Funding competition November 2017 sector competition:strand 1 Manufacturing and Materials

UK businesses can apply for a share of £19 million for innovation projects in manufacturing and materials or infrastructure systems. A further £16 million is available for KTPs.

This competition is now closed.

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Competition sections

Description

Innovate UK is to invest up to £19 million to support innovation across the manufacturing and materials and Infrastructure systems sectors. Funded projects will target opportunities that offer significant changes in productivity and cutting-edge innovations.

There will be:

  • up to £5 million for projects up to 12 months
  • up to £14 million for projects between 13 and 36 months

A further £16 million is available to fund Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

This competition has 2 strands. This is the Manufacturing and Materials strand. The other strand is Infrastructure Systems. An eligible project, in manufacturing and materials, must cover at least one of the following areas:

  • innovation in a manufacturing system, technology, process or business model
  • innovation in materials development, properties, integration or reuse
  • a manufacturing or materials innovation, rather than a product innovation

Proposals must improve business growth and productivity or create export opportunities for at least one UK SME involved in the project.

Funding type

Grant

Project size

Projects should range in size from total costs of £50,000 to £2 million. Projects must last between 6 months and 3 years.

Find out if you are eligible to apply

To be eligible for funding you must:

  • be a UK-based business, university or research and technology organisation (RTO)
  • carry out your project work and intend to exploit the results in the UK
  • all projects must involve an SME

Any one business or RTO may lead on one application and partner in a further 2 applications.

If an RTO is:

  • the lead on an application they must have 2 business collaborators (one SME, and one other business of any size)
  • not the lead on any application, they can be a partner in any number of applications

Academics cannot lead on an application but can be a collaborator in any number of applications.

If an application is unsuccessful, you can use the feedback received to apply once more to have the same project funded (in other words, you can make a maximum of 2 applications in total for any project).

If Innovate UK judges that your project is not materially different from a project you have submitted before, it will be classed as a resubmission.

When Innovate UK assesses whether a project is in scope, we will use the terms and definitions laid out in the ‘Scope’ section.

The research organisations in your consortium may share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs.

If you applied to a previous competition as the lead or sole company and were awarded funding by Innovate UK, but did not make a substantial effort to exploit that award, we will award no more funding to you, in this or any other competition. You will not be able to contest our decision. We will:

  • assess your efforts in the previous competition against your exploitation plan for that project
  • review the monitoring officers’ reports and any other relevant sources for evidence
  • document our decision, which will be made by 3 team members
  • communicate our decision to you in writing

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

As part of this competition, we also welcome applications for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). For further information please see the guidance for KTPs.

We will accept applications for KTPs in all disciplines and applications that can be considered to be within manufacturing and materials. That includes applications beyond the defined scope of this specific competition.

KTP applicants are subject to the same application deadline. However, KTP applicants should follow the specific guidance for KTPs. It is recommended that interested parties contact the relevant KTP Adviser in the first instance.

Projects that we won’t fund

In this competition we are not funding projects:

  • covering product or prototype development where the main innovation, challenge or risk is not in the manufacturing process or materials
  • that apply existing and well-known manufacturing processes to develop a new product, without significant innovation challenges in the processes themselves
  • that involve choosing a suitable material for a product from a library of known materials, where there is no further significant technical development of the material or innovation in the manufacturing process

Funding and project details

We have allocated up to £19 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.

Projects with costs under and including £100,000 can be single or collaborative but must be led by an SME.

Projects over £100,000 must be collaborative and involve an SME.

We will give priority to projects focusing on:

  • improving productivity within a business, a value chain or the economy as a whole
  • supporting the commercialisation of our world class research base
  • enabling a significant change in competitiveness in domestic or global markets
  • advancing business growth across the UK that will create more high-value jobs

Project types

Your project can focus on technical feasibility, industrial research or experimental development. This will depend on the challenge.

For technical feasibility studies and industrial research, you could get:

  • up to 70% of your eligible project costs if you are a small business
  • up to 60% if you are a medium-sized business
  • up to 50% if you are a large business

For experimental development projects which are nearer to market, you could get:

  • up to 45% of your eligible project costs if you are a small business
  • up to 35% if you are a medium-sized business
  • up to 25% if you are a large business

Find out if your business fits the EU definition of an SME.

Competition scope

The aim of this manufacturing and materials strand is to encourage and broaden innovation in the manufacturing and materials sector. Projects should target opportunities for significant changes in productivity and in cutting-edge innovations with significant potential for encouraging growth in all parts of the UK economy. Innovation is required to grow UK manufacturing productivity, increase material efficiency and sustain our competitiveness in the long term.

Examples for achieving this are:

  • developing more flexible and efficient processes
  • developing processes that enable faster and greater customisation of products, to satisfy consumer demands
  • developing materials for ease of manufacture
  • addressing the manufacturing readiness of growing sectors
  • developing materials to deliver targeted performance specifications
  • diversifying product and service lines to address new markets
  • developing novel services or business models that open up new sources of revenue from manufacturing

We encourage projects for manufacturing or materials innovations that have the potential to affect more than one application sector. We also strongly encourage projects that will focus on productivity challenges in manufacturing.

Specific strand 1 competition themes

Innovative projects are welcomed across the following main manufacturing and materials technology themes:

  • nanotechnology and nanomaterials
  • composite materials
  • coatings, thin films and surfaces
  • metals and metallurgy
  • ceramics
  • polymers
  • non-metallics
  • electronic and sensing materials
  • resource efficiency
  • assembly and joining
  • forming technologies
  • chemical and bio process
  • surface engineering
  • CAD/CAM/CAE/simulation, digital manufacturing
  • electronics manufacturing
  • sensor and instrument (design and manufacture)
  • material recovery and treatment
  • additive manufacturing and 3D printing
28 November 2017
Competition opens
12 December 2017
London briefing event. Watch the recording: part 1 and part 2
12 December 2017
14 December 2017
Glasgow briefing event.
19 December 2017
Cardiff briefing event.
31 January 2018 12:00pm
Competition closes
20 April 2018 4:37pm
Applicants notified

Before you start

To start an application you must create an account as the lead applicant, or sign in as a representative of your organisation. Once you have an account you can track the progress of your application.

As a lead applicant:

  • you are responsible for collecting the information for your funding application
  • you can invite other organisations who will participate in the project as collaborators if your application is successful
  • you can invite colleagues to contribute to the application
  • your organisation will lead the project if your application is successful

Partner organisations can be other businesses, research organisations, public sector organisations or charities.

Please read the general guidance for applicants. It will help your chances of submitting a quality application.

Research organisations

Research organisations may participate in applications as collaborators. In this competition research and technology organisations (RTOs) may also lead a collaborative project subject to the eligibility criteria and rules.

There are specific rules for research partners which limit the amount of involvement a research organisation may have in your project. The participation rule will be set out in the eligibility criteria for the competition.

You will not be able to submit your application if your research participation is over the stated percentage for the competition.

What we ask you

The application is split into 3 sections:

1. Project details

2. Application questions

3. Finances

1. Project details

In this section you will provide the details of your project. This section is not scored, but our assessors will use it to decide whether the project fits with the scope of the competition. If it doesn’t fit the scope then it will be immediately rejected. Within project details you will need to complete:

Application details

The title of your project, the start date and project length. This section will also list you as the lead organisation and any partner organisations you have named as collaborators. The lead applicant must complete this section.

Project summary

Describe your project and what is innovative about it. We use this section to assign experts to assess your application so we need a summary of the innovation in your project.

Public description

Describe your project in a way that you are happy to see published. Please do not include any commercially sensitive information. If your project is successful and awarded funding, Innovate UK will publish this description.

Project scope

Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope it will not be eligible for funding and will not be sent for assessment. Innovate UK will provide feedback if we decide that your project is not in scope.

2. Application questions

In this section, answers to these questions are scored by the assessors. Following assessment, you will receive feedback from the assessors for each question.

Question 1: Need or challenge

What is the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity behind your innovation?

  • describe the main motivation for the project; the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity
  • describe the nearest current state-of-the-art (including those near-market or in development) and its limitations
  • describe any work you have already done to respond to this need. For example is the project focused on developing an existing capability or building a new one?
  • identify the wider economic, social, environmental, cultural and/or political challenges which are influential in creating the opportunity for example, incoming regulations. Our Horizons tool can help here

Question 2: Approach and innovation

What approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be?

  • explain how you propose to respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identified
  • explain how it will improve on the nearest current state-of-the-art identified
  • indicate where the focus of the innovation will be in the project (application of existing technologies in new areas, development of new technologies for existing areas or a totally disruptive approach) and the freedom you have to operate
  • explain how this project fits with your current product/service lines/offerings
  • explain how it will make you more competitive
  • describe the nature of the outputs you expect from the project for example, report, demonstrator, know-how, new process, product or service design. How will these will take you closer to targeting the need, challenge or opportunity identified?

You may submit a single appendix as a PDF no more than 1MB in size to support your answer.

Question 3: Team and resources

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

  • describe the roles, skills and relevant experience of all members of the project team in relation to the approach you will be taking
  • describe the resources, equipment and facilities required for the project and how you will access them
  • provide details of any vital external parties, including sub-contractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the project
  • if collaborative, describe the current relationships between the project partners and how these will change as a result of the project
  • highlight any gaps in the team that will need to be filled

You may submit a single appendix as a PDF no more than 1MB in size.to support your answer.

Question 4: Market awareness

What does the market you are targeting look like?

Specify the markets (domestic and/or international) you will be targeting in the project and any other potential markets.

For the target markets, describe:

  • the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by appropriate references where available
  • the structure and dynamics of the market such as customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframes
  • the main supply/value chains and business models in operation and any barriers to entry
  • the current UK position in targeting this market

For highly innovative projects, where the market may be unexplored, explain:

  • what the route to market could or might be
  • what its size might be
  • how the project will seek to explore the market potential

For other markets, briefly describe the size and main features

Question 5: Outcomes and route to market

How do you propose to grow your business and increase your productivity into the long term as a result of the project?

  • describe your current position in the markets and supply/value chains outlined for example, if you will be extending or establishing your market position
  • describe your target customers and/or end-users, and the value proposition to them (why would they use/buy it?)
  • describe your route to market
  • tell us how you are going to profit from the innovation (increased revenues or cost reduction)
  • explain how the innovation will impact your productivity and growth in the short and long-term
  • describe how you will protect and exploit the outputs of the project for example, through know-how, patenting, designs, changes to business model
  • outline your strategy for targeting the other markets identified during or after the project
  • for any research organisation activity in the project, outline your plans to disseminate project research outputs over a reasonable timescale
  • if you expect to use the results generated from the project in further research activities, describe how you will do this

Question 6: Wider impacts

What impact might this project have outside the project team?

Identify, and where possible measure, the economic benefits from the project to those outside the project (customers, others in the supply chain, broader industry and the UK economy) such as productivity increases and import substitution.

Identify, and where possible measure, any expected social impacts, either positive or negative, for example:

  • quality of life
  • social inclusion/exclusion
  • jobs (safeguarded, created, changed, displaced)
  • education
  • public empowerment
  • health and safety
  • regulations
  • diversity
  • any expected impact on government priorities

Identify, and where possible measure, any expected environmental impacts, either positive or negative.

Identify any expected regional impacts of the project.

Question 7: Project management

How will you manage the project effectively?

  • outline the main work packages of the project, indicating the relevant research category and lead partner assigned to each, and the total cost of each one
  • describe your approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms that will be used to ensure a successful project outcome. Highlight your approach to managing the most innovative aspects of the project
  • outline the management reporting lines
  • outline your project plan in sufficient detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones

You may upload a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix in PDF format no more than 1MB in size.

Question 8: Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

  • identify the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks. Highlight the most significant ones, providing a risk register if appropriate
  • explain how these risks will be mitigated
  • list any project inputs on the critical route to completion such as resources, expertise or data sets
  • is the output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical or other similar issues? If so how will you manage this?

You may upload a risk register as an appendix in PDF format no more than 1MB in size.

Question 9: Additionally

Describe the impact that an injection of public funding would have on this project.

  • tell us if this project could go ahead in any form without public funding and if so, the difference the public funding would make such as faster to market, more partners, reduced risk
  • describe the likely impact of the project on the business of the partners involved
  • tell us why you are not able to wholly fund the project from your own resources or other forms of private-sector funding (what would happen if the application is unsuccessful)
  • explain how this project would change the nature of research and development activity the partners would undertake, and related spend

Question 10: Costs and value for money

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

  • justify the total project cost and the grant being requested in terms of the project goals
  • explain how the partners will finance their contributions to the project
  • explain how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer. How does it compare to what you would spend your money on otherwise?
  • justify the balance of costs and grant across the project partners
  • justify any sub-contractor costs and why they are critical to the project

3. Finances

The finances section asks each organisation to complete project costs, organisational details and funding details for each organisation in your project. Academics will need to complete and upload a Je-S form. For full details on what costs you can claim please see our project costs guidance.

Background and further information

All industrial sectors rely on manufactured products, materials and associated services. The UK ranks as the ninth largest producer in the world (with an output of $247 billion). It accounts for 3% of global manufacturing output. Manufacturing accounts for 11% of UK GVA (gross value added) and represents 50% of exports and 69% of business research and development.

The manufacturing process and the materials used can be sources of competitive advantage. New manufacturing technologies or materials can enable new types of products or service. This can drive productivity and profitability by increasing output or reducing the inputs required. This strand is seeking to support manufacturing and materials as enablers of product innovation.

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is the catalyst for the growth and success of UK advanced manufacturing. It helps industry speed up the journey from technology concept to commercialisation. The 7 Catapult Centres work with companies of all sizes in all sectors. They offer open access to industrial-scale cutting-edge equipment, expertise and collaborative opportunities.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network.

If you need more information, contact the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 or email us at support@innovateuk.gov.uk

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