ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY- FUNDING

1. Title: ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY- FUNDING 2. Awarding Authority: Innovate UK, part of UKRI, GB Tel: 03003214357 . Email: support@innovateuk.ukri.org / IRAP.International.PARI@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. (Competition Helpline )3. Contract type: Service contract4. Description: Specified businesses with Canadian business partners can apply for a share of up to £2 million, from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, for innovative projects that enhance productivity and sustainability of crop, livestock and aquaculture systems.The UK and Canada are running a joint funding competition to support collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects, to develop new products, processes and services. Projects must target improvement to the productivity and sustainability of crop, livestock and aquaculture systems.We want applicants to deliver integrated precision approaches and data driven solutions to support the transition to a net zero-emission industry by 2040.We welcome proposals:combining digital technologies, artificial intelligence, the application of big data and engineering solutions with biological, environmental and/or social science to drive productivitydeveloping technologies and solutions that connect farms and supply chainstransferring technology from another sector into agriculture, providing this requires innovationThe national funding bodies (NFBs) will fund their respective participants in the projects. Contact your agency for further guidance:UK applicants contact Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation: support@innovateuk.ukri.orgCanadian applicants contact the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) International Office: IRAP.International.PARI@nrc-cnrc.gc.caThe competition closes at 5pm UK time (which is 9am Pacific Time and midday 12pm Eastern Time) on 20th May 2020.UK-specific rulesState aidAny UK business claiming funding must be eligible to receive state aid at the time we confirm you will be awarded funding. If you are unsure please take legal advice. For further information see our general guidance.Multiple applicationsUK businesses may participate in up to three applications but lead only one.Canada-specific rulesCanadian applicants must register with NRC IRAP before 6 March 2020 to receive an EoI form.Before being invited to join a project in Innovation Funding Service, all Canadian SME participants must have submitted a Canadian Expression of Interest (EoI) and have been invited to proceed to the full proposal stage of the competition by NRC IRAP.Canadian funding applicants who do not complete an EoI and have not been invited to proceed will not be eligible for funding through this competition.Please see the NRC IRAP call page for more information in English and French on Canadian eligibility requirements and in order to register.Multiple applicationsCanadian SMEs may only participate in one application either as a lead or partner (note UK organisation must be listed as lead on Innovation Funding Service and Canadian lead identified within the application in the “Project Details” section).Shared rulesYour projectThe majority of work undertaken by each partner should occur in their home country.No one country and/or organisation can represent more than 75% of the total project cost.Applications must demonstrate a clear intention to exploit the results of the project commercially.Projects must start by 1 November 2020 and end by 31 March 2023. They can last between 24 and 29 months.Project teamYour organisation cannot work alone. The project consortium must contain at least:one UK registered business of any size andone registered Canadian SME (500 or fewer employees)Academic institutions or research and technology organisations (RTOs) may participate in the project but cannot be awarded funding through this competition. They may, however, act as a sub-contractor to a funded project partner.The role of each project partner must be detailed in a collaboration/consortium agreement included as part of the project application.At least one business from each country (UK and Canada) in a project must receive funding.Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs and must be entered on the Innovation Funding Service application under question 11 if you are a Canadian organisation or as part of the finance section if you are a UK organisation.Previous applications (UK only)ResubmissionsYou cannot use a resubmission to apply for this competition. A resubmission is a proposal Innovate UK judges as not materially different from one you’ve submitted before.If you submit a new proposal this time you will be able to use it in no more than one future competition that allows resubmissions.Failure to exploitIf you applied to a previous competition as the lead or sole organisation and were awarded funding by your National Funding Body, 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 projectreview the monitoring officers’ reports and any other relevant sources for evidencedocument our decision, which will be made by 3 team members, and communicate it to you in writingPrevious projectsUnder the terms of Innovate UK funding, you are required to submit an independent accountant’s report (IAR) with your final claim. If you or any organisation in your consortium failed to submit an IAR on a previous project, we will not award funding to you in this or any other competition until we have received the documents.CanadaNRC IRAP will provide a maximum contribution of up to $700,000 CAD to be shared between the Canadian partners involved in the project. Canadian SMEs may receive up to 50% reimbursement of eligible project costs.Canadian SME applicants must be registered as NRC IRAP clients to be considered for funding through this competition. Please see the NRC IRAP call page for more information in English and French.Your proposalWe want to support a portfolio of projects across the breadth of the agriculture sector, including projects that focus on crop, livestock and aquaculture production systems that:combine digital technologies, artificial intelligence, the application of big data and engineering solutions with biological, environmental or social science to drive productivitydevelop technologies and solutions that connect farms and supply chainstransfer technology from another sector into agriculture, providing this requires innovationThe role of UK and Canadian participants in supported projects must align with the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s ‘transforming food production’ objectives to provide transformations in their respective countries:Create integrated data-driven solutions to drive primary agricultural productivity whilst transitioning towards net zero agriculture emissions by 2040.Embed adoption of precision approaches to bridge the productivity gap, strengthening connections between researchers, businesses and practitionersStimulate the establishment of novel high value production systems to position UK technologies at the forefront of new industries.Drive growth UK precision technology companies, creating high value jobs and adding value in the global agricultural value chain.Develop export opportunities and increase investment into UK research and innovation.We encourage projects to:bring new businesses and technologies into the UK and Canadian precision agriculture sectorinclude farmer or grower involvement or endorsementResearch categoriesWe will fund, industrial research and experimental development projects, as defined in the general guidance.Projects we will not fundWe will not fund projects that focus on:forestrynon-food cropswild capture fisheriesamenity or ornamental horticultureequineintegrating cannabis products into the food chain5. CPV Code(s): 73110000, 73100000, 730000006. NUTS code(s): UKK, UKK1, UKK147. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: UK-Canada8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.9. Estimated value of requirement: Specified businesses with Canadian business partners can apply for a share of up to £2 million, from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, for innovative projects that enhance productivity and sustainability of crop, livestock and aquaculture systems.Project size The combined total funding sought (grant available) for all UK partners can be a maximum of £400,000 per application. NRC IRAP will provide a maximum contribution of up to $700,000 CAD to be shared between Canadian partners involved in the project.FundingSelected collaborative R&D projects will be eligible to receive funding from their respective national funding body. Funds will be provided in accordance with the national laws, rules, regulations, and procedures established by each national funding body, and/or each jurisdiction and/or country and/or program.UKThere is up to £2 million allocated to fund UK business involvement in innovation projects in this competition. The combined total funding sought (grant available) for all UK partners can be a maximum of £400,000 per application and must provide a full cost breakdown in the Innovation Funding Service.If your total funding sought is over £400,000 your project will be deemed ineligible and not be sent for assessment.By adjusting your funding percentage in the finance section on the Innovation Funding Service you can change your funding sought amount, this may need to be carried out by each UK organisation within the consortium. Contact support@innovateuk.ukri.org for further assistance.Organisations that are primarily engaged in commercial or economic activity (known as selective advantage) as part of the project must ensure their request for funding does not exceed the limits defined below.Industrial research projects, UK businesses could get funding for eligible project costs of:up to 70% if you are a micro or small businessup to 60% if you are a medium-sized businessup to 50% if you are a large businessExperimental development projects which are nearer to market, UK businesses could get funding for your eligible project costs of:up to 45% if you are a micro or small businessup to 35% if you are a medium-sized businessup to 25% if you are a large businessThis competition provides state aid funding under article 25, ‘Aid for research and development projects’, of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). It is the responsibility of the applicants to make sure that their organisation(s) are eligible to receive state aid.10. Competition closes: 24.6.2020 (17:00:00).11. Address to which they must be sent: For further information regarding the above contract notice please visit: 12. Other information: Competition opens: Monday 27 January 2020Competition closes: Wednesday 24 June 2020 5:00pmFunding type Grant27 January 2020 Competition opens11 February 2020 Online briefing event: watch the recording13 February 2020 Birmingham briefing event21 February 2020 Online matchmaking event: register to attend13 March 2020 Online matchmaking event: register to attend24 June 2020 5:00pm Competition closes24 July 2020 Applicants notifiedBefore you startUK applicants must read the general guidance for applicants before you start.Canadian led applications should read the “Applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service” section of the general guidance for applicants.Your application must include all of the following:completed application via IFSdraft consortium/collaboration agreement (appendix to question 8)2-page project plan, including Gantt chart (appendix to question 9)2-page risk register (appendix to question 10)2-page key personnel summary (appendix to question 7)project financial cost breakdown (appendix to question 11)What we will ask youThe application is split into 3 sections:1. Project details.2. Application questions.3. Finances.1. Project detailsThis section sets the scene for the assessors and is not scored.Application teamDecide which organisations will work with you on the project. Invite people from those organisations to help complete the application.Application detailsThe lead applicant must complete this section. Give your project’s title, start date and duration. Is the application a resubmission?Research categorySelect the type of research you will undertake.Project titleProvide a short title (less than 15 words) for your project that gives an indication of the topic of the project.Project summaryDescribe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign experts to assess your application.Your answer can be up to 400 words long.Public descriptionDescribe your project in detail, and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This could happen before you start your project.Your answer can be up to 400 words long.ScopeDescribe how your project fits the scope of t# funding opportunity# COVID-19