If you’re working on a cutting-edge medical R&D project, you could qualify for up to £2 million in grant funding through Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst competition.
Round 2 of Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst 2023 competition is now open.
Closing on 8 November 2023, the competition is offering up to £2 million in grant funding to companies that are:
- Working on a cutting-edge medical R&D project like advanced therapies, digital health or device development
- Able to deliver a 6-to-36-month project with eligible costs of £150,000-£4 million
- A UK-registered small or medium-sized business (SME) or collaborating with one
Below, we’ve broken down the main things you need to know about the Biomedical Catalyst: who’s eligible, how much money you could receive, and how to apply.
Looking for a free, no-hassle assessment of your eligibility? Just drop us a line.
Am I eligible for Biomedical Catalyst 2023?
To qualify for the Biomedical Catalyst, both your organisation and your project need to be eligible.
Your organisation
To apply for the Biomedical Catalyst, your organisation must:
- Be UK-registered
- Be an SME or working on a consortium where at least 50% of the project costs are shared by SMEs
- Carry out all of your project work within the UK, including any subcontractors
- Plan to exploit the results of your project work from the UK and includes projects focused on primarily exploiting US and international markets
Not sure if your organisation qualifies? Our grants experts can perform a simple eligibility assessment. Just get in touch.
Your project
Your project must work towards building an innovative solution for health and healthcare challenges, such as disease prevention and detection, tailored treatments, and digital technologies.
The project you’re working on must be pre-market. It must also improve the competitiveness and productivity of at least one of the UK-based SMEs involved in your consortium.
Your R&D project must also:
- Have total qualifying costs of £150,000-£4 million
- Start by 1 June 2024
- End by 31 May 2027
- Last between 6 and 36 months
Not sure if your project qualifies? Our grants experts can perform a quick eligibility assessment. Just get in touch.
How much funding can I apply for?
As a business, through the Biomedical Catalyst 2023 competition, you can apply for a grant to support projects up to £4 million, with up to £2 million of grant funding available across all partners.
How much funding you can apply for depends on your project’s size, company size, project size, and consortia.
Here’s a table explaining what percentage of your project costs you can apply for in grant funding based on your company’s size and the type of project you’re looking to fund.
Remember, the most you can apply for is a total project grant of up to £2 million.
Costs incurred by academic and NHS trusts (e.g. clinical trials) are 100% funded but can not exceed more than 50% of the overall project spend.
| Project Type | Micro | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Industrial Research Project |
70% |
70% |
60% |
50% |
|
Experimental Development Project |
45% |
45% |
35% |
25% |
Find out if you’re a micro, small, medium or large company.
How do I apply for the Biomedical Catalyst?
Below are the sections you have to complete to file the written portion of your Biomedical Catalyst application.
Thinking of writing your own submission? Check out these insider tips for optimising your Innovate UK application from GrantTree’s experts.
1. Project details
This consists of six subsections, including your application team, project summary and how your project matches the scope of the competition.
This section isn’t scored and helps to provide a background for Innovate UK’s assessors.
2. Application questions
This section consists of 12 questions exploring your innovation, the challenge or need it’s addressing, and your freedom to operate.
3. Finances
This is where you’ll enter your project costs, organisation details and funding details.
4. Project Impact
This final section explores your project’s contribution to the UK economy, society, and the environment. It is not scored.
Following the written application, some shortlisted proposals will be invited to present to assessors.
This requires drafting a response to the assessors’ feedback and creating a presentation ahead of the company’s interview with Innovate UK’s assessment panel.
Make your Biomedical Catalyst application a success!
The best way to improve your chances of winning a Biomedical Catalyst grant is by working with a specialist like GrantTree.
Last year, just 9% of Biomedical Catalyst Applications received funding. Meanwhile, 75% of the companies we supported had their written application accepted by Innovate UK.
Whether you’re looking for expert guidance on building a competitive application or actionable advice on strengthening your draft from an active Innovate UK assessor, GrantTree’s experts are here to make your Biomedical Catalyst application a success.
Get in touch to find out more.
