Don't worry, it's not too late

With many competition deadlines fast approaching in April, read on to find out which funding competitions you still have time for.

Accelerating innovation in rail round 4

Up to £700,000 available

• Registration deadline: Midday on Wednesday 10th May 2017
• Application deadline: Midday on Wednesday 17th May 2017?

Businesses can apply for a share of £9 million to deliver high-value, low-cost rail solutions or improve user experience through stations.

Specific competition themes:

1. High-value, low-cost railway innovations

2. Improving customer experience through stations

For more information on these themes, click here.

The focus of this competition is industrial research. To be in scope proposals must demonstrate how they meet specific industry challenges. 

You must:

• Be a UK-based business of any size
• Carry out your project in the UK
• Work collaboratively

Your project:

• Should last between 3 and 12 months
• Total cost of projects should range from £150,000 to £1m

And…you could receive up to 70% of eligible project costs if you are an SME.

 Interested? Then what are you waiting for?  Then get in touch

Emerging & enabling technologies round 2

Up to £1.4m available

• Registration deadline: Midday on Wednesday 3rd May 2017
• Application deadline: Midday on Wednesday 19th May 2017

Businesses can apply for a share of £15 million to develop technologies to stimulate future products, services and industries.

The aim of this competition is to inspire the products, processes and services of tomorrow: those with the potential to unlock billions of pounds of value to industry and disrupt existing markets.

This competition has 4 priority areas:

• emerging technologies
• digital
• enabling capabilities, including electronics, sensors and photonics (ESPs), robotics and autonomous systems, and creative economy
• space applications

For more information on what Innovate UK is looking for in the areas above, click here.

You must:

• be a UK-based business of any size
• have at least one SME involved in your proposal
• carry out your project work, and intend to exploit the results, in the UK

Your project:

• Should last between 6 months and 3 years
• Total costs of projects should range in total between £35,000 and £2m

Your project may focus on technical feasibility, industrial research or experimental development.

For technical feasibility studies and industrial research, you could receive up to 70% of your eligible project costs if you are an SME.

For experimental development projects that are nearer to market, you could receive up to 45% of your eligible project costs if you are an SME?.

 Interested?  Please feel free to get in touch and discuss your project. 

Sheffield city region sees enhancement funding

The Enhancement Project - What is it?

The Enhancement Project is support for SMEs in the Sheffield City Region to engage a consultant to undertake a project which will help the growth of the business.

The scope of the consultancy support can be (for example):

• IP audit and strategy advice
• innovation strategy development
• development of strategic marketing and growth plans
• support for ISO accreditation
• lean manufacturing etc.

The key features of the funding are:

• Maximum project size £10k
• You will receive 50% grant towards the project cost
• You will need to develop a brief scope for the project, which should be no more than 6 months in duration, ideally shorter e.g. 3 months.

A minimum of 3 quotes must be obtained and you are free to select the consultant of your choice after evaluating the quotes.

Upon satisfactory completion of the project and payment to the consultant, the 50% grant would be paid to you.

If you’d like to discuss this fund further, please get in touch.

Dates for your diary

30th March 6 - 7.30pm University of Bedfordshire? Grant Funding & R&D Tax Credits - Biztech and UCMK Ask the Expert Event

4th April 8am - 12pm TBAT Offices Castle Donington TBAT & RFEM Rail Innovation Breakfast Sessions

5th April 3 - 5.30pm Faraday Wharf, Innovation Birmingham Campus ?Barclays presents - Making sense of the high-growth funding zoo: picking the right investor for growth.  For more information, please contact Mary Sullivan: mary.sullivan@barclaycard.co.uk

19th April 8 - 11am The Nottingham Belfry? Oiling the Midlands Engine-Access to Innovation Funding

26th April 9am - 5pm Ricoh Arena, Coventry  Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2017