Build your capacity for innovation to grow and scale
We believe passionately that innovation should be a driving force in business, fuelling the creation of new and improved innovative products or services to launch in the UK and take to global markets.
Our innovation and growth specialist delivered service equips your business to engage in continuous commercial driven innovation, optimise operations and expand to meet demand. And when your capacity to exploit innovation is supported with the right organisational and leadership profile to attract investment as well as the capability to enter new markets, you will have achieved the ideal platform for scaling your business.
Having conducted a thorough analysis of your needs, our first engagement with you may focus on one of the following areas:
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Dedicated support to help you manage innovation effectively, develop your innovation processes and bring new and existing products and services to market successfully.
Areas of focus could include:- Developing a strong innovation culture and introducing techniques to breed innovative ideas with the power to drive your growth strategies
- Adapting a business model to exploit continuous innovation
- Setting project success criteria, applying project management principles and then evaluating return on investment
- Establishing manufacturing readiness
- Ensuring market readiness (validating technology, identifying value propositions, understanding market potential, your product fit and building marketing strategies)
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Our specialists can help innovative companies to access the right resources and expertise to make growth-enhancing innovation happen. We have strong relationships with other innovation ecosystem organisations including:
- Catapults
- Laboratories e.g. NPL
- BSI
- Innovate UK Business Connect
- The investor community
- Intellectual Property Office
- Universities
Find out about how businesses can benefit from the facilities and expertise provided by Catapults and Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs) through Innovate UK Business Growth further down this page.
As part of our ongoing efforts to pilot new ways of working, we are also providing enhanced access to the ecosystem through our Growth Support Account, if you need to:
- Access BSI’s online catalogue of national and international best practice, guidance and standards for both managing your operations as you grow (or to pivot into an unfamiliar sector)
- Gain a better understanding of how design principles could help you become more investable as a business and / or pivot into a new or adjacent market.
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We can support you to understand and protect your intellectual property (IP) for a reliable platform for growth, including:
- Identifying the different types of IP you may own: patents, trade marks, design rights, copyright, NDAs, etc.
- Advice on patent, trade mark and design registration search tools
- Development of business processes to capture and manage your IP
- UK and international protection strategies
- Where to find appropriate professional services and advice.
In addition, our IP Audit and IP Access schemes provide you with the resources to exploit your innovation fully. Read more about exploiting intellectual property below.
INSIGHT
What is business innovation?
Business innovation can encompass new ideas, processes, products or services to improve the core business and encourage growth.
Read more
Funded access to Catapults and RTOs
Innovative, ambitious businesses can benefit from the facilities and expertise provided by Catapults and Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs) through Innovate UK Business Growth (if decided it is appropriate as part of a client’s advisory support from a specialist and not as a standalone application).
RTOs are specialised not-for-profit knowledge organisations dedicated to the development and transfer of science and technology to the benefit of the economy and society. They include hubs, laboratories, testbeds, factories and offices for cutting edge R&D. The Catapult network of technology and innovation centres established by Innovate UK supports businesses to transform great ideas into valuable products and services.
We can offer applicants with a suitable project who are currently benefiting from our growth advisory support a grant for 100% of eligible costs to a maximum of £15,000.
Businesses that are looking to grow & scale through innovation can use this grant funding to access Catapults and RTOs to:
- Explore and test new product ideas
- Seek technical expertise and specialist sector knowledge
- Gain advice on regulatory and government processes as well as access networks of customers, services and funders
- Receive sector-specific expert advice and support with market analysis; cost modelling; business‐case support; creation of industry‐relevant R&D project plans
- Identify opportunities for R&D, collaboration, and partnership building
- Receive support to commercialise their innovation, including improving efficiency, making their business operations more sustainable, or investigating market gaps.
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The RTO Catapult Grant scheme is only open to eligible SMEs, in receipt of the Innovate UK Business Growth support service, where the need has been identified by an innovation & growth specialist as part of the action planning process.
Please note:
- Businesses must be a UK-registered, trading company, with up to 500 employees (250 in Northern Ireland)
- The grant funding provided to the business will be under Minimal Financial Assistance or De minimis. The maximum value of ‘Minimal Financial Assistance’ allowed per 3 year rolling period under the ‘UK Subsidy Control Bill’ is £315,000
- The ‘De minimis’ regulation, which has similar characteristics, but a maximum value of €300,000, remains effective for any awards to enterprises governed by the Windsor Framework or based within the EU.
To find out more, contact us today.
Contact us
Harness your intellectual property
In conjunction with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), we are offering IP Audit grants of up to £2,500, with a contribution of £500 from you, to subsidise an IP audit carried out by an IP professional of your choice.
The participating business should be receiving intensive business growth support from an innovation and growth specialist. I.e. this initiative is not available independently from our core service.
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Security: well-managed IP can protect your business from competitive action and the malicious or unintended actions of your staff, customers and suppliers.
Investment: an understanding of the intellectual property in your business can help you raise finance. Whether it be equity, debt or grant funding, any potential investor will want to know what IP you own or use, its value and if it is protected.
Growth: explore how to exploit your IP to create new revenue streams, enter new markets or increase the value of your business. Consider new income streams and the value generated by licencing, franchising and brand-building.
Interested in taking your IP strategy to the next level? Contact us to get started.
Contact us
"IP is the backbone of what we’re raising investment on, and we’ve secured funds that wouldn’t have been possible without the IP audit."
— Tom Birbeck, CEO, ARC Marine
"The IP audit was extremely thorough, practical and useful, with a simple summary of actions and priorities, which was exactly what I wanted."