ISCF TFI: LARGE COLLABORATIVE R&D PROJECTS – GRANTS

1. Title: ISCF TFI: LARGE COLLABORATIVE R&D PROJECTS – GRANTS2. Awarding Authority: Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, GB Tel: 0300 321 4357. Email: support@innovateuk.ukri.org. Web: 3. Contract type: Service contract4. Description: The Awarding authority is investing up to £8 million for collaborative cross-sector, research and development projects.The aim of this competition is to improve the productivity and competitiveness of foundation industry companies and supply chains, by funding cross-sector collaborative research and development projects.Your project must work on resource and energy efficiency challenges common to 2 or more of the foundation industries.The foundation industries sectors include:cementpaperglassceramicsmetalschemicalsYour project must:further develop technologies to reduce deployment risk and accelerate take-up across industriesdevelop new technologies that, when deployed, would create a step-change in resource or energy efficiency in these industriesYour project must be designed to help the UK’s foundation industries remain competitive.In applying to this competition you are entering into a competitive process. This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.This competition aims to bring foundation industry sector businesses together with their immediate supply chain and equipment providers. Together they will work on common resource and energy efficiency challenges.It will fund cross-sector and collaborative research and development projects which:further develop technologies to reduce deployment risk and accelerate take-up across industriesdevelop new technologies that, when deployed, would create a step-change in resource or energy efficiency in these industriesThe foundation industries sectors include:cementpaperglassceramicsmetalschemicalsYour project must be aimed at improving the productivity and competitiveness of foundation industry companies and their immediate supply chain.Your project must address one or more resource or energy efficiency challenges that are common to more than one of the six foundation industries sectors.Your project can focus on any part of the manufacturing process, including:inputs in materials and other feedstocksdevelopment of new materialsprocess efficiency (for example heat recovery, waste utilisation)business model developmentYour application can build upon innovations developed in earlier Transforming Foundation Industry competitions, including:Fast Start Oct 2019Resilient Recovery August 2020We want to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of sectors, technologies, risks, and markets.Specific themesYour project must address one or more of these themes:heat recovery and utilisationsensors, controls and digitalisationwaste utilisation and symbiosisother energy or resource efficiency improvements (business model, process, product or supply chain)Research categoriesWe will fund industrial research projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.Projects we will not fundWe are not funding projects that:do not focus on foundation industries and their immediate supply chainsare undertaking feasibility studies or experimental developmentfocus on fuel switching or greenhouse gas capture technologyfocus solely on skillsare capital or infrastructure projects5. CPV Code(s): 73110000, 73210000, 731000006. NUTS code(s): UKK, UKK1, UKK147. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: South West (England), Gloucestershire, Wiltshire And Bristol/Bath Area, Swindon.8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.9. Estimated value of requirement: UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million for research and development projects to improve the productivity and competitiveness of UK foundation industries. This funding is from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.Project sizeYour project’s total eligible costs must be between £1 million and £2 million.10. Competition closes: 10.3.2021 (11:00:00).11. Address to which they must be sent: For further information regarding the above contract notice please visit: 12. Other information: Your projectYour project must:have total eligible costs between £1 million and £2 millionstart by 1 September 2021last between 12 and 24 monthsIf your project’s total eligible costs or duration falls outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@innovateuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days prior to the competition closing date.Project leadYour organisation must:be a UK registered business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO)collaborate with other UK registered businesses, RTOs, research organisations, public sector organisations or charitiescarry out its project work in the UKintend to exploit the results from or in the UKYou do not need to be in the foundation industries to lead a consortium but you must include at least 2 businesses of any size, from at least 2 foundation industry sectors.If the lead organisation is an RTO it must collaborate with 2 businesses of any size.Academic institutions cannot lead a project.Project teamTo collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:be a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)carry out its project work in the UKintend to exploit the results from or in the UKThe lead and at least one other organisation must claim funding by entering their costs during the application.Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once accepted, partners will be asked to login or to create an account and enter their own project costs into the Innovation Funding Service.Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example non-UK businesses. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.SubcontractorsSubcontractors are allowed in this competition and must be selected through a participant’s normal procurement process. Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK. If an overseas subcontractor is selected, a case must be made as to why no UK-based subcontractor can be used including a detailed rationale, evidence of UK companies that have been approached and reasons why they were unable to do so.We expect subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. A cheaper cost is not deemed as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.Number of applicationsWhen a business or RTO leads on an application it can collaborate in a further 2 applications.If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in up to 3 applications.If an RTO is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.An academic institution can collaborate on any number of applications.Previous applicationsYou can use a previously unsuccessful application to apply for this competition.We will not award you funding if you have:failed to exploit a previously funded projectan overdue independent accountant’s reportfailed to comply with grant terms and conditionsState aidThis competition provides state aid funding under article 25, Aid for R&D projects, of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). It is your responsibility to make sure your organisation is eligible to receive state aid.Innovate UK is unable to award grant funding to organisations meeting the condition known as undertakings in difficulty (UiD). However, as per the amendment on 2 July 2020 to the General Block Exemption regulation, we will provide funding to organisations that can prove they were not a UiD on the date of 31 December 2019 but became a UiD between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2021. We will ask for evidence of this.Any UK registered business claiming grant 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 on state aid.FundingISCF have allocated up to £8 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.If your organisation’s work on the project is mostly commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically.For industrial research projects, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisationup to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisationup to 50% if you are a large organisationThe research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them.11 January 2021Competition opens13 January 2021Online briefing event 2-4pm: Register here10 March 2021 11:00amCompetition closes3 May 2021Applicants notifiedYou must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.Innovate UK is unable to award grant funding to organisations meeting the condition known as undertakings in difficulty.What we ask youThe application is split into 3 sections:Project details.Application questions.Finances.1. Project detailsThis section provides background 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.Research categorySelect the type of research you will undertake.Equality, diversity and inclusionWe collect and report on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data to address under-representation in business innovation and ensure equality, diversity and inclusion across all our activities.You must complete this EDI survey and then select yes in the application question. The survey will ask you questions on your gender, age, ethnicity and disability status. You will always have the option to ‘prefer not to say’ if you do not feel comfortable sharing this information.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 the competition. If your project is not in scope it will be immediately rejected and will not be sent for assessment. We will give you feedback on why.Your answer can be up to 400 words long.2. Application questionsThe assessors will score your answers. You will receive feedback from them for each one.Your answer to each question can be up to 400 words long. Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.Question 1. Need or challengeWhat is the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity behind your innovation?Describe or explain:the main motivation for the projectthe business need, technological challenge or market opportunitythe nearest current state-of-the-art, including those near market or in development, and its limitationsany work you have already done to respond to this need, for example if the project focuses on developing an existing capability or building a new onethe wider economic, social, environmental, cultural or political challenges which are influential in creating the opportunity, such as incoming regulations, using our Horizons tool if appropriateQuestion 2. Approach and innovationWhat approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be?Describe or explain:how you will respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identifiedhow you will improve on the nearest current state-of-the-art identifiedwhether the innovation will focus on the application of existing technologies in new areas, the development of new technologies for existing areas or a totally disruptive approachthe freedom you have to operatehow this project fits with your current product, service lines or offeringshow it will make you more competitivethe nature of the outputs you expect from the project (for example report, demonstrator, know-how, new process, product or service design) and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identifiedYou can submit one appendix. It can include diagrams and charts. It must be a PDF, no larger than 10MB and can be up to 2 A4 pages long. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.Question 3. Team and resourcesWho is in the project team and what are their roles?Describe or explain:the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be takingthe resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them, particularly in the light of any continuing COVID-19 restrictionsthe details of any vital external parties, including subcontractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the projectthe current relationships between project partners and how these will change as a result of the projectany roles you will need to recruit for taking into account the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the team structureYou can submit one appendix. This can include a short summary of the main people working on the project to support your answer. It must be a PDF, no larger than 10MB and can be up to 4 A4 pages long. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.Question 4. Market awarenessWhat does the market you are targeting look like?Describe or explain:the markets (domestic, international or both) you will be targeting in the project, and any other potential marketsthe size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by references where availablethe structure and dynamics of the target markets, including customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframesthe target markets’ main supply or value chains and business models, and any barriers to entry that existthe current UK position in targeting these marketsthe size and main features of any other markets not already listedIf your project is highly innovative, where the market may be unexplored, describe or explain:what the market’s size might to behow your project will try to explore the market’s potentialQuestion 5. Outcomes and route to marketHow are you going to grow your business and increase your productivity into the long term as a result of the project?Describe or explain:your current position in the markets and supply or value chains outlined, and whether you will be extending or establishing your market positionyour target customers or end users, and the value to them, for example why they would use or buy your productyour route to market, particularly if COVID-19 has changed market dynamicshow you are going to profit from the innovation, including increased revenues or cost reductionhow the innovation will affect your productivity and growth, in both the short and the long termhow you will protect and exploit the outputs of the project, for example through know-how, patenting, designs or changes to your business modelyour strategy for targeting the other markets you have identified during or after the projectIf there is any research organisation activity in the project, describe:your plans to spread the project’s research outputs over a reasonable timescalehow you expect to use the results generated from the project in further research activitiesQuestion 6. Wider impactsWhat impact might this project have outside the project team?Describe, and where possible, measure the economic benefits from the project such as productivity increases and import substitution, to:external partiescustomersothers in the supply chainbroader industrythe UK economyDescribe, and where possible, measure:any expected impact on government prioritiesany expected environmental impacts, either positive or negativeany expected regional impacts of the projectDescribe any expected social impacts, either positive or negative on, for example:quality of lifesocial inclusion or exclusionjobs, such as safeguarding, creating, changing or displacing themeducationpublic empowermenthealth and safetyregulationsdiversityQuestion 7. Project managementHow will you manage the project effectively?Describe or explain:the main work packages of the project, indicating the lead partner assigned to each and the total cost of each oneyour approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms you will use to get a successful and innovative project outcomethe management reporting linesyour project plan in enough detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones, taking into account the possible impact of further COVID-19 restrictionsYou must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, can be up to 2 A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.Question 8. RisksWhat are the main risks for this project?Describe or explain:the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks, providing a risk registerhow you will mitigate these risksany project inputs that are critical to completion, such as resources, expertise, data setsany output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical issues and so on, and how you will manage thisYou must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, no larger than 10MB and can be up to 2 A4 pages long. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.Question 9. Added valueWhat impact would an injection of public funding have on the businesses involved?Describe or explain:whether this project could go ahead in any form without public funding and if so, the difference the public funding would make, such as a faster route to market, more partners or reduced riskthe likely impact of the project on the businesses of the partners involvedwhy you are not able to wholly fund the project from your own resources or other forms of private-sector funding, and what would happen if the application is unsuccessfulhow this project would change the nature of R&D activity the partners would undertake, and the related spendQuestion 10. Costs and value for moneyHow much will the project cost and how does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer?In terms of the project goals, describe or explain:the total eligible project coststhe grant you are requestinghow each partner will finance their contributions to the projecthow this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayerhow it compares to what you would spend your money on otherwisethe balance of costs and grant across the project partnersany subcontractor costs and why they are critical to the project3. FinancesEach organisation in your project must complete their own project costs, organisation details and funding details in the application. Academic institutions must complete and upload a Je-S form.For full details on what costs you can claim see our project costs guidance.Contact usIf you need more information about how to apply email support@innovateuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.Our phone lines are open from 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).Innovate UK is committed to making support for applicants accessible to everyone.We can provide help for applicants who face barriers when making an application. This might be as a result of a disability, neurodiversity or anything else that makes it difficult to use our services. We can also give help and make other reasonable adjustments for you if your application is successful.If you think you need more support, it is important that you contact our Customer Support Service as early as possible during your application process. You should aim to contact us no later than 10 working days before the competition closing date.Finding a project partnerIf you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network.Help for SMEs from the Enterprise Europe NetworkIf you are a UK SME and successful in receiving an award, you will be contacted by your local Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Innovation Advisor. They act on behalf of Innovate UK to discuss the growth opportunities for your business.They offer bespoke business support services to help you maximise your project and business potential. This service forms part of your Innovate UK offer under our commitment to help UK SMEs grow and scale.Please engage positively with your EEN contact so that, working together, you can determine the most appropriate form of growth support for your business.# funding opportunity