Mid and North Wales Launchpad: Cluster Management

UK registered organisations can apply for up to £150k to develop and manage the agri-tech and food technology innovation cluster in Mid and North Wales.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

10/06/2024

Registration Closes

10/07/2024

Award

Your project’s total grant funding request can be up to £150,000. This can cover up to 70% of your costs, depending on business size.

Organisation

Innovate UK

Share this opportunity

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £150,000 into one innovation project. The aim of this competition is to support a cluster management project for the agri-tech and food technology cluster in Mid and North Wales. Your proposal must describe how you will develop and manage this emergent innovation cluster, and how you will manage your project for maximum impact.

The funding will support operational costs for up to 24 months, allowing the innovation cluster to become more impactful as part of Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme. After the grant support has ended, you must demonstrate how you will use operational investment from your own means to continue developing the innovation cluster.

A funding call for New Innovators projects for the cluster is open until 17 July: click here for details.

  • To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:

    To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

    • business of any size
    • academic institution
    • charity
    • not for profit
    • public sector organisation
    • research and technology organisation (RTO)

    The contribution of project partners must add to the innovation led growth of the cluster.

    Your organisation can only lead on one application with a cluster management project for each individual Launchpad cluster but can be included as a collaborator in any number of applications. If your organisation is not leading an application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

  • Your funded project must:

    • have a total grant funding request up to £150,000
    • last up to 24 months
    • carry out all of its project work in the UK, and have its impact in the innovation cluster you select
    • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
    • start at the earliest on 1 December 2024
    • end by 31 March 2027
  • The aim of this competition is to support a cluster management project for the agri-tech and food technology Launchpad in Mid and North Wales. Your proposal must describe how you will develop and manage this emergent innovation cluster.

    Your project must be inclusive and develop the maturity of the innovation cluster to benefit related organisations locally and UK wide.

    You must explain how your project will complement and support the innovation cluster more widely, engaging where appropriate with other grant aided innovation projects.

    You must include plans to:

    • share non-commercially sensitive results and good practice
    • encourage further innovation activities and investment to benefit the innovation cluster

    Your proposal must demonstrate how it will develop:

    • activities that meet relevant industry needs and generate innovation led economic growth
    • an innovation cluster with greater innovation intensity, innovation maturity, and levels of collaboration, commercialisation, and investment
    • a locally led narrative that provides a clear external profile
    • an integrated community that can sustain beyond the grant funded period

    Your project must:

    • use expertise relevant to the cluster’s location, specialisms, assets, organisations, and maturity stage
    • gain the support of relevant organisations who will contribute to developing the innovation cluster
    • demonstrate how you will use operational investment from your own means to continue developing the innovation cluster beyond the funded project
  • Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

    • knowledge transfer to encourage the development of innovation and to speed its spread throughout the cluster and supply chains
    • strengthening local institutions and aligning around priority innovation programmes
    • enable cohort meetings with relevant organisations in your cluster and other regional innovation clusters
    • helping to secure private finance for businesses in the innovation cluster, including leverage for public investments
    • supply chain development, including the capacity to absorb knowledge and innovation, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
    • producing case studies and promotional campaigns
    • integrating the activities of other relevant organisations
    • attracting people, businesses and investment into the innovation cluster

    This list is not exhaustive. Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this competition you can focus on other themes.

  • An online briefing event will be held on Thursday 20 June at 2pm: register to attend. Briefing slides will be available to download from supporting information after the event.

    If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Place team or our agrifood team.

Related Opportunities

New Innovators in agri-tech & food technology, Mid & North Wales

Opens: 10/06/2024   Closes: 17/07/2024

UK registered small and micro businesses can apply for a share of up to £400k for innovation activities in the agri-tech and food technology cluster in Mid and North Wales.

More Information
Close

Connect with Innovate UK Business Connect

Join Innovate UK Business Connect's mailing list to receive updates on funding opportunities, events and to access Innovate UK Business Connect's deep expertise. Please check your email to confirm your subscription and select your area(s) of interest.