Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Round 12 – stage 1

Key Features

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £2.25 million to resolve productivity and competitiveness issues by working with top scientists and research facilities.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £2.25 million

Opens: 13th Nov 2023

Closes: 3rd Jan 2024

! This scheme is now closed

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £2.25 million in small collaborative innovation projects working with our analysis for innovators (A4I) partners:

  • the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
  • the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at Laboratory of the Government Chemist Group (LGC)
  • the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL)
  • the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
  • National Gear Metrology Lab (GEARS)
  • Newton Gateway to Mathematics
  • Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE 2020+)
  • Henry Royce Institute (HRI)

Scope

The aim of this competition is to help businesses address their existing analysis and measurement problems. These are problems that can be best explored by scientists and cutting-edge facilities available in the UK.

You must outline what you consider to be the benefits of solving your problem, such as improved productivity or competitiveness.

Innovate UK will only consider problems that:

  • are related to an existing process, product or service
  • are related to the measurement or analysis of some quantities or properties of your process, product or service
  • are not effectively solvable by simple ‘off the shelf’ methods or techniques

You must outline any methods and attempts that you have previously tried to address the problem. Do not propose how the problem should be solved.

Analysis problems cannot be simply software related, for example pure data analysis.

As part of your application, you must include a short video, up to 2 minutes long.

You must use Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators (A4I) Video platform to record your video and then provide a link in your application.

If we are unable to view your video, your application will be made ineligible.

Eligibility

Your application must:

  • meet the A4I problem scope requirements
  • relate to work being undertaken in the UK
  • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
  • involve at least one of the A4I partner organisations
  • indicate a stage 2 project duration of between 3 and 6 months
  • indicate a stage 2 project start date of between 1 September 2024 and 1 December 2024

Confirmation of your stage 2 project duration and start date will be agreed with your A4I partner during brokerage following a successful stage 1 application.

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

In stage 2, some or all of your funding from this competition may be subject to Minimal Financial Assistance limits. You will be made ineligible if you exceed this limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application in stage 2.

Projects must always start on the first of the month and this must be stated within your application. Your project start date will be reflected in your grant offer letter if you are successful.

Lead organisation

To apply to this stage your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.

Number of applications

A business of any size may make only one application to this competition.

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

Exclusions

Innovate UK will not consider problems that are:

  • not measurement or analysis problems
  • ones we consider to be resolvable with easily available methods, such as those that do not require any innovative or cutting-edge science or facilities
  • solely computer software analysis problems, such as algorithms to analyse objects
  • not related to a company’s existing processes, products or services

In the stage 2 competition we will not fund any projects that are:

  • involved with primary production in fishery and aquaculture
  • involved with primary production in agriculture
  • relating to the purchase of road freight transport
  • not allowed under De minimis regulation restrictions
  • not eligible to receive Minimal Financial Assistance
  • dependent on export performance, for example giving an award to a baker on the condition that they export a certain quantity of bread to another country
  • dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example if we give an award to a baker on the condition that they use 50% UK flour in their product

Minimal Financial Assistance (and De minimis where applicable)

The funded stage 2 of this competition will be in two strands:

  • grant funding in strand 1 will be awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA)
  • grant funding in strand 2 will be match-funded but contributions made by A4I partners will count towards your company’s MFA limit

MFA allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period.

In your stage 2 application, you will be asked to declare previous funding received by you. This will form part of the financial checks ahead of Innovate UK making a formal grant offer.

To establish your eligibility, we need to check that our support added to the amount you have previously received does not exceed the limit of £315,000 in the ‘applicable period’.

The applicable period is made up of:

(a) the elapsed part of the current financial year, and

(b) the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year.

You must include any funding which you have received during the applicable period under:

You do not need to include aid or subsidies which have been granted on a different basis, for example, an aid award granted under the General Block Exemption Regulation.

Further information about the Subsidy Control Act 2022 requirements can be found in the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

EU Commission rules now only apply in limited circumstances. Please see general guidance to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

Further information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, you should take independent legal advice. We cannot advise on individual eligibility or your legal obligations.

Funding Costs

Innovate UK have allocated up to £2.25 million to fund projects across both strands in stage 2 of this competition.

For more information on company sizes, please refer to the Company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under European Commission Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.