Alexandra Amey discusses funding opportunities for industrial biotechnology research through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in the UK. The BBSRC funds research, training, and business engagement. It has three major strategic priorities: industrial biotechnology and bioenergy, bioscience for health, and agriculture and food security. The BBSRC Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst program provides over £80 million to support translation of research into industrial processes through various grant sizes. Advice is provided on applying for Catalyst grants and other BBSRC funding mechanisms.

1. #adrdforum @adbioresources
ALEXANDRA AMEY
ASSOCIATE HEAD OF BUSINESS INTERACTION – BIORENEWABLES & HEALTH, BBSRC
FUNDING FUTURE AD
RESEARCH – CHALLENGES
AND PRIORITIES

2. Image 1 – Copyright The Pirbright Institute Image 2 – Copyright Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies UK Ltd
Image 3 – Copyright Babraham 2010 Image 4 – Copyright Thinkstock 2011 Image 5 – Copyright Babraham 2012
Industrial Biotechnology funding
opportunities at BBSRC
Dr Alexandra Amey
Associate Head of Business Interaction –
Biorenewables and Health

3. BBSRC activities
• Fund world-class bioscience research in UK
Universities and institutes
• Fund bioscience training and skills for the
next generation of bioscientists
• Drive the widest possible social and
economic impact from our bioscience
• Promote public engagement with
bioscience

4. Research Base Business
Strengthening and
developing links with
business – users of
research
Enabling the research
base to respond to
business & industry
challenges
Creating opportunities
for engagement
Working with Business

5. Three major strategic priorities
Industrial biotechnology
and bioenergy
Bioscience for
health
Agriculture and food
security
Image credits 1.Thinkstock 2.TMO Renewables 3.Stephanie Schuller, IFR

6. IBBE Strategy
VISION
UK bioscience research delivering new products & processes key to the bioeconomy and driving
economic growth for the UK and worldwide
Network
Leadership
Network Director
Network Manager
Management Board
BIVs &
Proof of Concept
Funds
Administered
by Network
Scale up and
Demonstration
Policy
Engagement
IB Catalyst
5 year funding programme
BBSRC, EPSRC, Innovate UK
£45M funding for 2014-15
Commercialisation
Seeking funding
jointly with Innovate
UK and EPSRC
IB Catalyst
Research Council
Funding
Innovate UK Funding
International Funding
£18M funding for
13 networks
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/bbsrcnibb
Public
Engagement

7. Total funding = £18M
EPSRC = £1M
Biorefining
Bioprocessing
HVC/Natural ProductsNovel Chassis
Cross Cutting
Biocatalysis
BBSRC NIBB
(2014-2019)
www.bbsrc.ac.uk/bbsrcnibb
nibb@bbsrc.ac.uk

8. Industrial
Biotechnology
Catalyst
2014-2016
>£80M

9. • Translation of research on biological processes into industrial
processes.
• Enable the manufacturing of new products or improve
manufacturing of existing products.
Challenge areas
• Production of fine and specialty chemicals and natural products
• Production of commodity, platform and intermediate chemicals and
materials (e.g. plastics, resins, textiles).
• Production of liquid and gaseous biofuels.
• Production of (glyco) peptides and proteins (e.g. enzymes,
antibiotics, recombinant biologics).
• Novel or improved upstream or downstream processes to reduce
costs or improve efficiency.
Scientific Scope
and Challenges
Questions on scope to:
ibcatalyst@bbsrc.ac.uk or A.Higson@nnfcc.co.uk

10. £2-5M £5M £10M
Early Stage Late Stage
£250K £1M
Proof of concept
studies & BIVs
(e.g. BBSRC NIBB)

11. Round 3 - Now open for applications
Full stage (plus Early and Late Stage Feasibility)
• Registration – 13 May
• Deadline - 20 May
Round 4
Outlines (Translation, Industrial Research, Exp Dev)
• Registration – 5 August: Deadline – 12 August
Full stage (plus Early and Late Stage Feasibility)
• Registration – 25 November: Deadline - 2 December
The future….
• New budget through CSR => rounds 5-10
• Crucial to show impact and outcomes of BBSRC
NIBB and IB Catalyst
• Tell us your successes!
Future IB Catalyst
Calls

12. • Use the guidance documents
• Seek advice on scope from IB Catalyst coordinator
• Ensure activities and integration of all partners are
well articulated in the proposal
• Project management should be clear – include
project manager if appropriate
• If using non-UK partner, justify why
• Risk assessment well described and mitigation
strategies
• Be clear on freedom to operate and IP
• Consider carefully the ELSI and ensure they are
reflected in the risk register
• Do the economics work?
Advice from R1 &
R2 assessment

13. R1 Success rate in applications by whether the lead
researcher/company is a member of ≥1 BBSRC NIBB
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
BBSRC NIBB member No lead membership
Numberofapplications
Funded
Unsuccessful at full
Unsuccessful at EOI

14. Number of projects with lead members

15. Types of collaboration R1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Single Academic
Institution
Single Industry
Organisation
Academic/Academic Industry/Industry Academic/Industry
Numberofapplications
Funded
Unfunded

17. www.bbsrc.ac.uk/FLIP
Charitable
sector
Professional services –
Technology Transfer
Industrial sectorAcademic
BBSRC-funded project
• people movement between different environments
• lead to the exchange of knowledge / technology / skills
• Duration: 6 – 24 months
• Award: £50 – 150K (or more)
Exploring markets, developing contact or
acquiring new skills?
Application deadline: 15 July 2015

18. A collaborative, pre-competitive research project between one or more
companies
and one or more research-base partners.
Criteria
• Industry partner(s) must contribute 50% of the full economic cost of the
project. Contributions can be cash and / or in-kind.
• Academics request the remainder (ie: up to 50% of the full cost of the project)
from BBSRC. If successful, BBSRC support is limited to 80% of that requested
and the remainder is made up from institutional core funds.
Benefits for company partners include:
• financial support for the project
• closer relationships with the science base
• possibility of recruiting appropriately trained staff at the end of the project
Deadlines 28th April, 23rd September 2015
(see responsive mode deadlines)
Stand alone LINK

19. • A collaborative, pre-competitive research project between
one or more companies and one or more research-base
partners.
• Science-led, responsive mode grants where an industrial
partner contributes in cash at least 10% of the full
economic cost of the project.
• Additional in-kind contributions from industry are welcome
but they neither count against the industry contribution nor
the total cost of the project.
Deadlines 28th April, 23rd September 2015
(see responsive mode deadlines)
Industrial
Partnership
Awards (IPA)

20. • Take forward BBSRC funded research that have
commercial potential
• End of a research grant before market able to pick up
where route to commercialisation still unclear and very
risky
• So it works in the lab but:
Does it work at scale? Does it work in an industry setting?
Does it work on industry material? Does it meet industry
standards? SOP?
• Proof-of-concept model – able to secure market interest
e.g. through licensing, spin-out company (seed or
venture finance) in the future
• Standard: Award up to £250k for 1 year
• Super: Award £250k-£1M per year, up to 2 years with
‘stop and go’ milestones
Call opens: 14 May 2015
Application deadline: 24 June 2015
It works!...
Or does it?

21. • Some institutions have tended to try to
commercialise too early
- Lack of in depth proof of concept
- Technology cannot stand market scrutiny
• Important to understand potential markets,
market trends, competitors, potential clients,
IP landscape, regulatory framework, cost of
scale up, investment landscape
• Develop in depth Proof of Concept both
commercial and Technical
• £7-10K, 6 months duration
FOF Pathfinder call open – apply at any time
When to
commercialise

22. Thank You
Alexandra.Amey@bbsrc.ac.uk

23. • The number of IB Catalyst Early Stage Translation Awards that a
PI can hold will be limited to one grant at any one time.
• If a PI is in the final year of their IB Catalyst Early Stage
Translation award, they may apply for a further award.
• Rule has been implemented by the IB Catalyst Management
Board to focus PIs on delivering the outcomes of their IB Catalyst
grants. PIs can hold concurrent awards from the other streams
New rule on PI
eligibility –
Round 3
onwards