Driving Innovation

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Accessing & Commercialising Content in a Digitally Networked Age

Jim ClipsonAlex Stanhope

26th March

Driving Innovation

Agenda

• Introduction to the Technology Strategy Board

• Accessing & Commercialising Content Call– Background & Scope

• Application process - overview

Driving Innovation

The Technology Strategy Board is…

A national body supporting business innovation

for business benefit

for economic growth

for quality of life

Sponsored by the Department of Innovation, Universities & Skills

Driving Innovation

£1 billion investment over 3 years

The innovation climate

Challenge-led innovation

Technology-inspiredinnovation

2008-9 2010-11

Driving Innovation

Criteria for investment

• UK capacity to develop and exploit the technology

• The right potential for impact in the right time frame

• The size of the global market opportunity

• A clear role for the Technology Strategy Board to add value

Driving Innovation

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Accessing & Commercialising Content in a Digitally Networked Age

Driving Innovation

Accessing & Commercialising Content

Background• The content industries account for three quarters of the sector’s GVA

contribution • Digitisation & increasing bandwidth are driving opportunities for new

products and servicesBut also facilitating file sharing and piracy on an unprecedented scale

• Converging technologies are opening up new possibilities• Increasingly consumers are wanting to produce and share their own

content.• Volume of content available on the web is growing exponentially

• Emerging economies are investing in skills to compete in higher value services.

Ability to earn an adequate economic return on endeavours is critical to ongoing success and vibrancy of the UK content industries

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Aim of the Call

To provide technology based solutions to help digital content producers and rights holders realise and maximise the commercial returns from their IP

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Scope

Accessing & Commercialising Content in a Digitally Networked Age

• New business models, processes, enhanced experiences

• Applications to increase effectiveness of revenue collection

• Solutions to broaden market access

• Intelligent/intuitive access to context relevant content

• Applications to support interaction or extend participation

• Tools to support the emergence of new value chains

Driving Innovation

Requirements

• Deliverable a prototype, demonstrator, proof of concept

• With wide market potential• Rooted in a specific content product exemplar• Looking for innovative solutions not “me toos”• Need to identify specific market opportunity

and route to market for exploitation.

NB Not about promoting knowledge exchange or communicating good practice

Driving Innovation

Partners• UK Film Council

Development of new digital tools to increase the discoverability and provide access to a greater number of films; promote commercial exploitation for rights holders; encourage closer relationships between film and the technology companies.

• Arts & Humanities Research Council

• Economic & Social Research Council

• Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Councils To promote knowledge exchange between industry and academia

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Expression of Interest

Review Criteria

Jim Clipson

Driving Innovation

TSB Strategic Criteria

UK Capacity to Develop and Exploit the Technology: significant research capability/capacity to exploit opportunities,

Potential for Impact and Timescale: further research and innovation with significant impact in right

timeframe, competitive activity – key benchmark for right things at the right

pace.

The Size of the Global Market Opportunity: create value added in UK, taking account of the global market

potential.

A Clear Technology Strategy Board Role: add value identifying and addressing barriers, critical policy

challenges, lever in other public funds, raise engagement, cross-government co-ordination - a clear basis for business to engage in the agenda.

Driving Innovation

The Ideal Project (in this context)• A clear commercial opportunity to open up or exploit a

significant growth market.

• A technical challenge that requires the creation of an industrially driven consortium and innovative and risky research and development to solve.

• A realistic project with deliverables and applications that are innovative, commercially exploitable and of wider benefit.

• A demonstrable need for support.

Driving Innovation

Types of Project

BAS APP EXP

Market readiness

ResearchCouncils

Commercial InvestmentVenture Capital

Research Council + others + Technology Strategy Board Funding

Blue sky

Feasibility

Technology Demo

System Dev.

System Qual.

Technology Development

Prod. Prototype

Commercialisation

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EOI Structure

The EOI is broken down into 4 sections:

1. How does the project fit the competition call?

2. What is the business proposition that the applicants are trying to address?

3. What will the project entail?

4. Is the project value for money?

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Gateway Review Process (at EoI review & full Assessment)

1. Does the application pass the Scope

Gateway question?

No Yes2. Proceed to review

process.

Driving Innovation Scope Gateway

Key Points:

• “must align”

• “clear majority of the projects objectives and activities”

Driving Innovation

Question 1 – What is the business opportunity that this project addresses?

Question 2 – What is the size of the market opportunity that this project might open up?

Question 3 – How will the results of the project be exploited and disseminated?

Question 4 – What economic and sustainability benefits is the project expected to deliver to those outside the consortium and over what timescale?

All questions are equally weighted.

Section 1: The Business Proposition

Driving Innovation Question 1

Key Points:

• Have the applicants identified a viable market opportunity?

Driving Innovation Question 2

Key Points:

• “size of the market” requires quantification and if possible, evidence.

• Describe the potential return numerically too.

“If no-one in the consortium knows the market, you haven’t

got the right consortium!”

Driving Innovation Question 3

Key Points:

• What is the project expecting to produce or achieve?

• How do you plan to exploit the results?

• If the intended outputs are sustainability based, what are they and how will the benefits be achieved?

Driving Innovation Question 4

Key Points:

• Who else will benefit from the project and how?

• Will there be any social or environmental impacts? If these are negative how will they be mitigated?

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Question 5 – What technical approach will be adopted and how will the project be managed?

Question 6 – What is innovative about the project?

Question 7 – What are the risks (technical, commercial and environmental) to project success? What is the project’s risk management strategy?

Question 8 – Does the consortium have the right skills and experience and access to facilities to deliver the intended benefits?

All questions are equally weighted.

Section 2: The Project Details

Driving Innovation Question 5

Key Points:

• Describe the main technical objectives and the basic work plan?

• Will it fly?

Driving Innovation Question 6

Key Points:

• “both commercial and scientific innovations”

• “Evidence” such as patent search

The UK Intellectual Property Office says 80% of published patents are lapsed and estimates that 30% of European R&D expenditure is wasted!

Driving Innovation Question 7

Key Points:

• Risks should not just be technical, remember the commercial, managerial and environmental risks too.

• How will the risks be managed

Driving Innovation Question 8

Key Points:

• Describe the team you have created to carry out the project and exploit the results.

• If there are gaps in the consortium, say so and how you intend to fill them before the main application deadline

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Question 9 – What is the financial commitment required for the project?

Question 10 – How does the financial support from the Technology Strategy Board and its funding partners add value?

All questions are equally weighted.

Section 3: Funding and Added Value

Driving Innovation Question 9

Key Points:

• Explain the funding model for the project and how the money will be spent.

• If the project spans more than one type, explain the reasoning behind this decision.

Driving Innovation Question 10

Key Points:

• “will increase the amount of money”

• “why not funding the project themselves”

• “how undertake the project differently”

• “why beneficial to the UK”

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Application Details• Indicative budget £5million

• Must be truly collaborative

• Fasttrack Projects – below £100k– Led by a Creative Industry SME– 12 months in duration 2 competition cycles

• Collaborative R&D – above £100k– Industry led– Typically 24 – 36 months duration1 competition cycle

Entry to market within 2 – 5 years of project completion

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Fasttrack Projects• Maximum £50k grant for projects of £100k

(i.e. 50% matched in kind funding)

• No partner can have more than 50% of costs covered – including academic

• One stage competition

• Decision within three weeks of application deadline

• Unsuccessful applicants from first cycle can reapply in second cycle

• Application by dedicated form ~ downloaded and uploaded www.technologyprogramme.org.uk

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The Process Timeline

• Rolling phases with 3 - 4 technology areas per round

• 19 week Application process from Competition Open to Applicants informed

• 2 stages

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Applicants’ Journey

Launch ActivitiesExpression of

InterestReviewPeriod

Full Stage Application

Assessment Project initiation

6 weeks 2 weeks7 weeks 4 weeks

Grant Offer Letter

Collaboration Agreement

New Projects Workshop

Monitoring process

Optional EOI leading to deadline

Expression of Interest deadline

Applicants informed

Competition closes

Optional Briefing Applicants

Informed

Compulsory Briefing

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Key DatesCollaborative R&D Programme (+£100k)

Call Opens 16th March

Optional Briefing 1st April

Expression of Interest 23rd April

Feedback 11th May

Compulsory Briefing 20th May

Full Application 25th June

Decision 24th July

Fasttrack Projects (<£100k)

Round 1 23rd April

Round 2 18th June

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Panel process – Expression of Interest

• 2 week review period – independent panel

• Each application individually reviewed by 3 reviewers

• Panel meets and agrees on scope and consensus score

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Panel decision and feedback – Expression of Interest

• Numbers invited forward to give about 50% chance of success at Full Stage

• Feedback:– Unsuccessful applicants – relative scores given– Successful applicants – descriptive

• Successful applicants have the option to discuss feedback but must book an appointment for the phone clinic – extranet website

– Only successful applicants will be invited forward to the full stage application

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Full Stage Application• By invitation only via feedback e-mail

• Download your full stage application form – Finance Form Review 16 Mar to 23 Apr(optional)– Feedback within 4 working days

• Registration of Intent– 22 Apr 09

• Competition funding decision – 29 May 09 – communicated via e-mail

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Finally…. hints and tips

• The obvious……– Answer the question fully and use all the space available

– Use spell checker

– Reviewers don’t like excessive use of capital letters etc to emphasise a point

• Be clear about what you want to do, the benefits, the target audience

• Be specific when quantifying the opportunity ~ avoid clichés

• Make sure it fits into the scope of the call.

• It’s what you actually write that counts.

• Consider the added value dimension carefully

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