The document provides guidance for applicants applying for funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). It outlines key points applicants should consider when completing their funding applications. Some of the main tips include reading the competition brief and guidance thoroughly, ensuring the proposed project fits the scope of the funding opportunity, clearly articulating the business opportunity and market, addressing both risks and benefits, and justifying why TSB funding is needed rather than self-funding the project. The document also reviews each section of the application, providing both dos and don'ts for completing each section successfully.

1. An Assessor's
Viewpoint on
TSB Funding Applications
Barney Craggs

2. Why Listen to Me?
● ~18 years in data driven industry
● >14 yrs innovation consultancy
● experience in large multi-nationals
● and itty bitty startups
● raised private equity
● tried and failed to raise public funds...

3. TSB Assessor Experience
● across all of ICT since 2010
● 24 plus competition rounds
● hundreds of applications
● panel moderator > 5 times

4. Quick Overview
● heads-up points
● pre-flight checklist
● golden rules
● application walkthrough (again)
● recap / q&a

5. Heads-Up
● NO secret recipes for getting it right
● assessors are human, we're
subjectively objective
● it is a competition, where you are
pitted against each other
● the application is a business plan

6. Pre-Flight Checklist
● re-read the competition brief
● read ALL of the guidance notes
● make sure your project fits FIRST
● check your business plan thinking
then and only then...

7. Ten Golden Rules (1-5)
● answer all questions to the guidance
● don't assume common knowledge
● grammar, spelling & punctuation
matter
● you are space limited, so check it
● appendices; supporting & to size

8. Ten Golden Rules (6-10)
● avoid the cliches
● if evidence is king,
● the queen is awareness
● get it proof read
● right documents BY the deadline

9. Application Walkthrough

10. Abstract
● brief summary of application
● set the scene
● what, why, how
● keep language at high level
● please don't just cut & paste from Q1

11. Gateway
● state exactly how your project fits
competition scope
● if it meets more than one aspect then state it
● don't get carried away, simplicity counts
● again please don't just cut & paste from Q1

12. Gateway Example
"We are looking at the feasibility of building a
cloud based analysis platform for white-
labelling to the agricultural sector based upon
real-time weather data collected & distributed
by/to farmers using a mobile application.
This directly addresses the challenge scope of
the competition in being an enabling platform
for hyper-local crowd sourced data analysis.
Additionally it meets the scope in being a
mobile location aware input / output device."

13. Q1 - Business Opportunity
DO
● clearly & simply articulate the
business opportunity
● what problems must be overcome?
● define a customer need
● show how project meets that need

14. Q1 con't
DON'T
● explain everything about project
● waffle
● assume everyone knows the industry

15. Q2 The Market
DO
● define market shape, size & changes
● segment & explain
● quantify & justify targets
● say how will you get to market
● give a suggested RoI for project

16. Q2 con't
DON'T
● forget to align market with project
● quote meaningless, inappropriate or
nothing but figures
● be scared of being ambitious

17. Q3 - Exploitables
DO
● clearly state exploitable outputs
● describe how you will exploit them
● highlight research & dissemination
● discuss potential impact on YOUR
business

18. Q3 con't
DON'T
● confuse impact with internal benefit
● forget to project upto 5yrs out
● assume that there is nothing to
disseminate

19. Q4 - Benefits
DO
● cover all 3 required areas,
● from both internal & external angle
● describe how you will address benefit
● highlight & explain negative impacts
not forgetting to include in Q7 Risks

20. Q4 con't
DON'T
● assume an implicit benefit (esp
Environmental) - explain them
● hide/forget negative impacts
● give vague claims

21. Appendix A
● 5 pages to SUPPORT section 1
● don't over run or repeat yourself
● support customer needs & market
● benefit justification / evidence useful

22. Q5 - Technical Approach
● no hard & fast rules here
● avoid screeds of technical data
● summarise project plan, milestones,
work-packages & allocations
● briefly justify choice of PM approach
● UTILISE appendix B

23. Q6 - Innovation
● describe evidence you have used to
assure yourself of novelty (web,
patents, academic)
● state your expectation of freedom to
operate (or any restrictions)
● remember you have to prove novelty

24. Q6 con't
FOR EACH CLAIM OF INNOVATION
● briefly & clearly describe innovation
● clearly align to scope
● succinctly define innovation type
(technical or commercial) & level
(incremental or step)

25. Q7 - Risk
● risk analysis is critical
● mitigate, don't omit high risk
● think laterally esp. on commercial risk
● include negative impacts from Q4
● utilise full risk register in appendix B
● include likelihood & impact analysis

26. Appendix B
● 5 pages to support section 2
● suggested use being;
○ project gantt plan (1pg)
○ work package descriptions (2pgs)
○ risk register (1pg)
○ any innovation support (1pg)

27. Q8 - Applicant Capability
● summary of applicant(s) background
& how it is relevant to project
● use Appendix C for more detail
● justify partnerships & sub-contracts
● be cautious of ex-UK labour

28. Q9 Financials
● remember we are looking at VFM
● assessors ONLY see summary
● fully complete financial tables
● ensure figures tie up with response
● give brief breakdown of costs by
work packages and allocations

29. Q9 con't
● justify extreme costs (esp capitals or
sub-contracts)
● common queries include;
○ capital cost apportionment
○ marketing / sales activities &
○ patent / legal costs

30. Q10 Additionality
● easiest points in application
● guidance is very explicit, so follow it
● do not waffle
...

31. Q10 con't
FIRSTLY your response
MUST clearly state how support will
increase your R&D spend in UK
You need to demonstrate this project is NOT something
you would normally be doing in course of your business

32. Q10 con't
SECONDLY answer either, or both;
● "Why you are not wholly self
funding."
● "How TSB support allows the project
to progress differently."
Answer both for belts & braces but
don't waffle.

33. Recap
● Read brief, scope and guidance
● Follow it!
● Keep it readible
● Proof read
● Submit on time

34. Any questions?