Innovate UK funding update August 2021

‘Innovate UK’ has a number of interesting funding competitions open this month, advertised here on the gov.uk website, covering a variety of opportunities for entrepreneurs and SMEs.

One of these schemes, ‘Innovate UK Smart Grants’, is accepting applications from a wide range of technologies including (but not limited to) the arts, design and media, creative industries and science/engineering. Up to £25 million is available for business-focused proposals. Various criteria apply according to your project, the nature and size of your organisation, as well as to the level of total eligible project costs (ranging from £25,000 to £2 million). More details on eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

Also of interest is the ‘Women in Innovation Awards 2021/22’, designed to encourage this area of entrepreneurs who were identified by ‘Innovate UK’ as being significantly underrepresented in making applications for their funding. It is open to female founders/co-founders/decision-makers in UK-based SMEs or micro businesses that must have been at least one year in operation. With at least 20 grants of £50,000 as well as bespoke business support to be made available to successful applicants, projects would be supported for one year and must start on 1st April 2022. See here for further information.

The competition call for ‘Innovate UK Smart Grants’ runs from 26 August to 6 October 2021 and for ‘Women in Innovation Awards’ from 23 August 2021 to 13 October 2021. Read here for the full details of these and other innovation funding opportunities available.

Dr Rachel Daniel, IP Specialist for ip21 Ltd