Global Business Innovation Programme in India - Urban Systems

A GBIP has three stages:

Prepare for the market

Preparing for the market includes the cohort being briefed by sector and market experts on, for example, cultural aspects of conducting business in that country. Delegates receive help to find business partners and arrange meetings and are advised on best practice including the management and protection of their intellectual property.

Visiting the market

Visiting the market provides opportunities to attend pre-arranged meetings and activities in order to better understand and maximise the opportunities that the visit presents.

Exploiting the opportunity

Exploiting the opportunity is arguably the most important aspect of the programme. To maximise the opportunity, participating companies are given bespoke one-to-one support from an Innovate UK EDGE innovation and growth specialist to help develop and implement an action plan.

The Global Business Innovation Programme operates on a competitive basis and businesses selected are required to participate in all three stages (some or all of which may be online).

To apply for this initiative, you must:

• Be a UK-based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and internationalise.
• Be a company with fewer than 250 employees.
• Be the CEO, founder, or senior decision maker in the business and able to attend and complete all activities.

India is booming, with a vibrant innovation ecosystem, an ambitious vision, and a need to meet the rapidly growing demands of the population. There is an impressive wealth of home-grown talent who see the scale of the opportunity as a catalyst for disruptive new innovations. In addition, the ongoing need to develop core infrastructure – such as good water and electricity supplies, sanitation, and affordable housing – provides opportunities to tackle issues differently and to develop solutions that also have widespread social value at their heart, tapping into vast emerging markets.

Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, and Lucknow, a major city in Uttar Pradesh, are both designated as Smart Cities by the Indian government. These cities are undergoing significant transformations to enhance their infrastructure, services, and overall quality of life. Amaravati is being developed with a strong focus on sustainable development, cutting-edge digital infrastructure, and citizen-centric services.

Lucknow, a historic city, is modernising its infrastructure and implementing smart city solutions to improve urban living. Both cities present exciting opportunities for innovative businesses to implement cutting-edge solutions that address urban challenges and improve the lives of their residents.

India is an important market for Innovate UK, with regular ongoing bilateral R&D, incubator, and innovation activities, all part of building a long-term relationship enabling UK businesses to connect with partners and collaborators to help them grow and scale.

Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, and any conference fees for successful applicants. Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative. Only one representative from each company will be funded. On acceptance, a commitment fee of £1000 (excluding VAT) will be obtained from each delegate, which will be refunded on completion of the full activities and agreed action plan. Non completion after formal acceptance may result in forfeiting some or all of the commitment fees.

This initiative is particularly relevant for businesses that focus on delivering Net Zero in urban environments, including (but not limited to) solutions that address the following types of challenges:

• Heating and cooling
• Sustainable Mobility
• Clean energy solutions
• Green Buildings
• Blue-green Urban Infrastructure
• Waste management
• Water conservation
• Citizen engagement and sustainable behaviour change

Successful applicants can expect to:

• Explore Urban Systems opportunities in India.
• Gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities when conducting business in India.
• Identify potential innovation collaborators and partners to develop your network in the UK and globally.
• Improve your company’s value proposition to international partners and investors.

• 1st March 2024: Depart the UK and arrive in India
• 3rd March- 7th March 2025: Visit Amaravati and Lucknow, with opportunities for B2B meetings
• 8th March 2025: Depart India to return to the UK

To learn more about this opportunity, register for the applicant briefing event on the 10th December 2024.

Application form can be found here.

• Closing date for applications: 6 January 2025
• Get Ready Workshop: 3 – 4 February 2025
• Innovation visit: 3 – 7 March 2025
• Exploit the opportunity Workshop: 6 May 2025

For more information, assistance with your application or to discuss accessibility needs, please contact Sunny Claire at Sunny.Claire@innovateukedge.ukri.org.