Technology Strategy Board - Upcoming Calls
The Technology Strategy Board issue a variety of calls across a range of industries and project types throughout the year. Below are some of the latest collaborative research and development calls for proposals and the dates which they open.
If you wish to discuss a project you are undertaking which may be relevant for one of these calls please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss a potential application
Upcoming Calls
Technology Area - Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative
Scope - The competition seeks to provide a flexible approach in the type of support that can be provided to address the key barriers to supply chain development. This initiative can provide grants and loans to successful projects demonstrating real ambition to create globally competitive supply chains. The funding can also support a combination of investment in capital equipment, research and development, and training and skills in recognition of the flexibility needed to overcome the barriers that suppliers and supply chains can face.
There are two different funding Streams:
Stream 1 - £100m is available in all manufacturing sectors to support applications from organisations in England which are seeking to make a sectoral-level impact. Projects must be collaborative with an expected minimum of £2m of support per project, although exceptions will be considered where there is strong evidence that the initiative's aims can still be met;
Stream 2 - £25m is available for projects in aerospace or automotive supply chains, based within the 4 Local Enterprise Partnership areas that were part of the existing successful RGF bid (Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham and Solihull and Liverpool City Region) and which require a minimum of £200,000 of support per project.
Key Dates
Stream 1 has two rounds of funding with the deadline for applications of 13 June 2012 or 12 September 2012 (both deadlines are at 12 noon). Applicants for Stream 1 must choose which round they wish to enter. The deadline for applications for Stream 2 is 13 June 2012 at 12 noon.
Briefing day for potential applicants – 27th April 2012
Investment - This is a national initiative with a fund of up to £125m to create more competitive supply chains, sustain or create new employment opportunities, and create better synergies and sustained collaborative relationships throughout supply chains that participate in this initiative.
Technology Area – Innovation for growth in agriculture, food and drink
Programme – Feasibility Study
Scope – The Technology Strategy Board and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are to invest up to £500k to help stimulate and promote innovation in the agriculture and the food and drink sectors. This feasibility competition is specifically targeted at micro, small and medium-sized companies and aims to encourage better and more cost effective systems and processes and delivery of better products and services.
Key Dates
• Open Date – 16th April 2012
• Registration close date – 23rd May 2012
• Close Date – 30th May 2012
Investment –Projects must be business-led and may be undertaken by the business alone or with one other business. Projects should last between three and six months. Grants will be available for up to 100% of the cost and will not exceed £25k.
Technology Area – Building Performance Evaluation
Programme – Feasibility Study
Scope – The TSB will be funding individual companies and other organisations responsible for buildings for the total cost of evaluating the performance of case study buildings they design, build, own and/or operate. This will help builders and developers to deliver more efficient, better performing buildings.
Key Dates
• Open Date – 27th February 2012
• Close Date – 23rd May 2012
Investment –Projects must be business-led and may be undertaken by the business alone or with one other business. Projects should last between three and six months. Grants will be available for up to 100% of the cost and will not exceed £25k.
Technology Area – Water Security
Programme – Collaborative R&D
Scope – The Technology Strategy Board aim to support step-change innovations that address overseas and future UK water security challenges. A step-change innovation is a product, process, service or business model that has the potential to save or make available for use 1,000 million litres a day (Ml/d) of water, within a defined global market, from the blue water cycle. Blue water is fresh water originating from surface and ground water sources, abstracted for municipal, industrial or agricultural purposes.
Key Dates
• Open Date – 19th March 2012
• Registration close date – 25th April 2012
• Close Date – 2nd May 2012
Investment – Up to £1m is available for feasibility projects, which must be led by a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Projects may be collaborative or undertaken by single companies. Up to £2.5m is available for collaborative R&D projects, which must be business-led and include an end user. Up to a further £0.5m is available for feasibility and collaborative R&D projects incorporating a space-related solution. Feasibility projects should last three to six months and will attract up to 75% public funding. We expect to invest a maximum of £100,000 in each project. Collaborative R&D projects should last one to three years and will attract up to 50% public funding. We expect grants to be up to £500,000.
Technology Area – Developing the civil nuclear power supply chain
Programme – Collaborative R&D
Scope – The civil nuclear power sector in the UK is undergoing a resurgence and needs to develop a strong, innovative and sustainable supply chain that can take maximum advantage of the opportunities offered by both the national and global markets. This competition will support the development of innovative technologies that can be used in the assessment, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, waste management and decommissioning of nuclear plant in a safe, economic and sustainable manner.
Key Dates
• Open Date – 2nd July 2012
• Registration close date – 29th August 2012
• Close Date – 5th September 2012
• Briefing day – 10th July 2012
Investment – Up to £12m is available for collaborative R&D projects, which must be businessled. Successful projects will generally attract up to 50% public funding and last two-to-three years. The TSB expect to invest between £250k and £1m per project, with total project sizes between £500k and £2m, although projects outside this range will be considered.
Technology Area – Food processing and manufacturing efficiency
Programme – Collaborative R&D
Scope – The Technology Strategy Board, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Scottish Government are to invest up to £15m in collaborative research and development to encourage an increase in efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness in the food processing and manufacturing sector. Rising costs and increased regulation around greenhouse gas emissions and waste pose a significant challenge to the industry. This competition aims to encourage more efficient food processing, packaging and distribution in retail and food service sectors and the efficient recycling of manufacturing by-products and waste.
Key Dates
• Open Date – 11th June 2012
• Registration close date – 11th July 2012
• Close Date – 18th July 2012
• Briefing event – 19th June 2012
Investment – Proposals must be collaborative and business-led. Successful projects will generally attract up to 50% public funding. The TSB are likely to award grants of between £100k and £2.5m, although projects larger than this are eligible to apply.