Funding competition SBRI – digital technologies for robotic nuclear decommissioning

Organisations can apply for a share of £1.5 million inclusive of VAT, to develop solutions across five challenges as part of the LongOps programme.

This competition is now closed.

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Competition sections

Description

This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

This is a single phase competition.

Your project must focus only on the development of bespoke technologies and methodologies in one of the 5 challenges in the LongOps programme:

  • Challenge 1: Generic architectures and interfaces for interoperable robotic systems and digital twins
  • Challenge 2: CorteX control system software assurance
  • Challenge 3: Research and development of novel methods, systems and algorithms for path planning, control, vibration suppression to support nuclear decommissioning operators’ using long reach systems
  • Challenge 4: Development of novel techniques for incorporating haptics on virtual training platforms
  • Challenge 5: Research and development of novel techniques and technologies for automated change and anomaly detection, and incorporating sensor data into digital twins

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process.

Any adoption and implementation of a solution from this competition would be subject to a separate, possibly competitive, procurement exercise. This competition does not cover the purchase of any solution.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the date of the deadline.

Funding type

Procurement

Project size

Projects can range in size up to total costs of £150,000 inclusive of VAT.

Who can apply

Your project

Your project must:

  • start by 1 July 2022
  • end by 31 December 2023
  • last between 6 and 18 months
  • have total project costs of up to £150,000 inclusive of VAT

If your project’s total costs or duration fall outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes. We will decide whether to approve your request. If you have not requested approval or your request has not been approved, you will be made ineligible, and your application will not be sent for assessment.

Applicant

To lead a project, you can:

  • be an organisation of any size
  • work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector as subcontractors

Contracts will be awarded only to a single legal entity. However, if you can justify subcontracting components of the work, you can employ specialist consultants or advisers. This work will still be the responsibility of the main contractor.

Eligibility overview

Here is a diagram showing a summary of eligibility.

This is a new way of showing you eligibility. Your feedback will help us to improve it.

Funding

A total of up to £1.5 million inclusive of VAT is allocated to this competition.

The £1.5 million will support projects across all 5 challenges.

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

  • adjust the provisional funding allocations
  • apply a ‘portfolio’ approach

The contract is completed at the end of the competition, and the successful organisation is expected to pursue the commercialisation or further development of their solution.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

You must select whether you are VAT registered before entering your project costs.

VAT is the responsibility of the invoicing business. We will not provide any further advice and suggest you seek independent advice from HMRC.

VAT registered

If you select you are VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT. As part of the application process VAT will be automatically calculated and added to your project cost total. Your total project costs must not exceed £150,000.

Not VAT registered

If you select you are not VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT and no VAT will be added. You will not be able to increase total project costs to cover VAT later should you become VAT registered. Your total project costs must not exceed £150,000.

Research and development

Your application must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design. R&D can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service. This lets you incorporate the results of your exploration and design and demonstrate that you can produce in quantity to acceptable quality standards.

R&D does not include:

  • commercial development activities such as quantity production
  • supply to establish commercial viability or to recover R&D costs
  • integration, customisation or incremental adaptations and improvements to existing products or processes

Number of applications

Organisations can apply multiple times for the competition challenges. Each application must only address a single challenge and must be for a standalone project, with no dependency on other applications or projects.

If successful with multiple applications, you must evidence you have the resources and capacity to undertake the projects.

Subsidy control

SBRI competitions involve procurement of R&D services at a fair market value and are not subject to subsidy control criteria that typically apply to grant funding.

Your proposal

LongOps is a 3.5 year £12 million programme of R&D that brings together three international nuclear decommissioning use cases:

  • decommissioning in the UK by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Sellafield Limited (SL)
  • decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors in Japan by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)
  • fusion remote operations (UKAEA)

The use of robotic systems and digital technologies in the 3 use cases vary. The Joint European Torus (JET) reactor uses these technologies to support and facilitate remote maintenance, inspection and handling tasks. But the technologies are not currently being used in a decommissioning context.

For Sellafield and Fukushima Daichi, robotic systems and digital technologies are not widespread due to the complexity of robotic hardware, regulatory approval and the increased safety concerns associated with digital technologies. Additionally, unstructured environments introduce unique challenges which are not necessarily present in structured environments.

The aim of this competition is to develop digital technologies to address the 3 use cases in each of the 5 challenge areas and to develop a supply chain supporting decommissioning activities in the future.

Your project must focus only on the development of bespoke technologies and methodologies in one challenge area in the LongOps programme. Your project must be a standalone project, with no dependency on other projects or applications.

You can apply for multiple challenges with separate applications.

Software integration between different challenge areas is not in scope.

Your project must be able to demonstrate the technology in a relevant environment with proof-of-concept demonstrations in the challenge areas.

You must have a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise and further develop your results.

Specific challenges

Your project must address one of the following challenge areas:

Challenge 1: Generic architectures and interfaces for interoperable robotic systems and digital twins

The objective of this challenge is to formulate an evaluation strategy and to provide an assessment of existing open standards and architectures. Consideration must be given to interfaces with synthetic environments, simulators and digital twins.

Your project must:

  • increase software maintainability and extensibility, and reduce integration effort
  • reduce integration efforts with use of generic open standards

Your application must address at least one of the following:

  • evaluation of the existing open interfaces, standards and architecture for software maintainability and extensibility
  • development of new novel generic software interfaces that can minimise integration efforts

More information on the specification and the background of this challenge can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Challenge 2: CorteX control system software assurance

CorteX is a software framework for interoperable, plug-and-play, distributed, robotic systems-of-systems developed at the UKAEA. The aim of this challenge is to evaluate CorteX and to assess if it is assurable. We are interested in testing CorteX against some of the toughest existing software assurance standards to investigate its suitability to contribute to Challenge 1.

Projects must demonstrate the application of existing intelligent software verification tools for such tasks, and in doing so increase confidence in using digital tools in nuclear decommissioning.

Your project must:

  • enhance software safety using software verification techniques
  • assure software against existing standards

Your application must:

  • propose a case study for boundary definition and testing
  • provide an evaluation of CorteX using software verification tools

More information on the specification and the background of this challenge can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Challenge 3: Research and development of novel methods, systems and algorithms for path planning, control, vibration suppression to support nuclear decommissioning operators' using long reach systems

The objective of this challenge is to research, develop and evaluate novel software, methods and systems that can support nuclear decommissioning operators' using long reach robotic systems.

Your project must:

  • improve operational safety with strategic task sequencing
  • increase operational safety using (semi-)autonomous algorithms for remote operations
  • reduce operators’ cognitive load with supportive features in human-machine interfaces and autonomy
  • increase efficiency of the operator controlling the long reach system by enhancing control of the flexible long reach manipulators

Your application must develop at least one of the following:

  • novel multi-objective optimisation for strategic task sequencing using digital and computational tools, supporting the optimisation of tasks in complex and uncertain operating settings, prior to the initiation of actual operations
  • automatic collision avoidance and dynamic collision free motion planning systems to support operator-in-the-loop and semi-autonomous remote operations
  • novel control solutions to improve positional accuracy and repeatability for long flexible manipulators, including, but not limited to, appropriate modelling methods, novel sensors to augment estimation algorithms, mechanical devices, and advanced control algorithms

More information on the specification and the background of this challenge can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Challenge 4: Development of novel techniques for incorporating haptics on virtual training platforms

The objective of this challenge is to develop a virtual haptic-enabled platform for operator training and assessment along with nuclear robotic operation task development

Your project must:

  • help training operators using haptic training simulator
  • present scenarios to the operators that can be encountered during real operations
  • increase operators’ competency by simulating faults and other undesired behaviours typically encountered in physical setups
  • reduce operators’ training cost and time by reducing the need to access physical mock-ups

Your application must address at least one of the following:

  • the development of a complex haptic digital twin (HDT) examining the delivery of novel and reliable techniques for incorporating haptic rendering on the manipulation of non-rigid, flexible items and other soft components
  • haptic interactions with simulated deformable or non-rigid objects
  • haptic interactions with cable or rope type objects
  • haptic interactions with simulated object properties, for example, shape, texture, temperature, weight
  • the simulation of faults in haptic devices or simulated manipulators
  • constraints on motion for individual joints or axes of operation
  • the integration of live data into haptic simulation, for example, point cloud, manipulator joint data
  • tactile feedback for manipulation of finer objects
  • the application of tactile feedback for object recognition (‘virtual skin’)
  • multi-point contact haptics
  • haptic stability
  • rendering kinematic constraints of the simulated manipulator

More information on the specification and the background of this challenge can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Challenge 5: Research and development of novel techniques and technologies for automated change and anomaly detection, and incorporating sensor data into digital twins By integrating robust, real-time data gathered from visual, geometric, radiation, temperature, or acoustic sensors, into digital twins, we want to enhance awareness of the unstructured environments. This will provide the operator with real-time decision support tools to help in de-risking operations.

Your project must:

  • enhance operators’ awareness of the environment
  • provide data monitoring overtime including component wear, structural and chemical changes
  • provide operators’ decision support based on sensor data
  • support maintenance activities by automated change detection techniques

Your application must develop at least one of the following:

  • novel sensor fusion and perception algorithms for real-time digital twins
  • predictive and detection tools for anomalies and faults
  • tracking techniques and automated reconfiguration
  • mesh generation, registration, shape parameter and pose estimation, reconstruction
  • motion and environment change detection, which can include voxel difference estimation using octrees, Bayesian modelling
  • virtual rendering of physical (such as radiation, temperature) and geometric (point clouds, meshes, CAD) parameters
  • overtime radioactivity monitoring and visualisation
  • visual anomaly detection
  • sensing error detection

More information on the specification and the background of this challenge can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Research categories

Technical feasibility studies

This means planned research or critical investigation to gain new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services.

The supplier will work closely with the stakeholders to develop a solution. The outcome of the feasibility study should lead onto the development of a prototype.

Prototype development and evaluation

This can include prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real-life operating conditions. The primary objective is to make further technical improvements on products, processes or services that are not substantially set.

Projects we will not fund

We will not fund projects that:

  • do not address how any potentially negative outcomes, such as on the environment or society, would be managed
  • do not evidence the potential for their proposed innovation to generate positive economic or societal impact
  • would directly duplicate other UK government or EU funded initiatives you have already been funded to deliver
  • are covered by existing commercial agreements to deliver the proposed solutions

16 March 2022
Competition opens
28 March 2022
Briefing event: watch the recording
27 April 2022 11:00am
Competition closes
27 May 2022
Applicants notified
10 June 2022
Feedback available

Before you start

By submitting an application, you agree to the terms of the draft contract which is available once you start your application. The terms of the contract are non-negotiable and are included in the draft contract. We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions if necessary.

The final contract will include any milestones you have agreed with the funding authority and will be sent to you if your application is successful. The contract is binding once it is returned by you and signed by both parties.

When you start an application, you will be prompted to create an account as the lead applicant or sign in as a representative of your organisation. Using your account, you will be able to track your application’s progress.

As the applicant you are responsible for:

  • collecting the information for your application
  • representing your organisation in leading the project if your application is successful

You will be able to invite colleagues from your organisation to contribute to the application.

What happens next

The assessment, notifications, feedback and contracts for this competition will be managed by UKAEA.

A selected panel of assessors will review and score your application. You will be notified by UKAEA of the outcome and feedback will be provided.

What we will ask you

The application is split into 3 sections:

1. Project details.

2. Application questions.

3. Finances.

1. Project details

These sections are not scored.

Application details

The lead applicant must complete this section. Give your project’s title, start date and duration.

Who made you aware of the competition?

Select a category to state who made you aware of the competition. You cannot choose more than one.

How long has your organisation been established for?

Select a category to state how long has your organisation been established for. You cannot choose more than one.

What is your organisation’s primary area focus?

Select a category to state your organisation’s primary focus area. You cannot choose more than one.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

We collect and report on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data to address under-representation in business innovation and ensure equality, diversity and inclusion across all our activities.

All participants must complete this EDI survey and the lead applicant must then select yes in the application question.

The survey will ask you questions on your gender, age, ethnicity and disability status. You will always have the option to ‘prefer not to say’ if you do not feel comfortable sharing this information.

Project and scope summary

You must provide a short summary of your project.

Describe your project briefly. Be clear about what makes it innovative and how it relates to the scope of the competition. How does it tackle different aspects of the challenge and how will it provide an integrated solution?

Give details of the lead organisation. Before you submit, we expect you to have discussed your application within your own organisation.

List any organisations you have named as subcontractors.

Your answer for this section can be up to 800 words long.

This section is not scored, but we will use it to decide whether the project fits the scope of the competition. If it does not, it may be rejected.

Public description

Provide a brief description of your project. If your application is successful, we will publish this description. This could happen before you start your project.

This question is mandatory, but we will not assess this content as part of your application.

Describe your project in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. We have the right to amend the description before publication if necessary but will consult you about any changes.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Applicant location

You must state the name of your organisation along with your full registered address.

You must also state the name and full registered address of any potential or confirmed subcontractors.

We are collecting this information to understand the geographical location of all participants of a project.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

2. Application questions

The assessors will score all of your questions, except question 1 which is not scored.

Your answer to each question can be up to 400 words long.

Do not include any URLs in your answers unless we have explicitly requested a link to a video.

Question 1. Challenge (not scored)

Select one from the list of specific challenges for this competition. You cannot choose more than one:

  • Challenge 1: Generic architectures and interfaces for interoperable robotic systems and digital twins
  • Challenge 2: CorteX control system software assurance
  • Challenge 3: Research and development of novel methods, systems and algorithms for path planning, control, vibration suppression to support nuclear decommissioning operators' using long reach systems
  • Challenge 4: Development of novel techniques for incorporating haptics on virtual training platforms
  • Challenge 5: Research and development of novel techniques and technologies for automated change and anomaly detection, and incorporating sensor data into digital twins

Question 2. Proposed idea or technology

How does the project meet the challenge described in the competition scope?

Provide a description of your proposed idea or technology.

Include a description of the current state of development or readiness of the idea.

You can submit a single appendix as a PDF containing images and diagrams to support your answer. It can be no larger than 10MB and up to 2 A4 pages long. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

This question will be scored against this assessment criterion: ‘How well does the proposal meet the challenge?’

Question 3. Technical project summary

What are the main technical challenges you are addressing?

Explain:

  • how you will address the challenge
  • what the innovation is
  • the main technical deliverables
  • the research and development that will prove the scientific, environmental and commercial merit of the project
  • what might be achieved by deploying the innovation to address the selected challenge

This question will be scored against this assessment criterion: ‘How valid is the technical approach?’

Question 4. Current state of the art and intellectual property

Are similar products currently available in the market?

How is your proposed project differentiated from them?

You must include details of:

  • any existing intellectual property (IP)
  • its significance to your freedom to operate
  • novel concepts you develop or employ
  • new approaches or technologies you use
  • new tools or technologies

This question will be scored against these assessment criteria: ‘How innovative is this project? How much does the project develop or employ novel concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools or technologies for this area?’

Question 5. Project plan and methodology

Describe your project plan and identify the main milestones.

The plan must be comprehensive. The emphasis throughout should be on practicality.

Provide evidence that the technology works, can be made into a viable product and can achieve the proposed benefits.

You must:

  • describe resources that will be needed to deliver the project
  • describe what the main success criteria will be
  • identify the project management processes that will ensure you achieve the milestones
  • provide a clear plan for establishing technical and commercial feasibility, if appropriate
  • describe the main technical, commercial and environmental risks and what you will do to mitigate them
  • provide a clear plan for development of a working prototype, if appropriate

You must explain how you would handle any IP issues which might arise during the project.

Include details of how you will maintain freedom to operate and fulfil the IP requirements detailed in the contract if you are working with subcontractors.

You must upload a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix in PDF format no larger than 10MB and up to 2 A4 pages. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Your milestones must:

  • be clear
  • be defined using SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) criteria
  • be associated with the appropriate deliverables and payments
  • indicate your payment schedule by month

Please note that all payments are made quarterly in arrears.

This question will be scored against these assessment criteria:

  • does the proposal show a clear plan for establishing technical and commercial feasibility and the development of a working prototype
  • is there a clear management plan
  • what are the main technical, commercial, and environmental risks to the project’s success
  • how will these be effectively managed
  • are the milestones and evaluation procedures appropriate

Please note information from the finances section will be used to support the assessment of this question. Proposed milestones and associated payments stated in this section must match those entered in the finance summary on your application.

Question 6. Technical team and expertise

Who is in the technical team? What expertise do they offer?

Provide a brief description of your technical team, including any subcontractors.

Describe:

  • how each organisation has the skills, capabilities, and experience to deliver the intended benefits
  • how much of their time will be spent on the project

This question will be scored against this assessment criterion: “Does the applicant have the skills, capabilities and experience to deliver the intended benefits?”

Question 7. Costs and value for money

How much will the project cost? How does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer?

Describe:

  • the total costs inclusive of VAT (if applicable) you are requesting in terms of the project goals
  • how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer

Proposed costs stated in this section must match those entered in the finance summary.

You can submit a single appendix as a spreadsheet in PDF format, no larger than 10MB and up to 2 A4 pages long to support your answer. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Costs quoted must reflect actual costs at a “fair market value” and not include profit.

VAT registered

If you are VAT registered, you must list your project costs inclusive of VAT. Your total project costs must not exceed £150,000.

Not VAT registered

If you are not VAT registered, you must list your project costs exclusive of VAT. You will not be able to increase total project costs to cover VAT later should you become VAT registered. Your total project costs must not exceed £150,000.

We cannot provide VAT advice and suggest you seek independent advice for example from HMRC.

Full Economic Cost (FEC) calculations are not relevant for SBRI competitions. SBRI is a competitive process and applications will come from a variety of organisations. Whatever calculation you use to arrive at your total eligible project costs your application will be assessed against applications from other organisations. Bear this in mind when calculating your total eligible project costs. You can include overheads but remember that this is a competitive process.

The assessors are required to judge the application finances in terms of value for money. They will score your finances against this assessment criterion: “Are the budget and costs realistic, justified and appropriate for the aims and methods?”

Please note information from the finances section will be used to support the assessment of this question. Proposed costs stated in this section must match those entered in the finance summary on your application.

Question 8. Commercial potential

What is the commercial potential of your project? You must focus on your proposed customer’s needs.

Describe your:

  • timescales
  • project’s commercial potential for a marketable product, process or service
  • delivery plan
  • expected route to market

Describe the competitive advantage that your project has over existing or alternative technologies that meet market needs.

Describe any existing commercial relationships relevant to the project.

With the focus on your proposed customer’s needs, you can also mention the future commercial potential across the public or private sector and international markets.

This question will be scored against these assessment criteria:

  • is there a clear commercial potential for a marketable product, process or service
  • is there a clear plan to deliver that and a clear route to market
  • how significant is the competitive advantage of this technology over existing technologies that meet the market’s needs

3. Finances

Enter your project costs, organisation details and funding details.

You must select whether you are VAT registered before entering your project costs. We advise you answer the VAT registered question first. Your total project costs must not exceed £150,000.

If you select you are VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT. As part of the application process VAT will be automatically calculated and added to your project cost total.

If you select you are not VAT registered, you must enter your project costs exclusive of VAT and no VAT will be added. You will not be able to increase total project costs to cover VAT later should you become VAT registered.

VAT is the responsibility of the invoicing business. We will not provide any further advice and advise you to seek independent advice from HMRC.

For full information on what costs you can claim, see our project costs guidance.

Background and further information

About Small Business Research Initiative competitions

SBRI provides innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector. This can lead to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness.

The SBRI programme:

  • supports economic growth and enables the development of innovative products and services through the public procurement of R&D
  • generates new business opportunities for companies
  • provides a route to market for their ideas
  • bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early-stage companies

SBRI competitions are open to all organisations that can demonstrate a route to market for their solution. The SBRI scheme is particularly suited to small and medium-sized businesses, as the contracts are of relatively small value and operate on short timescales. Developments are 100% funded and focused on specific identified needs, increasing the chance of exploitation.

SBRI is a procurement of R&D services. If successful, you will receive a contract to deliver the proposed activity. You will submit an invoice for the work undertaken. If you are VAT registered, your total costs are expected to include VAT that you would charge as a service provider. VAT is the responsibility of the invoicing business, and applications are expected to list total costs inclusive of VAT.

Suppliers for each project will be selected by an open competition process and retain the intellectual property generated from the project, with certain rights of use retained by the contracting authority. This is an excellent opportunity to establish an early customer for a new technology and to fund its development.

Broader Information

More information on the specification and the background of the challenges can be found at https://race.ukaea.uk/longops/

Data sharing

This competition is jointly operated by Innovate UK, and UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), (each an “agency”).

Your submitted application and any other information you provide at the application stage can be submitted to each agency on an individual basis for its storage, processing and use. Any relevant information produced during the application process concerning your application can be shared by one agency with the other, for its individual storage, processing and use.

This means that any information given to or generated by Innovate UK in respect of your application may be passed on to UKAEA and vice versa.

Innovate UK is directly accountable to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. It is held in accordance with its Information Management Policy.

Innovate UK and UKAEA are directly accountable to you for their holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with their own policies. Accordingly, Innovate UK, and UKAEA will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of GDPR, and is committed to upholding the data protection principles, and protecting your information. The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Further help and guidance

If you want help to find an organisation to work with, contact the Innovate UK KTN.

If you have any questions about the scope requirements of this competition, email: enquiries@longops.race.ukaea.uk

If you need support with the application process, email us at support@iuk.ukri.org or call the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

Innovate UK is committed to making support for applicants accessible to everyone.

We can provide help for applicants who face barriers when making an application. This might be because of a disability, neurodiversity or anything else that makes it difficult to use our services. We can also give help and make other reasonable adjustments for you if your application is successful.

If you think you need more support, it is important that you contact our Customer Support Service as early as possible during your application process. You should aim to contact us no later than 10 working days before the competition closing date.

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