Up to GBP 15 million are available for projects that stimulate and broaden innovation in manufacturing and materials through addressing technical or commercial challenges. The competition targets projects with eligible costs between GBP 50,000 and GBP 2 million, with a funding intensity of up to 70%.
This programme is being managed by Innovate UK, and eligible beneficiaries may be companies of any size that are based and operating within the UK. At least one SME must be involved in the project.
Although the programme targets projects with eligible costs between GBP 50,000 and GBP 2 million, projects with costs outside this range may still be considered, and must contact Innovate UK ten days before registration deadline in order to discuss the project. The funding intensity will also depend on the size of the business and the type of the project.
A project must cover one of the following areas:
Further details about project eligibility, as well as the applicable funding conditions, can be found in the presentation here.
The competition timeline is as follows, with results being released in October 2016: