Manufacturing and Materials Funding Round-Up

Posted on: 04/05/2021

To make it easier to navigate the funding landscape, KTN have pulled together the latest open relevant funding calls for the manufacturing and materials sectors into one place.  Find out more details about each below, or if you wish to find out more about further funding opportunities then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Manufacturing and Materials teams. Last updated: August 2022.

See a full list of our open materials opportunities here.

See a full list of our open manufacturing opportunities here.

In addition, there are often manufacturing and materials challenges at KTN’s Innovation Exchange (KTN-iX).

Below you can find a list of ongoing, open-ended opportunities:

Digital Catalyst

An initiative by Autodesk’s “Future of British Manufacturing” program, the Digital Catalyst matches SMEs with a digital manufacturing specialist from a leading university to run potential digital transformation projects. The projects need to impact the way you design or make your products and you need to be a UK based design or manufacturing business. This is an ongoing program with no specific deadline. For more information, click here.

MADE Cymru

MADE Cymru is a suite of EU-funded projects delivered by University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). Our university-accredited courses and expert-led business support scheme can help individuals and organisations to adapt to the challenges of Industry 4.0. By enabling Welsh manufacturers to take advantage of the latest advanced technologies, our three core projects are helping to bring about disruptive change to Wales’ production industry while encouraging collaboration and growth for businesses in Wales.

Read more

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) links your organisation with one of the UK’s world-class knowledge bases (a university or research organisation) to power strategic innovation projects, embed expertise and drive commercial growth. needed to develop it, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership may be the answer. It creates a dynamic three-way collaboration – between a business or not for profit organisation, a UK university or research organisation, and a suitably qualified graduate – to help realise a strategic innovation project, bring about transformative change and embed new capability.

Applications are open all year round.

Visit the KTP site

Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Just like our highly effective KTP programme, Management KTPs (MKTPs) create a dynamic 3-way partnership between your company, a team of academic experts and a skilled graduate. The focus of a MKTP is specifically on increasing effectiveness and improving results through better management practices.

These are now applied for in the same way as KTPs, with the funding for mKTPs being drawn from a dedicated pool.

Read more

Henry Royce Institute: SME Equipment Access Scheme

The Royce SME Equipment Access Scheme (formerly the Materials Accelerator Token Scheme) is open to UK-based SMEs, spin-outs and start-ups and offers subsidised facilities access, perfect for businesses seeking solutions to materials analysis obstacles.

The scheme is designed to:

  • overcome cost barriers and de-risk experimental materials-based R&D
  • help pave the way for future collaborations with Royce

Read more

Smarter Choices

Smarter Choices forms part of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s Energy Innovation Programme. It has been awarded funding through the Boosting Access for SMEs to Energy Efficiency (BASEE) competition which offers up to £6 million of funding for innovative solutions that reduce transaction costs and encourage the take up of energy efficiency by SMEs in the commercial sectors.

Applications are open all year round to UK SMEs with annual energy bills of >£20K, which are either the building owner or long-term tenant with responsibility for their building services (heating, lighting air conditioning).

Opportunity: Clean Growth UK

Through its three university hubs, Clean Growth UK provides and brokers support focused on developing innovations, commercialising ideas, and securing funding for businesses on a mission to protect the planet for future generations.

Clean Growth UK offer in-house support, as well as connecting you with innovation and growth support available through other organisations. All in-house support is either free or part-funded.

To work with Clean Growth UK, you must be a member. Membership is free, and you get access to a suite of downloadable business resources, a regular newsletter highlighting the latest regional green business opportunities and the opportunity to apply for free and part-funded support.

Find out more and join for free here

Zero Waste Scotland Circular Economy Investment Fund

The Circular Economy Investment Fund is a funding opportunity for small and medium sized businesses and organisations in Scotland working in all business and social economy sectors.  Zero Waste Scotland are investing up to £18m in grant funding for businesses;

  • Exploring markets for new circular economy products
  • Development and adoption of innovative business models for new circular economy products and services
  • Development and uptake of innovative technologies, products and services to support a circular economy

Read More (applications ongoing, 30 day turnaround, projects can run until June 2023)

KTN’s sector teams are experts in navigating the funding landscape. If you need any guidance regarding the opportunities above or you would like help finding other funding opportunities please contact our Manufacturing and Materials teams.

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