Resource-efficient or bio-based materials and manufacturing - feasibility studies 2

To lead a project, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

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

The lead organisation must collaborate with other UK registered organisations and must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).

An eligible organisation can lead on one application only but can be included as a collaborator in a further 2 applications.

If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

Your project must:

• have total costs of between £50,000 and £100,000
• last between 3 and 6 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• start by 1 October 2024
• end by 31 March 2025

Your project must relate to one or both of the following themes:

• resource efficient materials and manufacturing
• sustainable bio-based materials and biomanufacturing

The aim of this competition is to realise the three strategic imperatives for UK materials and manufacturing, which are:

• net zero and resource efficient
• resilient and responsive
• technologically advanced and digital

Your project must relate to one or both of the following themes:

Theme 1: Resource efficient materials and manufacturing

You must aim for a significant improvement of resource efficiency in UK materials and manufacturing.

Your project must focus on two or more of these five areas:

• Materials for the future economy: functional materials, material applications for cutting-edge products that reduce emissions, energy consumption and costs
• Smart design: effective design methods, design for resource efficiency, and design for maximum through-life value
• Resilient supply chains: complete supply chain visibility, sustainable feedstocks, and co-location of waste and emission streams
• World class production: flexible production capacity, minimal material use, high quality products, high productivity, and full adaptivity
• Longer in use and reuse: minimal material waste, practicing complete traceability, and new remanufacturing services

Theme 2: Sustainable bio-based materials and biomanufacturing

You must aim to improve the sustainability profile of bio-based materials and biomanufacturing. Which can be achieved by increasing the use or re-use of bio-based feedstocks, chemical replacements, and circular products.

Your project must focus on one or more of these five areas:

• Materials for the future economy: improving extraction of existing bio-based feedstocks using biological systems, or developing alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes, including bio-catalysis and microbiomes for sustainable biomanufacturing
• Smart design: utilising biotechnology for the design and development of advanced bio-products, such as chemicals, materials, and engineered biofilms with improved properties
• Resilient supply chains: discovering and optimizing enzymes and organisms for biomanufacturing or using biotechnology to secure value from waste streams
• World class production: improving manufacturability and consistency at scale, or progressing the development and adoption of biotechnology across multiple manufacturing industries and sectors
• Longer in use and reuse: enhancing the sustainability of products through the application of biotechnology

Innovate UK Business Connect held an online briefing on 26 March: Watch the recording.

If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, please contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Materials team.