Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £20 million in innovation projects.
The aim of this competition is to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the Covid-19 pandemic. By fast-tracking innovation, the UK will be better placed to maintain employment levels, a competitive position in global markets and make the UK more resilient to similar disruption.
Your application must demonstrate both realistic and significant benefits for society (including communities, families and individuals) or an industry that has been severely impacted and/or permanently disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Your proposal must focus on a clear need and the proposed innovation to address it. You must have the ability to deliver the project during the working restrictions of Covid-19 pandemic.
You can claim 100% of your project costs up to the maximum of £50,000. These will be paid in advance of the project start date.
We intend to monitor and review projects during implementation with a view to providing follow-on funding and support for those with the most potential for impact.
The competition closes at midday 12pm UK time on the deadline stated.
Funding type
Grant
Project size
Your project’s total eligible costs must be between £25,000 and £50,000.
Your proposal
Your application must demonstrate:
- a clearly innovative and ambitious idea, which would realistically and significantly meet a societal need that has emerged or increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic or the need of an industry that has been severely impacted and/or permanently disrupted
- that you have the capacity and capability to deliver the project successfully and on time during the working restrictions of Covid-19
- the ability to start your project no later than June 2020
- value for money
Specific themes
We are interested in solutions, which tackle the new or emerging societal or industry needs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, including but not exclusively:
- community support services
- couriers and delivery (rural and/or city based)
- education and culture
- entertainment (live entertainment, music, etc.)
- financial services
- food manufacture and processing
- healthcare
- hospitality
- personal protection equipment
- remote working
- retail
- social care
- sport and recreation
- transport
- wellbeing
We are also interested in projects which are both in scope and aligned to the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) challenges.We are looking to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, markets and applications.
Projects we will not fund
We will not fund proposals that:
- do not meet the competition eligibility or scope
- cannot be undertaken within the working restrictions of Covid-19
- do not evidence the potential for their proposed innovation to lead to significant and positive economic and/or societal impact, or value for money that will be achieved
- are resubmissions of previous Innovate UK applications
- are focused on aquaculture and fisheries, road freight transport or the production of agricultural products (due to de minimis restrictions)
- would directly duplicate other UK Government activities already underway regarding the current Covid-19 healthcare situation, such as, ventilators and vaccines
- do not address in their response how any potentially negative outcomes (e.g. on the environment) would be considered
