Welcome to Grant Watch, a monthly look at some of the most exciting grant funding opportunities open to UK innovators.
September, as they say, has landed. That means the summer lull is over (for the most part). Claustrophobic commutes are back in vogue. And the accoutrements of Christmas are already inching their way onto supermarket shelves.
But don’t worry. It’s not all doom and gloom. It’s time for another issue of Grant Watch!
In case you don’t know, Grant Watch is our monthly look at some of the most exciting funding opportunities open to UK innovators.
Once again, our funding experts have chosen a diverse range of competitions targeting a wide variety of industries and sectors. So do take a look to see if there’s anything that might be right for your business.
To keep up to date with the latest government funding opportunities for your business, plus all future editions of Grant Watch, make sure you sign up to GrantTree’s newsletter!
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Project size: It depends on which of the scheme’s approved investors you partner with
The combined investor partnerships competition allows UK SMEs to apply for grant funding alongside one of a set list of approved investment partners.
It brings together Innovate UK’s experience in de-risking promising innovations with funding, and the ability of private investors to identify projects and teams that would best utilise additional capital.
The list of investor partners was chosen by Innovate UK because they have “demonstrated that they have the credibility, capability, capacity and appetite to invest in innovative, technology-led businesses in areas that align with our objectives in programme areas.”
To be successful, your project must:
- Be independently assessed by Innovate UK as fundable
- Receive investment from the investor partner
Opens – 19 August 2021
Closes – 29 September 2021
The Eurogia Call 18 is designed to support projects which address issues in the energy market, in line with Eurogia2030 5Ds Strategy.
The 5Ds being decarbonisation, democratisation, digitalisation, deregulation, decentralisation.
The competition is looking to fund projects based on a range of relevant technologies, including digitization, IOT, AI, blockchains, cyber-security, communication, 5G/6G and drones.
Projects should focus on taking the suggested technology or solution beyond the present state of the art (PSOA) in their field, and could result in opportunities for commercial and/or societal impact in the application areas addressed. They will be evaluated based on their “excellence, impact, organisation, and suggested execution”.
Applications must be made by consortia of at least two companies from different countries participating in the EUREKA programme.
Eurogia Call 18 is funded by EURKA, the world’s largest public network for international collaboration on R&D and innovation.
Opens – 13 July 2021
Closes – 30 September 2021
Project size: Your project can have total eligible costs of up to £150,000
The Ofgem 2021 competition is looking to fund projects that offer value to energy consumers and society through energy network innovation.
The Zero Emissions Transport leg is one of four challenges comprising the competition’s £3 million Discovery phase.
The other three challenges are:
Whole system integration
Data and digitalisation
Heat
Discovery is one of three phases that make up the Ofgem 2021 competition. The Alpha and Beta phases will open later. Only companies which successfully apply to the discovery phase will be invited to apply for the Alpha phase.
To lead a project, your company must be a gas distribution network, transmission network operator, or electricity system operator. You must also work with a mobility technology or infrastructure provider and at least one third-party innovator as a subcontractor.
Additionally, your project must start on 1 March 2022 and end on 30 April 2022.
Looking at this competition, we believe applicants are very likely to have small first phase projects accepted.
Opens – 31 August 2021
Closes – 30 September 2021
Project size: Projects running for 6-18 months must have total eligible costs of between £25,000 and £500,000. Projects running for 19-36 months must have total eligible costs of between £25,000 and £2,000,000.
The SMART competition is Innovate UK’s primary open funding call. Offering successful applicants a share of up £25 million in funding, SMART grants are available to businesses working on any game-changing and commercially-viable innovation that could significantly impact the UK economy.
Because they are open to companies in all industries, SMART grants are highly competitive, receiving thousands of applications from startups and scale-ups all across the country. So make sure you are eligible for a SMART grant before you begin the application process.
That said, this particular competition is likely to be less competitive than previous rounds, meaning projects should have a better chance of securing funding.
Opens – 26 August 2021
Closes – 6 October 2021
Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards were established to celebrate female business leaders that can inspire the next generation of innovators.
The competition will reward successful applicants with grants worth £50,000 and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support.
To apply, you must be working on an innovative project that can make a significant contribution to a pressing societal, environmental or economic challenge.
This competition is made up of two phases. In phase 1, applications will be judged by an independent committee. In phase 2, a shortlist of applications from phase 1 will be interviewed by a panel of experts.
Maximise your chances with our grants experts
Are you thinking about applying for an innovation grant? Do you want to maximise your chances of winning and securing funding for your development work?
Working with GrantTree can significantly increase your chances of success. Just drop us a line and a member of our grants team will be right with you.
