Launchpad: Agri-tech and food tech in Eastern England – R1 MFA

Key Features

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for business led projects that grow activities in the agri-tech and food technology cluster in Eastern England. This funding is from Innovate UK.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £2 million

Opens: 23rd Oct 2023

Closes: 6th Dec 2023

! This scheme is now closed

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £2 million in innovation projects.

The funding will support projects across the three Launchpad competition strands that target the innovation cluster in Eastern England.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must be active or growing work activities in the Agri-tech and food technology innovation cluster in Eastern England.

Eastern England is defined as the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership area, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The geographical requirement is set to align this competition to the Government’s goals in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Your project must focus on one or more of the following:

  • enhancing the productivity of primary crops, the bioeconomy, livestock, aquaculture or ornamental plants
  • biotechnologies related to agriculture, food and nutrition
  • food that promotes safe, healthy and nutritious diets
  • resource efficient production methods for low emission foods

Your project must lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and economic impact in the cluster.

Your proposal must explain how your team and project will contribute to equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) in the cluster.

Innovate UK want to fund a variety of projects across different durations, locations, and themes. We call this a portfolio approach.

In support of the Government’s Levelling Up goals, we reserve the right to prioritise projects that:

  • are shorter in duration
  • significantly advance innovation in agri-tech and food technology
  • are led by businesses already based in the innovation cluster
  • have greater levels of activity outside the Greater South East

Specific Themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

  • sustainability in the context of environmental challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity
  • protecting, maintaining or enhancing animal welfare within current UK regulatory standard
  • nutritional composition, food manufacturing and processing, packaging, and safety
  • minimising negative effects such as pollution, food loss and waste
  • resilience and responsiveness in the supply chain, mitigating risks, interruptions or disruptions

This list is not exhaustive. Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this Launchpad competition you can focus on other topics.

Eligibility

Your project must:

  • have a total grant funding request of between £25,000 and £100,000
  • last between 6 and 12 months
  • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
  • start at the earliest on 1 April 2024
  • end by 30 April 2025

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.

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 or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.

You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application.

To lead a project your organisation must:

  • be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
  • be active or growing your work activities in the agri-tech and food technology innovation cluster in Eastern England
  • have a demonstrable ambition for business growth

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

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Their contribution must add to the innovation led growth of the cluster.

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

We expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.

A business can lead on only one MFA strand application for this competition.

If you apply to the CR&D strand of this competition, as well as this MFA strand, each project must be clearly distinctive and separate. We will monitor closely for this separation if you are awarded funding in both competition strands.

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

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects that:

  • do not contribute to innovation activity in the agri-tech and food technology cluster in Eastern England
  • are aimed solely at equine markets
  • involve wild caught fisheries
  • are within scope of the Cluster management strand of this Launchpad competition
  • request grant funding of less than £25,000 or more than £100,000

Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:

  • involve primary production in fishery and aquaculture
  • involve primary production in agriculture, meaning the project must be undertaking research and development, the solution must be for exploitation by the wider business community and the funding cannot be used for capital asset acquisition
  • have activities relating to the purchase of road freight transport
  • are not allowed under De minimis regulation restrictions
  • are not eligible to receive Minimal Financial Assistance
  • are 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
  • are 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

Funding Costs

Up to £2 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects across the three strands of this Launchpad competition for the agri-tech and food technology innovation cluster in Eastern England.

The total funding available for this Launchpad competition can change. The funders have the right to:

  • adjust the funding allocations between all Launchpad competitions and strands
  • apply a ‘portfolio’ approach

Your total project costs will be funded at up to 100%, to the maximum grant of £100,000. Your project costs can be higher than your grant funding request. The total grant funding request detailed within your application must not exceed £100,000. If your grant funding request exceeds £100,000 then your application will be made ineligible.

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.