The document provides information about upcoming Innovate UK funding competitions for Feasibility Projects and Small R&D Partnership Projects. It outlines the scope and requirements of each competition, including budget sizes, project timelines, and eligibility criteria. The event agenda is presented, which includes overviews of the competitions, tips for developing competitive applications, case studies, and advice on partnerships. Contact information is provided for the KTN AgriFood team who can help with applications, connections, and feedback on draft proposals.

1. www.ktn-uk.org
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Feasibility Projects &
Small R&D Partnership Projects
Briefing Event & Additional Information for
Applicants
13th October 2021

2. Which competition / event is right for you?
Feasibility Small R&D Research Starter
Business-led
Test early stage feasibility
ideas
Business-led
Develop new solutions
addressing major on-farm
issues
Farmers or growers
Bold, ambitious early-stage
idea
No previous IUK funding
14th October Briefing
https://ktn-uk.org/events/research-
starter-projects-briefing-event/

3. Aims of today’s event
Understand
the
competitions
Obtain tips
on drafting a
competitive
application
Learn what
makes a
strong
consortium
Identify
where to
access
support
This event is primarily intended for new applicants and those who have not
previously been awarded Innovate UK funding

4. Feasibility Projects & Small R&D Partnership Projects
Briefing Event & Additional Information for Applicants
09:30 – 09:35 Welcome & Introduction – Kaeli Johnson, KTN
09:35 – 09:50 Competition Overview & Scope – Myriam Pacho &
Paul Laniran, Transforming Food Production, Innovate UK/UKRI
09:50 – 10:00 Q&A
10:00 – 10:20 What Makes a Good Bid – Kaeli Johnson, KTN
10:20 – 10:30 Q&A
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 10:55 Case Study – Pete Berry, ADAS
10:55 – 11:15 Partnerships & Collaborations – Top Tips – Simon Baty, KTN
11:15 – 11:25 Q&A
11:25 – 11:30 Close / How to Book a 1:1 Meeting – Kaeli Johnson, KTN
Agenda

5. How to access support
Farming Innovation
Website
Additional Events KTN AgriFood Team
https://farminginnovation.ukri.org

6. Feasibility Projects - Meetings
• 20th October, 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Opportunity for 1:1 meetings
• Registration information at the end of
this session
Small R&D Partnership Projects - Workshop
• 27th October, 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Opportunity to build consortia & develop ideas
• Register: https://ktn-uk.org/events/small-rd-
partnership-projects-consortia-building-
workshop/
Additional Events
All Competitions - UKRI Applicant Q&A
• 20th October, 1.30pm – 3.00pm
• Opportunity to pose questions to UKRI
• Register:
https://ukri.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN
_Za-dfWu7TQeHKyTCkDOGHQ

7. How the KTN AgriFood Team can help
Make powerful
connections
Review
applications
Get expert insight
We will prioritise reviewing applications from those who have not previously won Innovate UK funding
Applicants must:
• Contact KTN to arrange a time for review
• Share the application at least 10 days before the deadline

8. Feasibility Projects
Competition Guidelines
https://apply-for-innovation-
funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1048/overview
Small R&D Partnership Projects
Competition Guidelines
https://apply-for-innovation-
funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1049/overview
Transforming Food Production Consortia Building Group
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13773250/
Other Useful Links
UKRI Applicant Briefings
Recordings
Feasibility and Small R&D Partnerships
Research Starters

9. Competitions
Overview & Scope
Myriam Pacho & Paul Laniran
Transforming Food Production, Innovate UK / UKRI

10. Farming Innovation Programme
Programme Overview

11. Farming Innovation Programme
Key aims:
• Build on the success of previous schemes
• Drive growth in UK agricultural productivity whilst improving sustainability and
resilience
• Improve connectivity by fostering links between farmers & growers, industry,
and the research community
• Coordinate strategic R&D, encouraging industry to set the research agenda
• Enhance the rate of adoption of new innovative technologies, processes and
practices

12. Farming Innovation Programme – three funds
INDUSTRY-LED R&D PARTNERSHIP FUND
Connecting groups of farmers, growers, foresters and businesses with researchers for R&D
that is responsive to immediate, practical industry needs
FARMING FUTURES R&D FUND
Driving more fundamental R&D into strategic and sector-wide challenges that will improve
productivity and enhance environmental outcomes in the long term.
ACCELERATING ADOPTION FUND
Smaller-scale, agile projects to trial the on-farm viability of new technology ideas, processes
and practices and boost their adoption by farmers and growers.

13. Fund aims
• Increasing productivity and environmental
sustainability in the agricultural and
horticultural sectors in England.
• Collaboration between farmers, growers
and foresters, and the innovation community
for better R&D agricultural solutions to
benefit the sector as a whole
Industry-led R&D Partnership

14. Industry-led R&D Partnership
What youwant todo Take a look at
Explore an idea that could benefit
your farm and others
Research Starter
Check whether an idea works in
practice
Feasibility
Develop a new farming product or
service
Small R&D Partnership

15. Check whether an idea
works in practice à
Feasibility

16. Check whether an idea works in practice
à Feasibility
Summary
• £5.5million total budget
• Total eligible costs between £200K- £500K
• Projects up to 24 months
• To start by 1 May 2022
• For UK registered businesses wishing to collaborate with other UK organisations
• Have at least 50% of the farmers, growers or foresters involved, based in England
Submission deadline 1st Dec 2021 11:00am

17. Check whether an idea works in practice
à Feasibility
• Investigate early-stage solutions
• Look to improve productivity, sustainability and
resilience of farming.
• Move existing agricultural sectors towards net zero
• Collaborate with UK R&D communities for better
agricultural solutions

18. Develop a new farming
product or service à
Small R&D Partnership

19. Develop a new farming product or service
à Small R&D Partnership
Summary
• £11million total budget
• Total eligible costs between £1m- £3m
• Projects up to 36 months
• To start by 1 June 2022
• For UK registered businesses wishing to collaborate with other UK organisations
• Have at least 50% of the farmers, growers or foresters involved, based in England
Submission deadline 1st Dec 2021 11:00am

20. • Develop commercially relevant solutions/outputs for major on-
farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities
• Look to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience of
farming.
• Collaborate within UK communities for better R&D agricultural
solutions
• Accelerate adoption by ensuring knowledge exchange with
the wider sector and other stakeholders
Businesses within a supply
chain, are encouraged to
come together as a
partnership to solve major
challenges or opportunities
Develop a new farming product or service
à Small R&D Partnership

21. Comparison
Feasibility and Small R&D Partnership
Feasibility Small R&D Partnership
ü £5.5M available total budget
ü Up to 24 months
ü £200K - £500K total eligible project
costs
ü Projects to start 1 May 2022
ü £11M available total budget
ü Up to 36 months
ü £1M-£3M total eligible project costs
ü Projects to start 1 June 2022
ü have at least 50% of the farmers, growers or foresters involved based in England
ü UK Business led
ü Collaborative

22. Shared Competition Scope
Feasibility
Small R&D Partnership

23. Scope – Feasibility and Small R&D Partnership
Address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.
Solutions must significantly improve:
üproductivity
üsustainability and environmental impact
üprogression towards net zero emissions
üresilience
Must be able to demonstrate how your project will benefit farmers,
growers or foresters in England
Feasibility
investigating new solutions
Small R&D Partnership
developing new solutions

24. Specific Themes: Feasibility and Small
R&D Partnership
Address a significant industry challenge or
opportunity in at least one of the below:
ü livestock
ü plants
ü novel food production systems
ü bioeconomy and agroforestry

25. What we will not fund
× equine-specific
× wild caught fisheries
× aquaculture, including algae and seaweed production
× cellular or acellular production systems, fermentation systems for bacteria, yeast or
fungi
× projects that do not include or benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England

26. Timeline Dates
Competition Opens 20 October 2021
Applicant Q&A session 20 October 2021
KTN online collaboration event:
Small R&D partnership only
27 October 2021
Submission Deadline 1st December 2021 11:00am
Scope: Feasibility and Small R&D Partnership

27. Good Application
Guide
Kaeli Johnson
KTM AgriFood – Plants & Crops, KTN

28. 1. Alignment to the competition scope
2. Innovation
3. Strong business case
4. Convincing value proposition
5. Credible R&D plan
6. Right consortium
7. Clear need for support
8. The right kind of risk
Eight Hallmarks of a Good Application
To be covered separately

29. This may seem obvious….
• Read the competition guidelines carefully
• Be clear and specific about how your project fits the scope
• Refer to terminology used in the brief
Alignment to the competition scope

30. Innovation
• All projects must involve significant
commercial / scientific innovation
• Provide evidence to support this, i.e.
results of:
• Patent searches
• Competitor analyses
• Literature surveys

31. What is the need / benefit that this
project will address?
What is the current market like (size,
dynamics, etc)?
How will the partners profit – when
and how much?
What is the route to market?
A strong business case

32. Even the most cutting-edge technology will fail if customers:
• See no benefit
• Are unable to use it effectively
To strengthen your proposition, consider:
• Who are your target customers / end users? How will the project benefit English
farmers?
• Is it easy to adopt? Is a behaviour change required?
• Does your solution fulfil a genuine need?
• Is it easy to use?
Convincing value proposition

33. • Provide sufficient detail
• Work Package no. & name
• Partners involved
• Timeline
• Description of activities
• Milestones
• Costs
• Interdependencies
• Demonstrate the necessary skills & resources
are available
• Identify scope / deliverables of funded project
and beyond the end of the project!
Credible R&D plan

34. Clear need for support
Why should public money be used on your project?
Factors:
• Risk (e.g. too risky for investors)
• Reducing time to market to beat competitors
• Increase amount of UK R&D
• Facilitate a new collaboration

35. Do not play down risk
Ensure you undertake a complete risk assessment across all categories
• Many proposals do not fully describe commercial or environmental risks
• Include mitigation strategies
Best practice is to provide a table in the appendix:
The right kind of risk (risk is not inherently a bad thing!)

36. Top tips – Part one
Agree key
points of the
Collaboration
Agreement
EARLY
Explicitly
answer all
sub-
questions
Use
appendices
where
available
Don’t
assume
assessors
are experts
in your area
Quantify
and justify
assertions

37. Top tips – Part two
Check ALL
deadlines
and event
dates
Start
discussing,
planning
and writing
ASAP
Don’t wait
until the last
minute to
ask
questions
or submit
Remember
risk and
innovation –
you need
both
Write a
proposal
that excites
and inspires

38. How KTN can help
Make powerful
connections
Advice on project
design & questions
Feedback on
draft applications
KTN has limited resource so will have to prioritise reviewing applications to those
received early and from organisations that have not previously received funding

39. For a little more advice…
https://ktn-uk.org/investment/good-application-guide/

40. www.adas.uk
12 October 2021
ADAS experience with FIP bids
Pete.berry@adas.co.uk

41. • Make sure the idea definitely meets the call objective
• Solution driven technology
• Rather an existing technology looking for a purpose
• Develop a water-tight business case & clear route to market
• Calculate return on investment (ROI) not too high or too low
• A degree of risk is expected
• Only include critical partners in consortia
• Loss of focus if too many partners
• Start early and get the proposal peer reviewed
• Don’t underestimate time to write succinct answers
• Assign greatest effort to weakest questions
• Focus on answering all parts of question, make full use of appendices
• Don’t give up!
• Our successful bid followed an unsuccessful attempt
2
Key things to focus on

42. Partnerships
and Collaborations
Top Tips
Simon Baty
KTM AgriFood - Food, KTN

43. KTN exists to connect
innovators with new partners
and new opportunities
beyond their existing thinking –
accelerating ambitious ideas
into real-world solutions.

45. Use your network

46. Networking is
normal
• How to you find a plumber or restaurant?

47. “Networking is more about
farming than it is about hunting”
Ivan Misner - BNI

48. Use our network

49. KTN have an established managed
LinkedIn group;
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/137732
50/
Please join this group and use it to build
consortia as per the group rules.
LinkedIN

50. 4 AgriTech centres of Agricultural Innovation are supported by Innovate UK
https://www.agritechcentres.com/
National facilities

51. Think wider – use KTN
200 colleagues based across
the UK, with expertise and
networks in other areas.
Speaking to different sectors
adds great value and
stimulates new thinking and
approaches.

52. Why collaborate?

53. Collaboration is
encouraged
• Read the competition brief, collaboration
is required
• Projects that have partners that cover a
supply chain are generally stronger

54. • Who owns what? You will need a consortium agreement, so start early
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/university-and-business-collaboration-agreements-lambert-
toolkit
• Collaborate in all aspects of the bid. No passengers, use tools and the functionality of the
IFS - check everyone knows what they get and how much they have to contribute
https://www.innovationcanvas.ktn-uk.org/about
• Check the number of bids you can be part of
• Too many or too few partners
• Managing partners
• Sub contracts
You have a great consortium – what could go wrong?

55. Case studies

56. KTN helps shape the future of
sustainable protein
• Insect protein has the potential to help
address key global challenges.
• KTN helped bring together leading UK
companies to develop a collaborative funding
bid, with the potential to transform the insect
protein sector in the UK.
• 15 organisations came together to accelerate
the development of cutting edge technology to
upcycle food waste into animal feed, using
black soldier fly.

57. KTN helps shape the future of
sustainable protein
• The funding bid was awarded £5.9m Innovate
UK funding as part of a £9.8m project.
• By 2040, the project aims to have created
3300 UK based jobs.
• It plans to generate annual revenues of
£400m for UK tax paying businesses.
• It plans to deliver savings of 50m tonnes CO2
equivalent, driving the industry closer to
net zero emissions.

60. KTN helps fast-track app for
livestock farmers
• Breedr allows farmers to track their animals to
improve transparency, optimise decision
making and boost productivity.
• In 2018, KTN introduced Breedr to Dunbia,
Europe’s largest lamb processor. This helped
to accelerate the development of the platform.
• We supported this new partnership to apply
for Innovate UK funding and they won a share
of over £367,000.

61. KTN helps fast-track app for
livestock farmers
• Breedr took part in the 2018 KTN Agri-Tech
Investor Showcase. They successfully raised
£2 million of private investment.
• KTN helped Breedr win a grant as part of a
£3.6 million project funded by ISCF
Transforming Food Production.
• Since working with KTN, Breedr have grown
from two employees to over 20.
• Breedr have over 1,500 active farmers using
the platform daily.

64. How to book a 1:1 meeting – Feasibility Projects
What:
• 15 min 1:1 meetings with KTN AgriFood team
• Specifically for Feasibility Projects
When:
• 20th October, 9:30am – 12:30pm
Open to:
• New applicants
• Those who have not previously won Innovate
UK funding
How:
https://calendly.com/d/z33x-zjh7/feasibility-
projects-1-2-1-support

65. 1-2-1 Help

66. 1-2-1 Help

67. ©KTN All rights reserved | www.ktn-uk.org
Kaeli Johnson
KTM AgriFood – Plants & Crops
kaeli.johnson@ktn-uk.org
Simon Baty
KTM AgriFood – Food
simon.baty@ktn-uk.org