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

Lead organisation

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 digital technologies innovation cluster in North East England
• have a demonstrable ambition for business growth

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

Subcontractors

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.

Number of applications

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 digital technologies innovation cluster in North East England
• 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
• 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 North East 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 cost 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.