From education to employment

Tackling productivity problems in UK industry: £4 million funding

A share of £4 million is available for businesses to connect with the UK’s best scientists and facilities to improve productivity and competitiveness.

Business can apply for a share of £4 million to connect industry and research facilities in tackling measurement and analysis problems.

The best ideas for solving business productivity problems and improving UK industry competitiveness could get a share of £4 million to work with leading scientists and research facilities.

Businesses can submit an expression of interest with their analysis and measurement problems, and the value that solving it would bring to them.

Funding will then be available to successful applicants, provided by Innovate UK, the National Physical Laboratory, the National Measurement Laboratory at LGC, the National Engineering Laboratory and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Best explored by scientists

The competition – part of the analysis for innovators programme – aims to help companies to explore analysis and measurement problems with scientists, for example exploring why a certain percentage defect rate is occurring within an existing production process.

The problem must:

  • relate to the measurement or analysis of some quantities or properties of an existing process, product or service
  • not be solvable by simple ‘off the shelf’ methods or techniques
  • relate to measurement or analysis

Over 2 phases

The competition will take place over 2 phases.

Phase 1 invites expressions of interest to participate. Applicants in this phase can connect with potential partners to agree on an approach to a problem and work together to develop a joint project proposal.

In phase 2, projects will get the opportunity to apply for funding.

Competition information

  • the competition opens on 25 February 2019, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at midday on 20 March 2019
  • UK-based organisations of any size are eligible to apply
  • phase 1 will identify analysis problems within a business. Phase 2 will offer grant funding, with total eligible project costs up to £300,000
  • a briefing event will be held in London on 27 February 2019 where organisations can find out more about the competition and applying
  • there will also be information events held across the country with more details about the analysis for innovators programme and projects to be awarded under previous competitions

Find out more about this competition and submit an expression of interest.


Related Articles

Responses