Future Economy Investor Partnerships SME: round 3

Overview

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, has selected a pool of investor partners. These investor partners have demonstrated that they have the credibility, capability, capacity and appetite to invest in innovative, technology-led businesses that align with our programmes. These programmes will focus on the future economy as described in our plan for action.

The Future Economy investor partnership programme brings together:

Innovate UK’s expertise in identifying innovation and using grant funding to change the risk profile of businesses
investor partners’ aligned funding and expertise in identifying opportunities and teams that can best use extra investment finance

Scope

The aim of this competition is to provide you with support for research and development and access to the capital investment you need to develop and commercialise your innovations.

Your proposal must have a clear route to market, a clear link to innovation and evidence that you can create a team to deliver your proposal.

You must be:

registered in the UK as an SME by the time the award is contracted
able to raise the aligned finance needed to draw down the award, through the issue of new shares or convertible debt

You must also demonstrate that if your project is funded, it will:

have significant market impact
be scalable
be attractive to other equity investors

Broader themes

Innovate UK are looking to support projects that focus on the future economy areas included in the Innovate UK plan for action. The broad theme areas are:

net zero
health and wellbeing
next generation digital technologies and technology families

Innovation and ideas can come from anyone and anywhere. We want to see investments unlocked for the diverse and extraordinary talent in the UK. We are encouraging diverse applicants and inclusive project applications, pushing beyond the status quo.

Innovate UK encourage innovation involving communities that are typically under-represented, including:

from regions that have historically accessed lower levels of investment (outside London, Oxford and Cambridge)
ethnic minority groups
women and other marginalised genders
disabled people
people with non-traditional education backgrounds

To support this, we also have a targeted theme on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Specific themes

The investor partnership programme will be focused on specific themes for the future economy areas that include:

Net Zero

capital intensive technologies
power – particularly offshore wind, civil nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and whole systems integration
heating and retrofit
mobility
resource efficiency for materials and manufacturing
critical circular materials
battery technologies for transport and energy storage (Faraday Battery Challenge)

Health and Wellbeing

innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges (Biomedical Catalyst)
advancing life-changing Cancer Therapeutics, focussed on immunotherapies and paediatric oncology
the application of extended reality for digital mental health, including immersive content that could be delivered as a digital mental health therapeutic in formal healthcare settings (Mindset)
controlled environment agriculture and alternative proteins

Next generation digital technologies

projects within the creative industries which are underpinned by innovative digital technology as well as sustainable innovations, such as circular fashion (Creative Catalyst)
adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in targeted industries (Bridge AI)

Knows No Limit (equality, diversity and inclusion)

innovations from diverse founders or senior decision-makers that are from under-represented groups and are role models
innovations outside of the future economy theme areas, including those that support under-served communities and groups

These programmes are described in more detail in the UKRI investor partnerships and Innovate UK KTN investor partnerships websites.

If your project is not focused on one of the specific themes above then it may be supported if it is in the future economy areas of net zero, health and wellbeing and digital and technologies as set out in the Innovate UK plan for action.

In scope and the specific themes questions, you must explain which theme your project most closely relates and why. If it does not relate to one of the specific themes, but is within the broader future economy scope, then indicate to which broader theme it relates to and why.

Your application will be considered out of scope if you do not answer this clearly.

Eligibility

This competition is open to single applicants only.

Your project

The eligibility criteria will depend on your research category.

For feasibility studies projects:

your total project costs must be between £50,000 and £300,000
the project duration must be between 6 and 12 months

For industrial research projects:

your total project costs must be between £100,000 and £1 million
the project duration must be between 6 and 24 months

For experimental development projects:

your total project costs must be between £250,000 and £2 million
the project duration must be between 12 and 24 months

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian and Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian and Belarusian source.

If you have not provided information on the investor partner who is leading on your investment or we are unable to confirm the investment position with that investor partner, then your application will not be eligible. Your application will then not be sent for assessment.

Your organisation

To apply your organisation must:

be a UK registered micro, small or medium sized business (SME)
carry out its project work in or from the UK
intend to exploit the results in or from the UK
have discussed and agreed your proposal with your investor partner before submitting your application

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you could not use suppliers from the UK.

You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total project costs.

You can only submit one application into this round of the competition.

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects that are:

not carried out by SMEs
collaborative R&D projects
not part of a company’s growth plan
unable to demonstrate there is potential for return on investment and growth
not working with an investor partner from the selected pool of investor partners

Innovate UK cannot fund projects that are:

dependent on export performance, for example giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country
dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product

Funding Costs

You will only receive grant funding from Innovate UK if you also receive a minimum level of investment that has been led by your investor partner. The minimum level of investment will depend on the research level.

Innovate UK will decide which projects are eligible and in scope to receive grant funding. The decision will be based on the assessment of your application by independent assessors and on a review of your expected investment following a discussion with your proposed investor partner.

If you are successful you will receive grant funding to cover a proportion of the costs of your project. The project will only be allowed to commence once the agreed aligned investment has been confirmed.

Your business must have sufficient capital resources, including through investment from the investor partner and the grant funding, to enable you to meet all your project’s eligible costs.

All recipients must act commercially, and your funding request must not exceed the limits specified.

Feasibility studies and industrial research projects

For feasibility studies and industrial research projects, Innovate UK will fund:

up to 70% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
up to 60% for medium sized organisations

The investment led by the investor partner must always be at least equal to the grant funding.

Experimental development projects

For experimental development projects Innovate UK will fund:

up to 45% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
up to 35% for medium sized organisations

The investment led by the investor partner must always be at least twice as much as the grant funding.

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