Analysis for Innovators Round 12 – stage 1

UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £2.25m to resolve productivity and competitiveness issues by working with top scientists and research facilities.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

13/11/2023

Registration Closes

03/01/2024

Award

If successful at stage 1, your stage 2 project’s total project costs must be between £15,000 and £100,000.

Organisation

Innovate UK

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Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £2.25 million in small collaborative innovation projects working with our Analysis for Innovators partners:

  • the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
  • the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at Laboratory of the Government Chemist Group (LGC)
  • the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL)
  • the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
  • National Gear Metrology Lab (GEARS)
  • Newton Gateway to Mathematics
  • Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE 2020+)
  • Henry Royce Institute (HRI)

The aim of this competition is to help businesses address their existing analysis and measurement problems. These are problems that can be best explored by scientists and cutting-edge facilities available in the UK.

Your proposal must describe a measurement or analysis problem where you are seeking a solution to improve your business’s productivity or competitiveness. You must provide an estimate of the value to your business of solving it.

This is stage 1 of a 2 stage competition. No funding is awarded at this stage.

If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to brokerage consultations with relevant partners. These will focus on potential approaches to solving your problem. You will work together to propose joint projects to develop solutions and apply for the stage 2 competition to request funding.

Following assessment, successful stage 2 applications will be grant funded, to work with the relevant partner organisations.

  • To apply to this stage your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size. A business of any size may make only one application to this competition.

    Funding through this competition is counted as Minimal Financial Assistance: the total of the grant funding received through the programme, and the amount of MFA funding your company has received in this financial year and the last two combined, must not exceed £315,000.

  • Your application must:

    • meet the problem scope requirements
    • relate to work being undertaken in the UK
    • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
    • involve at least one of the partner organisations
    • indicate a stage 2 project duration of between 3 and 6 months
    • indicate a stage 2 project start date of between 1 September 2024 and 1 December 2024

    Confirmation of your stage 2 project duration and start date will be agreed with your partner during brokerage following a successful stage 1 application.

  • The aim of this competition is to help businesses address their existing analysis and measurement problems. These are problems that can be best explored by scientists and cutting-edge facilities available in the UK.

    You must outline what you consider to be the benefits of solving your problem, such as improved productivity or competitiveness.

    We will only consider problems that:

    • are related to an existing process, product or service
    • are related to the measurement or analysis of some quantities or properties of your process, product or service
    • are not effectively solvable by simple ‘off the shelf’ methods or techniques

    You must outline any methods and attempts that you have previously tried to address the problem. Do not propose how the problem should be solved.

    Analysis problems cannot be simply software related, for example pure data analysis.

    We will not consider problems that are:

    • not measurement or analysis problems
    • ones we consider to be resolvable with easily available methods, such as those that do not require any innovative or cutting-edge science or facilities
    • solely computer software analysis problems, such as algorithms to analyse objects
    • not related to a company’s existing processes, products or services
  • As part of your application, you must include a short video, up to 2 minutes long.

    You must use Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators Video platform to record your video and then provide a link in your application.

    If we are unable to view your video, your application will be made ineligible.

    We have partnered with Pitchtape, an online platform where you can create and submit a video with the help of templates and recording tools.

    We are trialling this video platform as part of this competition and may ask for your feedback.

    You will need to create an account before you are able to record your video. The platform will guide you through this process and provide step by step instructions to help you create your video.

    If you experience any technical difficulties whilst using the platform, you must contact Customer Support Service on 0300 321 4357 or support@iuk.ukri.org before the submission deadline.

    If you need assistance with using the video platform, please contact the KTN A4I support team at a4i@ktn-uk.org

  • Innovate UK KTN held an online briefing on Monday 13th November: the recording will appear here when available.

    Innovate UK KTN can provide assistance with your application. Please contact the dedicated Innovate UK KTN support team at a4i@iuk.ktn-uk.org.

    If you need assistance with using the video platform, please contact the Innovate UK KTN support team at a4i@ktn-uk.org.

Related Events and Recordings

Mon
13
Nov
2023

Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators Round 12 Stage 1 online briefing

10.00 - 12.00 | Online

Watch now
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Related programme

Analysis for Innovators

Analysis for Innovators

Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators can help boost productivity and competitiveness in your business through solving existing problems.

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