NATEP helping SMEs innovate in aerospace – Spring 2021
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £2.5 million to carry out industry-led civil aerospace collaborative R&D projects.
NATEP competition is held approximately every 6 months. This is call 4 of 6 and for each call there is up to £2.5m funding available.
The aim of this competition is to provide help for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop innovative aerospace technologies. These will enhance your capabilities and increase your ability to win new business.
Your proposal must align with the priorities stated in the UK Aerospace technology strategy, Accelerating Ambition. Your proposal will be subject to:
- independent assessment by Innovate UK.
- strategic review by the Aerospace Technology Institute.
You will need to pass both assessments in order to for your application to be recommended for funding. BEIS has the final funding decision. .
If you are successful, Innovate UK will perform financial viability and eligibility checks. Final approvals are issued by BEIS. You will be contracted by Innovate UK.
Your project’s total eligible costs must be between £100,000 and £300,000.
Your project must:
- start by 1 October 2021
- end by 31 March 2023
They can last between 12 and 18 months.
If your organisation is a UK registered business, or a research and technology organisation (RTO) participating as a business, you must show in your answer you can provide match funding from entirely private sector sources, across all projects you are involved in.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- collaborate with other UK registered businesses, research organisations, research technology organisations (RTO), public sector organisations, charities or Academic Institutions
- plan to carry out its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
- sign up to the Aerospace Technology Institute framework agreement
We primarily expect to fund businesses that are new to research and development (R&D) or are restarting R&D activity.
Academic institutions, charities, public sector organisations, large businesses and RTOs cannot lead, but can be part of the project team.
The aim of this competition is to help SMEs to develop their own innovative technologies. These should enhance their capabilities and increase their ability to win new business in the civil aerospace sector.
Your project must have a credible route to market and preferably have identified your end users. Your project should:
- demonstrate improvement in business productivity and competitiveness
- show clear benefit technically
- be able to pull through new technology or processes for use in a current or future product or manufacturing process
- show clear benefit in creating or safeguarding jobs
- be able to enhance capabilities within the broader aerospace industry, as well as other sectors such as advanced manufacturing
An online briefing event will be held on 14th April: details will be available at this link.