Competition for funding
Materials for demanding environments
REGISTER BY
18 November
2015
Technical
Feasibility Studies
Competition for funding
Innovate UK is to invest up to £2 million in technical feasibility studies to explore
improving the performance of materials in demanding, extreme and/or aggressive
environments.
This competition aims to demonstrate
radical or novel improvements in
the performance of materials in
demanding environments. We are
seeking proposals that support early
stage projects that demonstrate
emerging technologies in advanced
materials.
Projects must be led by a business and
be collaborative, involving a partner
with a future route to market.
Small businesses could receive up
to 70% of their eligible project costs,
medium-sized businesses 60% and
large businesses 50%.
We expect projects to last 6 to 12
months and range in size from total
costs of £100,000 to £150,000,
although we may consider projects
outside this range.
This competition opens on 12 October
2015 and the deadline for applications
is at noon on 25 November 2015.
There will be a briefing day for
potential applicants, including a
consortium-building workshop, in
London on 21 October 2015.
Additional briefing events and
consortium-building workshops will
take place in Belfast on 24 September
2015, Edinburgh on 28 September
2015, Cardiff on 6 October 2015 and
Manchester on 9 October 2015.
Background
Any product innovation usually also
involves materials innovation. A key
challenge in a wide range of high-value
applications is how these materials
operate in severe, aggressive or
demanding conditions. Radical
improvements in the performance and
reliability of materials in extreme
operational environments would give UK
companies a competitive edge in many
high-value markets. The need for, and
application of, these materials will
involve most sectors, including transport,
the built environment, energy,
manufacturing, electronics and health.
‘Lightweighting’, multi-material systems,
multi-functional components, and
radiation, wear and impact/blast
resistance will require new advanced
materials. Other demanding
environments include high-temperature
materials for aero-engine components,
highly corrosion-resistant materials for
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biomass plants, lightweight materials and
structures (particularly composites) for
the construction sector, lightweight alloys
(eg aluminium, titanium, magnesium,
nickel and ultra-high-strength steels) for
automotive components, and radiationhard materials for communication and
nuclear applications.
A number of materials and
nanotechnologies, including ceramics,
metals and intermetallics as well as
high-performance polymers and
composite materials, will form the
basis of innovations to address these
demanding environments. Because
of their ability to respond quickly to
external stimuli and/or resist extreme
environments, smart coatings will also
be utilised. Smart coatings are finding
new applications in a number of
sectors, including construction, energy,
automotive, medical, consumer electronic
goods and the military.
Scope
The aim of this competition is to
demonstrate a novel or radical
improvement in materials’ operational
performance and reliability in demanding
environments. These demanding
Materials for demanding environments
environments may include (but are
not limited to) one or more of
the following:
•high or low temperature and/or
temperature cycling
•abrasive conditions
•high or low pressure
•high corrosion and/or erosion
•highly ionising/high radiation
•high electromagnetic radiation
•high blast
•excess load bearing
•high impact
•excessive wear
•high/extended lifetimes
•fire/high oxidation
There are no limits to the location of the
demanding environment. It can include
both manufactured/constructed products
and biological systems (such as in the
human body). Again, the following list is
not exhaustive, but application areas
might include one or more of the
following:
•the built environment and construction
•transport, including land, sea and
aerospace
•energy, including both renewables
and fossil fuels
•metals and intermetallics for enhanced
high-temperature operation
•high-performance polymers
•composite materials
•anti-corrosion coatings
•joining of dissimilar materials
•smart materials
The aim of this competition is to support
early-stage projects that demonstrate
emerging technologies in advanced
materials. We expect that these materials
will be able to deliver enhanced
performance at a larger scale than is
currently the case. We also anticipate that
successful new technologies will continue
through a validation phase after the
completion of the project and be further
developed to a higher Technology
Readiness Level (TRL). Projects should
deliver a tangible outcome, such as a
small-scale demonstration of the
technology.
Out of scope
The scope of this competition does
not include materials that can already
be embedded into products, the
development of new material
manufacturing technologies, or process
optimisation projects.
•biological systems
Funding allocation and project
details
The materials technologies themselves
might include one or more of the
following:
We have allocated up to £2 million*
to fund technical feasibility studies
in this competition.
•novel nanomaterials applications
Successful applicants can attract grant
funding towards their eligible project costs.
•space
•ceramics with improved thermal shock
The percentage of costs that we pay varies,
depending on the type of research being
carried out and size and type of
organisation involved.
Small businesses are eligible to receive
up to 70% of their project costs as grant,
medium-sized businesses 60%, and large
businesses 50%. Universities or research
organisations can account for up to 30% of
the total eligible project costs. For further
information see https://interact.
innovateuk.org/funding-rules
We expect total project costs ranging from
£100,000 to £150,000. Projects should last
6 to 12 months.
Projects must be led by a business and
be collaborative, involving a partner with a
future route to market. We expect
consortia to provide strong evidence that
they have the appropriate knowledge base
from which to conduct the proposed
project, eg defined in-house capacity and
capability, or that they are working with an
appropriate academic/research
organisation where this is necessary.
To find out if your business fits the EU
definition of an SME, see: http://ec.europa.
eu/growth/smes/business-friendlyenvironment/sme-definition/index_
en.htm
* Please note that Innovate UK funding is
subject to the result of the Government
Spending Review in autumn 2015.
Looking for
partners to work
on your project?
Go to _connect
https://connect.
innovateuk.org/web/
materials-fordemandingenvironments
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Materials for demanding environments
Application process
This competition will open on 12 October
2015. Applicants must first register via our
website. The deadline for registration is at
noon on 18 November 2015 while the
deadline for applications is at noon on
25 November 2015.
There will be a briefing event, including a
consortium-building workshop, in London
on 21 October 2015 to highlight the main
features of the competition and to explain
the application process. A webinar will be
available for those who cannot attend.
Additional briefing events and consortiumbuilding workshops will take place in
Belfast on 24 September 2015, Edinburgh
on 28 September 2015, Cardiff on
6 October 2015 and Manchester
on 9 October 2015.
Applicants are strongly recommended
to attend one of these events.
Note: all deadlines are at noon.
More information
For more information and all the
documents you need to read before you
apply, including the Guidance for
Applicants, go to the web page for this
competition by using the search function
at https://interact.innovateuk.org/ or
watch our applications process video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnSpIMiPc)
To apply you must first register with us
through the competition page on the
website. Registration opens when the
competition opens and closes a week
before the deadline for applications.
Get help to understand the future market
for your innovation before you apply at
http://horizons.innovateuk.org
Key dates
Competition opens
12 October 2015
Competition briefing
21 October 2015
Registration deadline
noon 18 November 2015
Deadline for receipt of applications
noon 25 November 2015
Innovate UK also runs regular
Collaboration Nation events. They
enable companies that have been
successful in technical feasibility studies
competitions to showcase the results of
their projects to their peers and others,
with a view to finding new partners
to collaborate with and new sources
of funding. For more information
search for ‘Collaboration Nation’ at
http://www.innovateuk.gov.uk
Help for SMEs to grow faster
Small businesses that combine the
funding they receive from us with
additional business support are more
likely to grow faster. If you are an SME
and receive funding through this
competition, you will automatically gain
access to a growth workshop, an online
diagnostic and a growth expert to help
you develop a growth plan. This may
include coaching, mentoring and
entrepreneurial skills training.
Each partner in a
project can receive funding
towards their project costs – the
funding is a percentage of the total
eligible project costs and varies,
depending on the size and type of
organisation and the type of research.
For general guidance see:
https://interact.innovateuk.org/
funding-rules or watch our video
(https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=cExDpxTL8JY)
Innovate UK is the new name for the Technology Strategy Board – the UK’s innovation agency.
We know that taking a new idea to market is a challenge. We fund, support and connect innovative
businesses through a unique mix of people and programmes to accelerate sustainable economic growth.
Publicity
As part of the application process all
applicants are asked to submit a public
description of the project. This should
adequately describe the project but not
disclose any information that may impact
on intellectual property, is confidential or
commercially sensitive. The titles of
successful projects, names of organisations,
amounts awarded and the public
description will be published once the
decision to offer an award has been
communicated to applicants by email.
Information about unsuccessful project
applications will remain confidential and will
not be made public. Email pressoffice@
innovateuk.gov.uk with any queries.
Competition
helpline:
0300 321 4357
Email:
support@
innovateuk.
gov.uk
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Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and is incorporated by Royal Charter in England and Wales
with company number RC000818. Registered office: North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1UE.
Telephone: 01793 442 700
Email: support@innovateuk.gov.uk
www.innovateuk.gov.uk
© Technology Strategy Board August 2015
C15/CB029. Printed on 100% recycled paper.
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