Launchpad: Net Zero, MFA, Tees Valley, R2

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £3 million in innovation projects. The funding will support projects across the Launchpad competitions that target the innovation clusters centered on the Liverpool City Region and the Tees Valley.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Businesses must be active, or growing their work activities, in the net zero innovation cluster centered on Tees Valley.

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

Your project must be innovating within the net zero theme for this competition.

Your project must commercialise knowledge through new innovation activities and lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and generating economic impact in the net zero cluster centered on Tees Valley.

Your proposal must explain how your team and project will contribute to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity of the innovation cluster.

Specific Themes

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

materials for the future economy
smart design
resilient supply chains
world class production
longer in use and reuse

Projects can also consider the following enabling areas:

digital technologies
clean energy
proactive regulations and policy
future skills
networked relations
evolving value models

Eligibility

Your project must:

have a grant funding request between £25,000 and £100,000
start by 01 September 2023
end by 30 September 2024
last between 6 and 12 months
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
be active or growing your work activities in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley
have a demonstrable ambition for business growth

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.

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 net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley
have demonstrable ambition for business growth

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Their involvement must contribute to the 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 project costs.

A business can lead on only one MFA application.

If you apply to the CR&D strand of this competition, as well as this MFA strand, you must make sure each project is clearly distinctive and separate.

Innovate UK 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.

Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period.

In your 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:

Minimal Financial Assistance (previously referred to as Special Drawing Rights)
De Minimis Regulation

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 UK subsidy control requirements can be found in:

the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement
guidance from BEIS

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

Further information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the UK’s International Obligations to Subsidy Control or the De minimis rules, you should take independent legal advice.

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects:

submitted by applicants who led a successful application to the Launchpad Tees Valley MFA Round 1 competition
that do not align with the net zero theme described in the scope
where the work location does not add to the net zero innovation cluster centered on Tees Valley
that involve primary production in fishery and aquaculture
that involve primary production in agriculture
with activities relating to the purchase of road freight transport
not allowed under De minimis regulation restrictions
not eligible to receive Minimal Financial Assistance

Innovate UK cannot fund projects that 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
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

Innovate UK have allocated up to £3 million to fund innovation projects selected across the two strands of this Launchpad competition and the two strands of a second Launchpad competition for the innovation cluster centered on the Liverpool City Region.

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

adjust the funding allocations between the strands
apply a ‘portfolio’ approach

You can request up to 100% funding for your eligible project costs up to a maximum of £100,000.

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