Launchpad: Advanced Manufacturing, MFA, Liverpool City Region, R2

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £3 million in innovation projects. The funding will support projects across the Launchpad competitions that target the innovation clusters centred on the Liverpool City Region and the Tees Valley.

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Businesses must be active or growing their work activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region.

This Launchpad competition supports the Government’s goals in the Levelling Up White Paper. The projects will contribute to Liverpool City Region’s ambitions for local research and development (R&D) spending to reach 5% of gross value added (GVA) by 2030 and achieving net zero carbon by 2040 or sooner.

More information on the innovation ambitions of Liverpool City Region and about the cluster, which includes STFC Daresbury, a national science and innovation campus, is provided in Background and further information.

Your proposal must align to the scope criteria for this competition.

This competition is split into 2 strands:

• Launchpad: Advanced manufacturing, Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA), Liverpool City Region, Round 2 (this strand) – grants of £25k-£100k, projects led by single SMEs
• Launchpad: Advanced manufacturing, Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D), Liverpool City Region, Round 2 – grants of £150k to £1m, projects must be collaborative

It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your application to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope.

Eligibility

Your project must:

• have a total grant funding request between £25,000 and £100,000
• start by 1 September 2023
• end by 30 September 2024
• last between 6 and 12 months
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• be active or growing your work activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region
• have a demonstrable ambition for business growth

MFA projects are not collaborative. Subcontractors are allowed; their involvement must contribute to the growth of the cluster.

An SME can lead on only one MFA application. If you apply to the CR&D strand of this competition, as well as this MFA strand, you must make sure each project is clearly distinctive and separate. We will monitor closely for this separation if you are awarded funding in both competition strands.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Businesses must be active or growing their work activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region.

The geographical requirement is set to align this competition to the Government’s goals in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Your project must contribute to a sustainable, safe, advanced, agile and resilient manufacturing sector. Your innovation must make a significant contribution to at least one of the sector’s strategic imperatives:

• net zero and resource efficiency in the supply chain and manufacturing processes
• resilience and responsiveness, mitigating risks, interruptions, disruptions, and climate change
• technologically advanced and digital manufacturing supply chains and processes.

Your project must commercialise knowledge through innovation activities, and lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and economic impact in the cluster.

Your proposal must explain how your team and project will contribute to equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) in the cluster.

Specific themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following core areas:

• materials for the future economy
• smart design
• resilient supply chains
• world class production
• longer in use and reuse

Projects can also consider the following enabling areas:

• digital technologies
• clean energy
• proactive regulations and policy
• future skills
• networked relations
• evolving value models

Briefing and support

An online briefing event will be held at 9.30am on Tuesday 21st February – click here to register to attend.

In considering the eligibility of your proposal you are encouraged to review:

• Liverpool City Region’s innovation priorities and evidence base as set out in the Innovation Prospectus and Science and Innovation Audit 2022
• Liverpool City Region’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon by 2040 or sooner
• Liverpool City Region’s strategy for advanced manufacturing
• UK Government’s Levelling Up White Paper

Further information about the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster will be provided in the online briefing event (this will also be recorded).

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Manufacturing team, or the Liverpool City Region Growth Platform.