Key Features
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West. This funding is from Innovate UK.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £3 million
Opens: 2nd Sep 2024
Closes: 16th Oct 2024
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the Great South West to invest up to £3 million in innovation projects for marine and maritime.
This funding is from Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme. The Launchpad programme supports the UK Government’s goals in the Levelling Up White Paper.
The funding will support projects across the two Launchpad competition strands that target the innovation cluster in the Great South West.
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.
The businesses will use the funding to grow their innovation activities in the cluster, both during and after the project.
For this competition, the Great South West consists of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
Your proposal must align to the scope criteria for this competition.
This competition is split into two 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.
In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.
The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must be growing innovation activities in the marine and maritime innovation cluster in the Great South West
For this competition, the Great South West consists of 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:
Your project must contribute to growing your innovation activities in the cluster, both during and after the project.
Portfolio approach
Innovate UK want to fund a variety of projects across different 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:
Your project can focus on one or more of the following theme areas:
Monitoring and Autonomy
Developing or using disruptive technologies to replace traditional ship-based alternatives for equipment inspection and other marine monitoring operations and enhance safety of the seas, such as in the offshore renewable energy industry.
Clean Maritime
Transitioning 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.
Digital Ocean Technology
Advancing sensor and communication technology and their connectedness and interoperability, to enhance our understanding of the ocean and the impacts from offshore operations, including in aquaculture and the emerging ocean economy.
This list is not exhaustive. Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this competition you can focus on other themes.
Your project must:
Projects must always start on the first of the month. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.
You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
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 work alone your organisation must:
More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.
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. Any subsequent applications submitted by the same business will be ineligible and will not be forwarded for assessment.
You are not eligible to apply to this Round 2 MFA competition if you led a successful application to the Great South West Launchpad Round 1 MFA 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.
Sanctions
This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.
Use of animals in research and innovation
Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.
You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
Innovate UK are not funding projects that:
Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:
Innovate UK have allocated up to £3 million to fund innovation projects projects across the two strands of this Launchpad competition for the Great South West.
Funding will be in the form of Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA).
The total funding available for this Launchpad competition can change. The funders have the right to:
Your total project costs will be up to 100% funded, up to the maximum grant of £100,000. Your 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. Your project costs can be higher than your grant funding request.
Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.
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