Eureka Disaster Resilience Programme Collaborative R&D 2024

Projects must involve collaborations with organisations from other participating Eureka countries.

To be eligible for grant funding from Innovate UK your collaboration:

• must include at least one grant claiming UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME)
• must include at least one other eligible partner from another of the Eureka countries participating in the competition

If a business is leading an application it cannot collaborate on any other applications.

If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in one application.

A research organisation can collaborate on one application.

UK applicants can apply for total grant of up to £250,000 for each project.

Your project can last up to 24 months and is expected to start from 1 June 2025. The start date depends on the national funding procedures of the Eureka members involved in the selected projects.

Projects must involve collaborations with organisations from other participating Eureka countries.

The aim of this competition is to support international collaboration on R&D projects that create innovative products, processes or services for commercialisation. We will fund projects in the field of Disaster Resilience, Response and Recovery. Your project must have high market potential and develop at least one of the following:

• innovative products
• technology-based applications
• technology-based services

Your collaborative R&D proposal must demonstrate:

• a clear game-changing or disruptive innovative idea leading to new products, processes or services
• a strong and deliverable business plan that addresses (and documents) market potential and needs
• sound, practical financial plans and timelines
• good value for money, which will always be a consideration in Innovate UK funding decisions
• a clear, evidence-based plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment (ROI) and growth through commercialisation, as soon as possible after project completion
• clear, considerable potential to significantly benefit the UK economy or national productivity
• the benefit of participants from the countries working together and how this adds value
• a clear definition of where intellectual property (IP) can be used and shared between the participants and countries
• a clear route to market within two to three years of project completion

Your project must focus on one or more of the following application areas or any other that has clear links to disaster resilience, response and recovery.

Innovative and resilient construction

For example:

• building behaviour modelling during and after disaster situations
• seismic isolation or damper technologies
• disaster-resilient architectural designs
• advanced building materials and technologies, including but not limited to fire resistance, water resistance, shock resistance, non-toxic
• durability-increasing adaptations, including but not limited to for buildings on weak soils or floodplains

Digital technologies

For example:

• damage prediction and early-warning systems
• advanced geographic information and remote sensing systems
• artificial intelligence-based sensing algorithms
• sensor technologies

Search and rescue

For example:

• automated and intelligent drone systems
• rapid and effective search and rescue
• portable equipment and devices capable of imaging and detection

Resilient communications

For example:

• non-interruptible communications systems
• portable communications devices
• battery technologies and alternative energy sources
• resilient infrastructures and systems

Health

For example:

• disinfection, filtration and storage solutions
• autonomous environmental disinfection and sterilisation
• mobile medical devices
• resilient health services and infrastructures
• nutrient-enriched and functional foods and drinks

Post-disaster waste management

For example:

• safe demolition technologies
• separation or classification and management solutions for construction and demolition waste (CDW)
• transformation of CDW into building materials and other secondary raw materials in line with circular economy principles

Relevant industry sectors include but are not limited to:

• materials
• construction
• health – services, public health, medical devices
• water – public and private utilities, tech developers
• energy – utilities, tech developers
• information Communication Technologies
• electronic components and systems
• software
• agrifood

14 June 2024: Competition opens

19 June 2024: Online UK briefing event: watch the recording (briefing slides can be downloaded here)

The UK lead applicant must submit your Innovate UK application by 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief.

Your overall project team must submit the Eureka project application form to the Eureka website by 5pm Central European Time (CET) (4pm UK time) on 31 October 2024.

If you would like help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Global team.