UK-Israel open collaborative R&D competition 2019

Overview

The UK and Israel are announcing a joint funding competition under the EUREKA framework.

This will support collaborative, business led research and development (R&D) projects which should result in a new product, industrial process or service.

Projects must be innovative, involve a technological risk and target large global markets.

Scope

This EUREKA competition provides innovation research and development (R&D) funding for industrial research projects.

This competition will fund projects from any technological or market area.

The national funding agencies will fund their respective participants in the projects.

Your proposal must demonstrate:

• a clear game-changing and/or disruptive innovative idea leading to new products, processes or services
• a strong and deliverable business plan that addresses (and documents) market potential and needs
• a team, business arrangement or working structure with the necessary skills and experience to run and complete the project successfully and on time
• awareness of all the main risks the project will face (including contractor or equipment failure, recruitment delays and so on) with realistic management, mitigation and impact minimisation plans for each
• sound, practical financial plans and timelines
• good value for money, which will always be a consideration in Innovate UK funding decisions
• a clear, evidence based plan to deliver significant economic impact, return on investment (ROI) and growth through commercialisation, as soon as possible after project completion
• clear, considerable potential to significantly impact both the UK and the Israeli economy and/or productivity in a positive way
• the benefit of participants from the 2 countries working together
• how this adds value

Exclusions

Innovate UK will not fund projects that:

• have non-civilian applications
• do not include at least one UK and one Israel based business
• are not in scope
• do not meet Innovate UK’s eligibility criteria
• do not submit all mandatory documentation

Eligibility

To lead a project as a UK registered organisation you must:

• be a business, of any size
• collaborate with at least one business of any size from Israel, which must be a separate non-linked legal entity to the UK partners
• follow the full process correctly

You can also collaborate with other UK registered businesses of any size.

UK research organisations, including universities, can participate as subcontractors.

Your project can include subcontractors but they must not account for more than 20% of the UK partners’ combined total eligible costs.

Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.

A non-grant claiming UK partner cannot lead on a project.

Organisations from other EUREKA member states can participate provided:

• your project meets the minimum participation levels for UK and Israel organisations
• the partners have secured their own funding

Israel funding

The funding support is in the form of a conditional grant. This generally amounts to up to 50% plus regional incentives for companies located in the designated ‘development zones’ of the eligible R&D budget. Further details regarding development zones, grants and payment of royalties are available at the Israel Innovation Authority website.

Funding Costs

Innovate UK has allocated up to £1.5 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.

For industrial research projects, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small business
• up to 60% if you are a medium-sized business
• up to 50% if you are a large business

Total eligible costs per project are expected to be between £200,000 and £250,000 for the UK partner. Other total eligible costs will be considered.

Your project is expected to last up to 2 years and to start by 1 November 2020 but this is dependent on the national funding procedures of the countries involved in your project.