Once the challenge is defined, we will host it on our iX (Innovation Exchange) platform and promote it through our relevant networks to invite innovators to submit solutions.
3. We will review the solution submissions and rank them.
4. We will then provide this information to you as the Challenge Holder and you will select who will be invited to an online (or in-person) pitch event. [Approx. 1 day of your time]
5. Working with us, you will choose one of the Solution Providers from the pitch event to continue.
6. With the chosen Solution Provider, you would scope a project (maximum 3 months) to develop the concept the Solution Provider submitted. [2-3 hours of your time]
7. The Solution Provider will submit this project, including a project plan and finances to Innovate UK to receive £25,000 grant funding. The funding can cover up to 100% of eligible project costs.

To find out more, register for the online briefing session on 4^th July 12 noon.

To support the iX process (challenge definition and sign-off, solution provider application review, pitch-day and solution provider selection), applicants need to confirm that they have general availability between the 6^th August to the 22^nd October and can meet online on the crucial dates below:

• EOI Application deadline: 15th July 17:00
• Notification of successful Challenge application: 6th August
• Challenge definition workshop: Online 2hr workshop between 7^th – 15^th August
• Challenge review and sign-off (via email): 14-15^th August
• Solution provider selection by the challenge holder (3rd Oct – 9th Oct)
• Pitch Day: 13th – 17th October (all day, online or in-person)
• Confirm selected solution provider: 22nd October
• Project Length: 3 months and/or anticipated project completion by 31st March 2026

Could I, as a Challenge Owner, receive £25,000 if successful in this opportunity?
No, the £25,000 will go to the selected solution provider(s) only.

What is a Challenge Holder?
An organisation that has a problem that they need to solve using external expertise and could benefit from a bespoke solution, from either within their sector, or outside of it. In this programme, Challenge Holders will not receive the funding.

What is a Solution Provider?
An organisation that can meet the requirements of the challenge with a solution that could be applied in a given timeframe. It could be ready to deploy, or it could need some co-development with the challenge holder.  If selected, the solution provider will receive £25,000 towards demonstrating the solution with the challenge holder.

As a challenge holder, what do you need from me if I’m successful in this opportunity?
If you will be one of the selected Challenge Holders, we will go through the IX process with you to firstly define the challenge based on the information you provided in the EOI. The full process is outlined in the IX process section above.

If I have a technology that requires an end user to test/trial and aid product development, can I be a challenge holder? And can this be an IX challenge?
No – what you are suggesting is technology push rather than a technology/solution pull by a challenge holder and doesn’t require the solution provider to innovate and provide a solution for the challenge holder

What if I know who I want to work with and/or the preferred solution?
iX is a cross-sector programme supporting innovation transfer by matching industry challenges to innovative companies from other sectors. Therefore it is not suitable for those who already know their preferred solution provider.

How will the EOI’s from Challenge Holders be assessed?
EOIs will be assessed against the following criteria:

• The suitability of the challenge to the Innovation Exchange approach,
• The alignment to the Foundation Industries and supply chains
• The potential impact of solving the challenge
• The support the Challenge Holders are willing and able to provide to support the development of a solution

A portfolio-based approach will be taken to assess challenge projects across focus areas, technologies, categories of R&D and market sectors.

Applicants will not be permitted to question or appeal decisions made regarding the challenge selection or funding of individual projects and Innovate UK Business Connect will be unable to give feedback on unsuccessful challenge applications.

Please complete this Expression of Interest (EOI) form to submit a challenge for this opportunity. The deadline to submit your form is 15^th July 2025, 17:00.

The simple form consists of several brief questions for us to understand:

• Your details
• Check your eligibility
• Some details of the challenge
• The potential impact of solving the challenge

All submitted challenges will then be reviewed. If you meet the key criteria and are a good fit with the programme, we will be in touch to discuss further.