Innovate UK (IUK) is the UK’s innovation agency and, as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), works with people, companies and partner organisations to de-risk, enable and support innovation, and promote UK economic growth.
IUK’s vision is to help the UK economy grow over and above other nations by inspiring and supporting pioneering UK businesses to create the industries of the future. The Open Grant Funding Competition is designed to help businesses develop cutting-edge ideas for innovative new products and services that could have an economic impact on the UK economy.
This competition is open to the best ideas or concepts with a view to commercialisation. These can come from any area of technology, science or engineering, including arts, design, media or creative industries. Proposals can fit into, or be outside of, one or more of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund areas.
Projects can focus on disruptive and game-changing ideas in any sector of the economy. They can be of various kinds, from small feasibility studies to longer industrial research or experimental development projects. Priority will be given to proposals that are likely to lead to sustainable gains in productivity or access to new overseas markets through export-led business growth.
IUK has allocated up to £20 million to fund innovation projects through grants in this Open competition. IUK expects projects to range in size between £25,000 and £2 million and for them to last between 6 and 36 months.
To lead a project, applicants must be a UK-based business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO). The project must be undertaken in, and exploit results from, the UK. Applicants may work alone or in collaboration with others (businesses, research base and third sector).
The competition is now open with a deadline for applications of midday on 12 September 2018.
