Launchpad: marine and maritime in the Great South West – R1 MFA

Key Features

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £2 million for projects that grow activities in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West. This Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) 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

The projects will contribute to the Great South West’s ambitions for net zero targets and support for key regional strategic marine and maritime markets.

Your proposal must align to the scope criteria for this competition.

This competition is split into three strands:

It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your application to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope.

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 marine and maritime innovation cluster in the Great South West, defined as Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

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:

  • marine autonomy
  • clean maritime
  • digital ocean technologies

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.

Specific Themes

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

  • disruptive technology to replace traditional ship-based alternatives for equipment inspection and other marine monitoring operations and enhance safety of the seas
  • achieving net zero through transition to alternative fuel powered vessels using energy from low or zero emission sources or highly efficient batteries, also integrating ports into a decarbonised energy network and supplying the fuels of the future
  • leading sensor and communications technology advancement and their connectedness and interoperability, to inform offshore operation by enhancing our understanding of the ocean and any impact upon it

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

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 marine and maritime innovation cluster in the Great South West
  • 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.

Innovate UK 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 marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West
  • require approval from the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for testing in an operational marine environment within the duration of the project
  • 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 the Great South West.

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.

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.