Manufacturing readiness and scale up of genomic analysis technologies

Key Features

UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million to increase the manufacturing capacity of innovative genomic analysis technologies.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £5 million

Opens: 18th Jun 2018

Closes: 18th Jul 2018

! This scheme is now closed

Overview

Innovate UK have allocated up to £5 million to invest in innovative projects that will increase the UK commercial capacity to manufacture real time or rapid genomic analysis equipment such as high throughput nucleic acid sequencing.

This investment will be funded under the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Projects need to demonstrate that the capital investment grant they are requesting will:

  • advance the UK’s ability to manufacture genomic analysis technologies
  • encourage partnerships between public and private organisation
  • maximise further investment

Projects should detail new products that will be manufacturing as a result of the funding.

Your idea will be subject to a 2 stage assessment consisting of this application and an interview panel.

Your project’s total costs should be up to £10 million. Projects must start in October 2018 and end by 31 March 2019. Projects should last 3 to 5 months.

Themes

Innovate UK are particularly encouraging applications that:

  • can deliver within the timescale
  • can demonstrate in house or through partnerships, experience in the manufacturing of complex technologies to meet high customer and regulatory expectations
  • can demonstrate they are able to co-fund
  • simplify multistep manufacturing processes
  • reduce product and production variability
  • ease quality control and release testing
  • introduce increased automation
  • lower the cost of goods

Eligibility

To lead a project you must:

  • be a UK based business of any size
  • carry out your project in the UK
  • work alone or in collaboration with others (for example businesses, research base and third sector)
  • have a manufacturing facility for genomic analysis technologies

To be eligible for funding you must:

  • be a UK based business, academic organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
  • carry out your project work in the UK
  • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

Funding Costs

This competition is for capital investment, including refurbishment and equipment. Funding cannot go towards salaries or consumables. Capital can include the cost of setting up equipment but not the costs of maintenance or staff.

Purchased equipment or refurbishment should be used for scale up of genomic analysis technology manufacturing at least 80% of the time.

The maximum funding for eligible project costs is:

  • up to 50% if you are a business (of any size)
  • up to 100% if you are a non-profit distributing research organisation

Exclusions

  • genomics discovery projects
  • early stage genomic analysis technology development projects, such as proof-of concept or translation
  • genome sequencing or other ‘omics analysis projects
  • expansion of manufacturing within an academic or clinically managed facility