Innovate UK: Smart grants

28/01/2021

26/05/2021

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. 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. The proportion of funding for total eligible costs depends on organisation size and the nature of the project.

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. 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 do not receive funding.