FoodEast

The SMART research and development project grant was replaced by a new Small Business Services product known as ‘Grants for Research & Development’ on 1 June 2003.

This is the Department of Trade and Industry’s initiative that provides grants to help SMEs to research and develop technologically innovative products and processes.

Research Projects typically involve planned research or critical investigation lasting between 6 and 18 months. The result of the project could be new scientific or technical knowledge that may be useful in developing a new product or process. A grant of up to £75,000 is available to businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Development Projects involve the shaping of industrial research into a pre-production prototype of a technologically innovative product or industrial process. A grant of up to £200,000 is available for businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

Exceptional Projects involve technology developments which have higher costs. These projects are likely to generate much wider economic benefits and must be recognised as of 'strategic' importance for a technology or industrial sector. A grant of up to £500,000 is available to SMEs with a qualifying project.

For full details of the scheme, or to discuss how you begin to make an application, email Cambridgeshire Business Link at enquiries@cambs.businesslink.co.uk or telephone 0845 609 7979.

Defra LINK Funding Programme

Low risk, high reward collaborative research and development funding programmes available
Work with the FPFP and leading researchers to develop new technology and process knowledge

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships available

DTI funded programme to assist companies work on projects which improve business performance
Using the knowledge available within the UK universities, KTP offers funding assistance to employ a graduate to work in your business

Grant for Research and Development

Financial assistance from the DTI available for small companies for the purposes of R&D.
Formerly known as the SMART award, the programme offers mixed levels of funding for innovative projects.

FastTrack Funding Available for R&D

The FPFP Ltd is able to offer small amounts of funding for unique work in the food processing sector through its FastTrack funding scheme

This grant information has been complied by the Food Processing Faraday Project (FPFP). For more information on the FPFP click here.

SMEs or individuals who have an idea to develop an innovative product, process or service, but are not sure whether they are ready to take it forward successfully, may be able to receive help from the DTI. SMEs and individuals will identify what they need to do to succeed with their innovative idea by undertaking a diagnostic analysis with a chosen mentor prior to submitting an application.

The diagnostic will highlight weaknesses or barriers to successful implementation of the innovative idea and will form the basis of the application for grant. The grant, if approved, will reimburse some of the costs of the project mentor and consultant(s).

The mentor will provide the broad business skills to keep the project on track and will help to get the most from the expert consultant(s) chosen by the business. The chosen consultants will provide the specific expertise to focus on the individual areas identified as priorities by the diagnostic tool.

The outcome will be an action plan for successful implementation of the innovative idea.

The grant will be 75% of the project mentor and consultancy costs on the condition that the business spends at least twice as many days working on the project as the mentor and expert consultant(s).

The maximum grant will be £12,000 but only the largest and most complex projects will be approved at this level. Most grants will be between £2,500 and £7,000.

Under this scheme a company can increase the amount that it deducts for qualifying R&D spending when it computes its profits for tax purposes to 150%.

A company that is not in profit can surrender its qualifying R&D losses (including the R&D tax relief) to the Exchequer in exchange for a cash payment, worth 24% of the spending on R&D. This is called the payable R&D tax credit. The Inland Revenue makes the payment.

R&D tax relief and the payable R&D tax credit can be claimed by a company even though it has not started to trade for tax purposes.

EUREKA is a pan-European network for encouraging near market, collaborative research and development projects which lead to the development of advanced products, processes or services. It involves organisations from 33 European countries and the Commission of the European Union.

Funding of up to 50% of eligible costs may be available for projects, which must involve a minimum of two independent organisations from two member countries. A project can be in any technological area chosen by the participants.

A newsletter and seminars disseminate information about projects. Brokerage events, where interested organisations are able to get together to discuss potential projects, are also organised.

Co-operative Research Action for Technology invites a number of SMEs from different countries to assign a significant part of the research to RTD performers, such as universities and research centres.

Projects are relatively short-term, addressing any research subject solving a specific problem or satisfying a specific need of the SME concerned. The SMEs retain the ownership of the results.

Three participants must be independent SMEs. Research centres, research institutes, contract research organisations and consultancy firms are excluded.

Two participants are known as RTD performers (having the capacity to carry out research at the request of the SMEs). They must be independent from any other participant.

Organisations involved in the promotion and exploitation by industry of new and improved technology can apply for grants to carry out collaborative research and technology transfer projects.

The DTI Basic Technologies for Industrial Applications (BTIA) Programme will support technology transfer projects.

Collaborative research projects are expected to cost up to £1.5 million and will be considered for support with grants of up to £750,000. It is considered that £250,000 would be a typical minimum size of project. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available for short (up to 6-month) technology transfer projects.

Projects normally involve UK companies working with the science base partners including UK higher education institution, UK Government Research or Research Council establishments, and Research Technology Organisations (depending on their role in the project).

For more information contact TUV Management & IT Consulting at info@basictechnologies.gov.uk or on 0845 275 2222.

LINK Collaborative Research

LINK brings together industry and academia to undertake pre-commercial research projects, with Government providing up to 50% of the total cost.

Through LINK, businesses can tackle new scientific and technological challenges so that they can go on to develop innovative and commercially successful products, processes and services.

Government provides up to 50% of the funding for a LINK project, which is matched by industry (through either in kind contributions, cash or a combination of the two). The average size of a LINK project is around £500,000. The average duration of a LINK project is 3 years.

Companies and research organisations based in the UK can participate in LINK projects. Each project needs to involve at least one company and one research base organisation.

For more information visit the LINK website or contact LINK at link.ost@gtnet.gov.uk or on 020 7215 0053.

Sustainable Technologies Initiative

Companies of any size can apply for grants in support of the development of new technologies or the adoption of existing technologies which will contribute to sustainable development and competitiveness. The grants are awarded in collaboration with the science base.

Businesses are especially encouraged to submit proposals which incorporate truly novel approaches to the development and production of processes, products and services. These proposals will have integrated sustainability into the processes and products during the design stage. Therefore, sustainability should be integral to the design process and not a bolt on.

Businesses submitting proposals which incorporate new technologies and the exciting use of existing technologies are especially welcomed. Those applying should note that the primary aim of this initiative is to encourage a better uptake of sustainable design, production and consumption.

Proposals which are drawn up in response to commercial pressures and which open up new market opportunities are also welcomed.

Up to 50% funding of collaborative R&D projects is available together with EPSRC funding for networks and ESRC fellowship grants to academia.

For more information contact Nick Morley, the programme co-ordinator at nick.morley@oakdenehollins.co.uk or on 01296 337165.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership is part funded by a Government grant to the Knowledge Base Partner. This contributes to the costs it incurs through participating in that particular Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

The largest part of the costs of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership is the employment costs of one or more KTP Associates and the cost of staff from the Knowledge Base Partner who are directly involved in the Partnership. The remainder includes provision for equipment and travel costs, the Knowledge Base Partner's indirect and administrative costs and costs associated with the personal and professional development of the KTP Associate(s).

The amount of a grant to the Knowledge Base Partner and, therefore, the amount the company has to pay, is determined almost entirely by the number of KTP Associates to be employed, the length of their Project and, in some cases, e.g. in London, the location of the Company Partner and/or the Knowledge Base Partner, and whether the company has collaborated on a TCS, CBP or KTP Programme in recent years.

The contribution by an SME should be £16,000 - £18,000 per KTP Associate/year (dependent on the location of the company and the Knowledge Base Partner). Where a company is part of a group, the company size is determined by the number of employees in the group as a whole.

For more information visit the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships website or contact Dr Berenice Mann (KTP Cambridge) at b.mann@apu.ac.uk or on 01223 363271 ext 2494.

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