£1 million Collaborative R&D Fund with Catalonia

Scottish Enterprise and The Catalan Trade and Investment Agency (ACCIÓ) are working together to directly fund international collaborative innovation projects between companies from both regions.

Scottish Enterprise will invest around £1 million to support the Scottish elements of the projects, with similar levels from ACCIÓ for Catalan elements. This is an exciting opportunity for Scottish companies looking to develop world class innovations, linking them with leading players in Catalonia: not just facilitating access to new technologies and ideas but also to new international markets.

This is an open call for proposals, although Scottish Enterprise and ACCIÓ share interest across the following themes: healthcare, manufacturing 4.0 and mobility.

Call deadline: 10th October 2019

More information can be found here

Innovate UK Smart Grants: July 2019

Smart is the new name for Innovate UK’s ‘Open grant funding’ programme.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £25 million in the best game-changing, innovative or disruptive ideas with a view to commercialisation. All proposals must be business focused.

Applications can come from any area of technology (including arts, design, media or creative industries), science or engineering and be applied to any part of the economy.

Deadline: 16th October 2019

More information can be found here

Innovation Loans: July 2019 Open Competition

Innovate UK is offering up to £10 million in loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Loans are for highly innovative late stage projects with the best game changing and/or disruptive ideas or concepts. There should be a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact.

Projects should aim to develop new products, processes or services (or innovative use of existing ones) believed to be significantly ahead of anything similar in the field.

Your proposal can come from any technology and any part of the economy.

Projects must focus on commercialisation, growth or scale up. Priority is given to proposals likely to lead to growth and gains in productivity.

Deadline: 11th September 2019 (registration); 18th September 2019 (competition)

More information can be found here

EUREKA: Singapore Open Competition

EUREKA, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore, announce a Global Stars funding competition for research and development (R&D) projects under the EUREKA programme.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing £1 million to fund UK businesses leading collaborative research and development (R&D) projects.

Projects should result in a new product, industrial process or service, be innovative and involve a technological risk.

Projects must be co-ordinated by a lead partner from the UK and a lead partner from Singapore. Partners from each additional country should also nominate a lead from that country.

Deadline: 19th September 2019 (registration); 26th September 2019 (competition)

More information can be found here

UK Research and Innovation strength in places fund: wave 2 EoI

Consortia of UK businesses and publicly funded research organisations can apply for between £10 million and £50 million per full stage application.

Your application must build on your partners’ existing research and innovation capability and present a valid plan of new research and innovation activities. These must have a clear pathway to delivering a significant positive impact on economic growth within the defined economic geography.

All project partners should be based in the project’s geographical area and have the support of local civic leadership.

Projects must be led by either a UK based business or a UK publicly funded research organisation.This first competition stage is an expression of interest (EoI). Consortia will set out plans for large collaborative proposals. Following assessment, successful EoIs will be selected to receive up to £50,000 in ‘seed corn’ funding to develop a full stage proposal.

Deadline: 9th October 2019 (for EoI)

More information can be found here