A summary of the upcoming funding opportunities, support programmes and events for digital businesses in the UK

1. Creative, Digital and Design
Business Briefing
September 2018

2. Contents
Funding competitions
Support programmes
Upcoming events
Investment
Networks
Register for updates

3. Funding – Last call
Business basics: boosting SME productivity
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Opened: 26 June
Closes: 4 September
The government has announced the Business Basics programme within its Industrial
Strategy. Up to £2m is available to test innovative ways of encouraging micro and SMEs
to adopt existing technologies and business practices that can boost their productivity.
Two strands of funding are running - proof of concept and a full-scale trial.
READ MORE

4. Funding – Last call
Open grant funding competition round 2
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 12 July
Closes: 12 September
An investment of up to £20m in the best cutting-edge or disruptive ideas
or concepts with a view to commercialisation. Applications can come from
any sector and be applied to any part of the economy. They must be
business focused rather than pure research.
READ MORE

5. Funding- Last call
Design Foundations Round 3
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 13 August
Closes: 19 September
An investment of up to £1 million in early-stage, human-centred design
projects. These projects will help businesses identify high-value innovation
opportunities and generate ideas for new products, services or business
models that align with customer demand.
READ MORE

6. Funding – Last call
Increase productivity, performance and quality in UK construction
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 23 July
Closes: 19 September
An investment of up to £12.5 million in innovative projects to transform the
UK construction sector. The aim of this competition is to invest in solutions to
improve productivity, quality and performance of the UK construction sector.
READ MORE

7. Funding – Last call
Connected and autonomous vehicles 4: piloting passenger services
Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV)
Opened: 25 June
Closes: 19 September
A share of up to £25m is available for industry-led collaborative research and
development projects that develop and then pilot CAV services at scale in a UK setting.
READ MORE

8. Funding
Women in Innovation Awards 2018
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 30 July
Closes: 3 October
UK business women can apply for one of 8 Women in Innovation Awards: £50,000
funding each and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support.
Applicants must be confident, with the support of an award, that they can make a
significant contribution to one of the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenges
READ MORE

9. Funding - New
Productive and sustainable crop and ruminant agricultural systems
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opens:20th August
Closes: 24th October
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million, through the Industrial
Strategy Challenge Fund to improve productivity and sustainability across UK crop
and ruminant production systems. These must improve productivity and
sustainability by developing enhanced decisions support, precision agriculture
technology solutions and systems for crop and ruminant agriculture.
READ MORE

10. Funding - New
Digital health technology catalyst round 3: Feasibility studies
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opens: 3rd September
Closes: 31st October
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 million to speed up development
of commercial digital health solutions . The Digital Health Technology Catalyst
(DHTC) is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
READ MORE

11. Funding - New
Digital health technology catalyst round 3: Collaborative R&D
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opens: 3rd September
Closes: 31st October
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million to speed up development
of commercial digital health solutions. The Digital Health Technology Catalyst
(DHTC) is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
READ MORE

12. Funding - New
Digitalisation of medicines manufacturing : Challenge Fund
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opens: 10th September
Closes: 3rd October
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million from the Industrial Strategy
Challenge Fund for capital projects to improve medicines manufacturing. This is to
enable existing medicines manufacturing operations to improve their scope,
efficiency and effectiveness through the application of digitally-enabled technology
READ MORE

13. Funding - New
Agri-tech Catalyst round 7: agriculture and food systems innovation
Department for International Development (DFID)
Opens:28th August
Closes: 21st November
UK businesses and research organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million
from DFID for projects on agri-tech and food chain innovations with partners in
eligible African countries. The aim of this competition is to increase the pace of
development and scale of uptake of agricultural and food systems innovation by
farmers and food systems actors (such as manufacturers, processors, retailers,
distributors or wholesalers) in Africa. READ MORE

14. Funding
Defence and Security Accelerator: open call for innovation
Defence and Security Accelerator
Opened: 19 March 2018
Closes: 1 March 2019
The open call is looking for innovative ideas to improve the defence and security of the
UK. These could be a concept, technology, product or service. The aim is to find novel
opportunities to be exploited across the defence and security sectors.
READ MORE

15. Support programmes
Digital Manufacturing Week - Innovation Alley
14th & 15th November 2018 – Liverpool
Have you got a new innovative solution for the manufacturing sector?
KTN and Innovate UK family have joined up with The Manufacturer to support this year’s
Digital Manufacturing Week Smart Factory Expo
Looking for start-ups and established players who would like to showcase their innovative
solutions to manufacturers; which could include advanced technology, materials, process
and systems. Register now to express your interest in exhibiting.
READ MORE

16. Support programmes
Rail Accelerator Network
Apply by: 14th September 2018
Programme dates: 15th October 2018 – 22nd March 2019
The Rail Accelerator Network is the accelerator and incubator programme for the UK rail
industry and is designed to increase the uptake of innovations in the rail market.
Seeking start-ups and SMEs who have built disruptive innovations (service, product or
technology) that fit the rail industries key challenges. The programme will provide access to
investment, mentorship, support and space
READ MORE

17. Support programmes
Data Pitch Innovation Programme
Apply by 2nd October
Data Pitch is an EU-funded open innovation project bringing together corporates and public
sector organisations that want to discover the untapped opportunity in their data, with
startups and SMEs innovating with data. Support includes investment up to €100,000,
equity free and a six-month business accelerator with the help of the Open Data Institute
(ODI) and Beta-i
READ MORE

18. Upcoming events
Digital Business Meet-Up
6th September, London
Meta Lab, Immersive Tech Conference
6th September, MediaCityUK
FinTech Innovators
7th September, Leeds
Digitalisation of Medicines Manufacturing
Briefing event
21st September, London
TechInvest: FinTech
28th September, London
Digital Business Meet-up
4th October, London
Cyber Security for SMEs
3rd & 4th October, Sheffield
Gov-tech Conference: Connecting Innovation
9 October, London
Cyber 101 Business Skills bootcamps
7th November, London
Digital Manufacturing Week
14th & 15th November, Liverpool
Women in Innovation: Building Success
6th February 2019, London
Keep up-to-date with KTN events here

19. Investment
Private Investment Directory – Digital Refer
Digital 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 studios
• Venture Capital funds
• Angel investor networks
• Corporate Venture Capital firm
Digital Refer

20. Networks: Immerse UK
• Augmented and Virtual Reality Independent Network
• Bringing together businesses, public sector & research
• Free to Join
• Learn more about Immersive Tech developments
• Help shape UK funding & research policy
• Showcase your ideas & identify funding opportunities
• Make business connections & form collaborative partnerships
http://www.immerseuk.org/

21. Networks: UK5G
https://uk5g.org/
• Promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of
5G in the UK
• Share the knowledge and lessons of 5G Testbeds & Trials projects
• Enable new partnerships between technologists, potential new entrants
and major industrial adopters
• Support local (and international) investment opportunities

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