Creative, Digital & Design Business Briefing

A digest of useful information for UK businesses seeking funding and support, updated monthly

February 2017

@KTNUK

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Contents• Feature• Innovate UK funding calls• Horizon 2020• Funding• Events• Investment• Support • Contest/Call• Market Research/Personal Data Network

15-16 March, London

Following the success of 2016’s Innovate UK zone, KTN will be hosting an InnOvaTe Launchpad showcasing the best IoT innovations with business potential at Smart IoT London 2017 - the leading digital transformation event for business and government and part of the largest technology show staged in the UK. Last year’s event drew over 18,000 audited attendees, two-thirds of them expecting to do business.

Qualifying companies can get a fully fitted exhibition pod (inc AV, power, stand and stools) and promotion package at a discounted rate of £1600 (+VAT) - everything you need to get your IoT innovation out there. Also included is entry to the InnOvaTe Launchpad pitching competition with a top prize a £6,000 stand at Smart IoT London 2018.

For further information click here

Ready to do IoT business?***Feature***

Opens: 08.11.17. Registration deadline: noon on 15.02.17. Application deadline: noon on 22.02.17.

Key feature: UK businesses can apply for a share of £1.6 million to work with Indian partners on innovative healthcare and technology solutions in India.The aim of this competition is to encourage innovative partnerships between the UK and India. Innovate UK and the Indian government are funding this competition, administered by the Newton Fund.

For further information click here

Technology solutions for society in India

Innovate UK funding calls

Opens: There will be 3 competitive funding rounds over 12 months, the first opened on 9 January 2017 with two further rounds in May 2017 and August 2017.

Key feature: Design Foundations is a new £3m grant funding programme from Innovate UK to help businesses identify innovation opportunities and generate better propositions for desirable, useful and feasible products, services and business models. The aim is to build collaborations between businesses looking for new ways to innovate, and designers with the creative tools to provide this insight. It means using design interventions to address critical business challenges.

For further information click here

Design Foundations

Innovate UK funding calls

Opens: 16.01.17. Registration deadline: noon on 15.03.17. Application deadline: noon on 22.03.17.

Key feature: Innovate UK is to invest up to £15 million in projects to stimulate innovation that creates UK business growth in infrastructure systems. They want businesses to collaborate to develop new integrated solutions and new business models. Projects may include technical feasibility, industrial research or experimental development and range in size from total eligible costs of £25,000 to £5 million. Projects must show significant innovation in one of Innovate UK's priority areas: ‘smart’ infrastructure; energy systems; connected transport; urban living For further information click here

Innovation in Infrastructure Systems (round 2)

Innovate UK funding calls

Opens: 30.01.17. Registration deadline: noon on 19.04.17. Application deadline: noon on 26.04.17.

Key feature: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd and Innovate UK are to invest up to £3 million in projects that will integrate and demonstrate flexible innovative technologies for the nuclear decommissioning sector. The aim of this competition is to develop an innovative and integrated demonstrator. This should minimise human intervention, achieve a significant increase in productivity and reduce the cost of nuclear decommissioning. For further information click here

Integrated Innovation for Nuclear Decommissioning

Innovate UK funding calls

Key feature: A scheme to help businesses innovate and grow by linking them with a university and a graduate to work on a specific project. Each KTP is a three-way partnership between a business, an academic institution and a graduate. The academic institution employs the recently-qualified graduate who works at the company. The graduate, known as the ‘associate', brings new skills and knowledge to the business.

A KTP is part-funded by a grant. You will need to contribute to the cost of the supervisor and the salary of the associate.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

2016/17 close date for submission is: 8 March 2017

More info on: gov.uk

Innovate UK funding calls

Horizon 2020 funds high-potential innovation through a dedicated SME instrument, which offers seamless business innovation support under the section Societal Challenges and the specific part Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEITs).

Provided with about € 3 billion in funding over the period 2014-2020, the SME Instrument helps high-potential SMEs to develop groundbreaking innovative ideas for products, services or processes that are ready to face global market competition.

During the first two years of implementation (2014-2015), more than 1200 SMEs were selected to receive funding under the SME instrument call; as such, 513 million Euros were invested in the success of innovative SMEs. By the end of Horizon 2020, the SME instrument should have supported some 7500 SMEs to get their innovations delivered onto the market. Find out more

The SME Instrument

Department for Transport new technology grantThe Innovation Challenge Fund (ICF) is a new grant scheme from the Department for Transport. The purpose of the scheme is to help support and develop innovations that use or enable science, engineering and technology to address specified DfT policy goals. This could be the implementation of a new idea or applying existing ideas to a different sector or market.

Grants of up to £90,000 are available to businesses including those that are micro, small or medium-sized, academia or other organisations. Grants can fund up to 100% of the cost of a project (dependent on the type and size of the organisation and category of research being undertaken), with up to 30% of the grant available at the beginning of the project. Find out more

FundingHorizon 2020: Security: Businesses can apply for a share of €130 million under Secure Societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens work programme. Opens: 01.03.17. Registration deadline: noon on 24.08.17. Application deadline: noon on 24.08.17.

Longitude Prize is a challenge with a £10 million prize fund to reward a diagnostic test that helps solve the problem of global antibiotic resistance. It is being run by Nesta and supported by Innovate UK as funding partner. The Discovery Awards are small seed grants to help teams and individuals further develop their ideas for the Longitude Prize. Application deadline: 21.04.17.

Funding

Ufi is launching its first funding call of 2017 to promote digital solutions for vocational learning. Between £150k and £300k is available for projects of up to 18 months delivery. The emphasis of the projects must be on new learning tools or delivery models, using genuinely innovative methods to raise skill levels for a significant number of learners; and not just on new learning content.

Digital Business Drop-in - 9 Feb 2017

H2020 Robotics & Autonomous Systems Briefing Event - 17 Feb 2017

UK France Data Summit 2017 – 23 Feb

Digital 4 Manufacturing: Start here - 28 Feb 2017

Expression of Interest: KTN InnOvaTe zone at Smart IoT London 2017 - 15-16 Mar 2017

Digital Business Drop-in - 9 Mar 2017

Events

Private Investment DirectoryDigital Refer now includes more than 250 organisations that provide private investment to Digital and Creative businesses in the UK, including:

Accelerator Programmes Business Incubators Start-up StudiosVenture Capital Funds Angel Investor Networks Corporate Venture Capital firms

Check out the new entries: bit.ly/ktnrefer

Investment

Go To Grow - The Mayor’s International Business ProgrammeA new three year programme of mentoring, expert advice and real business opportunities for high-growth companies Programme focussed on ‘internationalising’ scale-ups – London based companies wanting to grow outside of the UK.The programme is open to fast-growing companies in London operating in three broad sectors: technology, life sciences, and urban. Your business will need to demonstrate that it is already generating revenue.

The PwC startup Growth Programme is a platform for fast growth, disruptive startups who want to shape the future through scalable innovation. 12 startups, 12 weeks, 2 programmes: Future of Work & Future of Health

Support

Briffa and the KTN have teamed up to produce a short webinar setting out the background and context to the The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and to explore some of the key concepts under the new regulation, such as accountability and ‘privacy by design’, consent requirements, the rights of data subjects and the obligations of data controllers and processors, possible sanctions for breach of the GDPR, and the rules regarding transfers of personal data outside of the EU.

Check out our blog post and the video on the Personal Data and Trust Network website.

Market Research

Personal Data and Trust Network

The network aims to build and nurture a community that brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data.

The partners are calling on any organisation interested in personal data, trust and reputation to join the network. Membership is free and will plug you into a vibrant community that we are bringing together. For more information and to join visit pdtn.org.