Funder
EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account Follow-On Fund
Added date
17/10/2019
Closing date
01/11/2019
Call summary
Grants will be made available to fund work which will significantly increase the probability of commercialisation of the ideas.
Short projects to define routes to uptake, liaising with partners and finding the resources for commercialisation will be eligible. Follow-on Fund awards will be made on the basis of individual project needs, up to a maximum of £60,000. Permitted activities include funding for staff to perform work in the University, subcontracting to external parties (e.g. for market research or prototype development), purchase of consumables and equipment. The award will cover 100% of directly incurred costs but will not cover PI costs, student fees, patenting costs, estate costs, or indirect costs. The cost of any single item of equipment cannot exceed £10,000.
Scientific scope
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
• Commercial potential: benefits to customers, market size, market accessibility, competition.
• Quality of the development plan: including clear objectives and milestones (both technical and commercial), based on a market need and commercial strategy. It is important to make sure that the plan is realistic both in terms of the development which will be possible under the Follow-on funding and the future commercialisation.
• Added value: the application must describe how the Follow-on grant will enhance the prospect of commercialisation and/or increase the value of the technology. Credit will be given to applications where there has been clear thought about what is needed for the next stage of commercialisation, rather than simply applying for the maximum funding.
PI eligibility
The fund is open to develop ideas which have arisen from EPSRC funded research, which may be either research grants, fellowships or studentships. If the project arises from a studentship, and the work in the Follow-on Fund project is to be carried out by the student, then that student must have submitted their thesis before the project starts. All projects must fall within EPSRC’s remit.