Innovate UK invites applications for its smart grants. These support disruptive research and development innovations in any area of technology with a potential to make a significant impact on the UK economy. All projects must be business focused. Preference is given to applications that demonstrate realistic and significant potential for global markets.

They may come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy, such as:

•the arts, design and media;

•creative industries;

•science or engineering.

Applications must include at least one SME, therefore only SMEs may work alone. Project leads must be a UK based business of any size or a research and technology organisation. Academic institutions cannot lead. Collaborators must be a UK based business, academic organisation, charity, public sector organisation or RTO. Applicants must carry out their R&D project activity in the UK and intend to commercially exploit the project results from or in the UK. RTOs who wish to lead must have two or more business collaborators, including one SME. They must have a credible route to market for the output of the project, which is expected to be through the partners rather than through the RTO itself. As project partners, RTOs may participate as either a research organisation and receive 100 per cent of the grant, or as a business entity and be reimbursed a percentage of their eligible costs. Applications may include partners that don’t receive funding.

Projects with a duration of between six and 18 months and with total eligible costs of between £25,000 and £500,000 may be single or collaborative. Projects with a duration of between 19 and 36 months and with total eligible project costs of between £25,000 and £2 million must be collaborative. Up to £3m may be provided for these collaborative projects in exceptional circumstances.

Lunch from 13:30 outside PLT, meeting from 14:00

EOI stage opens 6th November. CLASP 2020; Security and Environment

The key challenge areas for CLASP 2020 have been identified as Security and Environment. Applications are invited to be submitted to address a specific challenge within one (or both) of these themes. The remit of these themes is broad and can include any relevant area such as, but not limited to:
Security
areas

Cyber security
Food security
Nuclear security
Border security
National/international security
Responding to security disasters
Monitoring chemical exposure

 
Environment
areas

Natural environment
Air quality
Space environment
Urban environment
Waste management
Predicting and/or responding to environmental disasters
Pollution monitoring

Please note, a proposal submitted to CLASP does not have to align with these examples, and applications in other Security and Environment sectors will be accepted.