Canada-UK Ocean Collaborative R&D: Expression of Interest

This is stage 1 of a 2 stage competition.

1. Expression of Interest (EoI) (this competition): your proposal is reviewed by Innovate UK. Your Canadian partners’ proposal is reviewed by Ocean Supercluster Canada. Innovate UK and Ocean Supercluster are responsible for the decision to progress your EoI proposal to stage 2. There is no funding in this stage, funding will be awarded in stage 2.

2. Full stage application (FSA) (invite only): if you are successful in this EoI competition, you will be invited to apply to the full stage competition. Your proposal will be subject to an independent assessment by Innovate UK. Your Canadian partners’ proposal will be reviewed by Ocean Supercluster Canada. You will receive feedback on your application from Innovate UK. The Canadian partners in your project will receive feedback from Ocean Supercluster Canada.

To lead a UK application your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• be or involve at least one grant claiming UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME)
• partner with a Canadian registered SME, which must be a separate non-linked entity to the UK project partners
• include at least one further eligible grant claiming partner from either the UK or Canada

All collaborations must include at least 3 eligible organisations from Canada and the UK as part of the project.

UK Team – To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation
• research and technology organisation (RTO)

A UK business of any size can lead on one application and partner on two further applications. Other UK organisations can collaborate on any number of applications.

This application is for an Expression Of Interest (EoI). No funding will be awarded at this stage. If you are successful, then you will be invited to apply for funding in the full stage competition.

Your proposed project must:

• have a total grant funding request between £165,000 to £500,000 allocated to UK organisations
• have a total grant funding request between CA$280,000 to CA$850,000 for Canadian partners
• have no more than 60% of the total grant funding request allocated to UK organisations
• have no more than 60% of the total grant funding request allocated to Canadian organisations
• start by 1 June 2024
• last up to 12 months

In order to receive any grant funding, your project proposal must be successful on both sides of the consortium and be invited to apply for the full stage. If successful at full stage, UK participants will receive grant funding from Innovate UK and Canadian participants will receive grant funding from Ocean Supercluster. UK participants must be part of an application submitted to Innovate UK. Canadian partners must submit a parallel application to Ocean Supercluster.

Projects should have a balanced contribution of the total eligible project costs among the partners from the UK and Canada. No more than 60% of the total project costs can be claimed by a single partner or by all partners from either the UK or Canada.

Your joint Canadian and UK project must focus on innovations in ocean technology.

Your project must demonstrate:

• a focus on co-development, adaption, or validation of an innovative product, process or technology that has commercial potential and outcomes
• quantified performance objectives
• a plan for future exploitation

We particularly encourage projects that:

• involve consortia which span the supply chain of service or component suppliers, integrators, and end user businesses
• progress ocean technology from lab prototypes to industry ready systems for commercial use through integration of innovative and scalable technologies

If your project includes testing in real-world environments you must explain how you will account for local and national regulation and seasonal environmental conditions.

Your project must focus on one or more of the following:

• alternative energy
• aquaculture systems
• seaweed cultivation and production
• carbon capture and storage
• autonomous vessels or ocean systems
• robotics and drones
• ocean sensors and environmental monitoring

An online briefing will be held on Wednesday 13th September at 11am UK time: click here for the joining link. A recording will be linked to here when available.

If you want help to find a project partner, you can use Innovate UK’s specifically created B2Match website. You can also contact Innovate UK KTN’s Global Alliance team.