This document provides a summary of various public and private funding opportunities, financing mechanisms, and support resources available to UK digital businesses in January 2015. It outlines several live public funding calls from Innovate UK for innovative projects related to urban challenges, inclusive technology, biomedical solutions, creative production, learning technology, and more. It also lists private financing sources and other mechanisms like crowdfunding platforms. The document serves as a useful monthly digest of relevant information for digital businesses seeking funding and support.

1. Digital Business Briefing
A digest of useful information for UK digital businesses
seeking funding and support, updated monthly
January 2015

2. Bought to you by the following
organisations:

3. Contents
• Live public funding calls
• Other public funding
• Private financing
• Other financing mechanisms
• Non-financial support for your business
• Relevant events
• Other information
• Useful reports

4. Live Public funding calls
Key feature: Innovation voucher scheme funding for start-up, micro, small
and medium-sized enterprises to work with an external expert to gain the
knowledge to innovate and grow.
Scale:
• Up to £5k funding for SMEs
Closes: 21st January 2015
More info on innovateuk.org
Innovation Vouchers

5. Public funding calls
Solving urban challenges with data – Feasibility study
Key feature: Investment for feasibility studies projects for innovative,
commercial solutions to increase the resilience, quality of life or economic
performance of urban areas by integrating environmental, social and/or
economic data with data from other sources.
Scale:
• Up to £2.5m
• Will fund up to 60%
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 11th March 2015; deadline for
applications Wednesday 18th March 2015.
More info at innovateuk.org

6. Public funding calls
Solving urban challenges with data – Collaborative
R&D
Key feature: Investment for collaborative R&D projects for innovative,
commercial solutions to increase the resilience, quality of life or economic
performance of urban areas by integrating environmental, social and/or
economic data with data from other sources.
Scale:
• Up to £5m
• Up to 60% of project funding
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 21st January; deadline for
applications Wednesday 28th January.
More info at innovateuk.org

7. Public funding calls
Urban living: integrated products and services
Key feature: Investment in collaborative R&D projects that develop
products and services from integrated data generated by cities.
Scale:
• up to £7m
• Up to 60% of project costs
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 4th February; deadline for applications
Wednesday 11th February.
More info at innovateuk.org

8. Public funding calls
Inclusive technology prize
Key feature: Designers, makers and entrepreneurs are being challenged to
develop the next generation of products, services and technologies that will
make a real difference to the 1 in 6 who are living with limiting long term
illness or disability in the UK.
Scale:
• A contract worth £50K, funding 100%
Closes: Friday 16th January 2015
More info at innovateuk.org

9. Live Public funding calls
Key feature: For proposals that might kick-start the delivery of
genuinely new products and services, with substantial and scalable
commercial potential.
Scale:
• For SMEs working on new projects
• Will fund up to 75% of project costs up to £25k
Closes: 21st January 2015
More info on innovateuk.org
Technology-inspired Innovation – Feasibility Studies

10. Live Public funding calls
Key feature:
Scale:
• For businesses who want to work with an academic organisation
• Will fund up to 60% of project costs
Closes: 15th April 2015
More info on innovateuk.org
Better interactions between people and machines
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships designed to help
develop new ways for people to interact with machines

11. Live Public funding calls
Key feature:
Scale:
• Up to £200k project size
• Will fund up to 75% of project costs
Closes: on 21st January 2015
More info on: innovate UK
Biomedical Catalyst – Early Stage Awards
Funding to develop and test solutions to healthcare
challenges – diagnostics, devices and data

12. Live Public funding calls
Key feature:
Scale:
• Up to £200k project size
• Will fund up to 75% of project costs
Closes: on 18th March 2015
More info on: innovate UK
Biomedical Catalyst – Feasibility Grants
Funding to develop and test solutions to healthcare
challenges – diagnostics, devices and data

13. Live Public funding calls -
Creative Production
Horizon 2020 ICT-19-2015
Key feature: R&D funding of new or emerging technologies (e.g. 3D and
augmented reality technologies) for digital content creation to support the
creative and media industries and for unlocking complex information and
media and interacting with them.
Scale: €561,000,000
Opens:15th October 2014 Closes: 14th April 2015
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for
Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

14. Public funding calls –
Learning Technology
Horizon 2020 ICT-20-2015
Key feature: This challenge encourages public procurement of innovative
solutions to address the needs of the digital learning ecosystem in making
better use of educational cloud solutions, mobile technology, learning
analytics and big data, and to facilitate the use, re-use and creation of
learning material and new ways to educate and learn online.
Scale: €561,000,000
Opens:15th October 2014 Closes: 14th April 2015
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for
Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

15. Public funding calls
Wearable Technologies Innovation Contest
Key feature: The IC tomorrow Wearable Technologies Innovation contest
is aimed at encouraging innovation in wearable technology across the
themes of hospitality, accessibility, entertainment, design, sport and
wellbeing, health and safety.
Scale:
• 6 x projects up to £35K each
• 100% funded as a procurement
Register now for briefing events:
London, 28th January 2015 &
Manchester, 29th January 2015

16. Public funding calls –
Internet of Things
Horizon 2020 ICT-30-2015
Key feature: The evolution of the Internet of Things embedded in
Smart Environments and Platforms forming a web of "everythings"
has been identified as one of the next big concepts to support societal
changes and economic growth at an annual rate estimated at 20%.
Scale: €561,000,000
Opens:15th October 2014 Closes: 14th April 2015
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points
for Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

17. Live funding calls
"Smart" grants for start-ups and small businesses
Key feature: A grant scheme which offers funding to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the
strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology.
Scale:
• Proof of market - up to £25k - 60% of project cost
• Proof of concept - up to £100k - 60% of project cost
• Prototype development - up to £250k - up to 45% of project cost
Closes: 29th January 2015
More info on innovateuk.org

18. Public funding calls
‘Technology inspired innovation’ for small and micro
companies
Key feature: Innovate UK is launching a brand new competition for
feasibility studies for small and micro companies. Technology areas
include: Advanced Materials, Biosciences, Electronics, Sensors &
Photonics and Information & Communications Technology.
Scale:
• up to £2m funding
• up to 75% of project costs
Closes: 21st January 2015. More info here.

19. Other public funding
Key features: Online guide to over 4,000 grants, contracts and other
forms of finance:
• Fully searchable based on finance type, scale and your
geographical location
• Constantly updated – especially good for businesses seeking
charitable or grant funding
More info on Funding Central and Finance Finder
Funding Central and Finance Finder websites

20. Public Investment
Nesta Impact Investment Fund
Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with
innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most
pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle:
• the health and wellbeing of an ageing population
• the educational attainment and employability of children and young people
• the social and environmental sustainability of communities.
Scale: between £150k - £1m
Closes: on-going
More info on Nesta Investments

21. Private financing
Connect Ventures, London – invest in mobile, internet and digital media
businesses; invest at the early stage and focus on seed investments;
investment size ranges from £200K-£600k
Edge Investments, London - specialist investment house focused on the
creative industries sector, in particular media and entertainment, which has
raised more than £145m since launch
Growth Accelerator, Cornwall – provided by some of the UK’s leading
growth specialists; works with businesses from a diverse range of sectors;
key eligibility criteria include fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover
under £40m
Index Ventures, London, San Francisco & Geneva – venture capital firm
making investments in information technology and life sciences companies,
since 1996 they have teamed up with technology entrepreneurs in more
than 30 countries

22. Private financing
Ingenious Media, London – a UK media investment and advisory group with
operating divisions of Investments, Ventures, Asset Management and
Corporate Finance; since 1998 they have raised and invested over £9bn in
the media and entertainment, clean energy and real estate sectors
Notion Capital, London – invest in B2B Cloud & SaaS companies who have
sustained 100% Year-over-Year growth; investment areas include adtech,
communications and collaboration tools, ecommerce, enterprise software,
fintech and security; portfolio raised over £200m in 2014
Silicon Valley Bank – global bank dedicated to the innovation sector with
focus on technology businesses; have supported clients such as Shazam,
The Foundry and Cambridge Broadband Networks

23. Other financing mechanisms
Crowdfunder.co.uk – UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched
1000’s of projects and raised over £2m, platform launched by KEO digital
and partners include Nesta and Plymouth University
Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend money
directly to SMEs; the first site to use peer-to-peer lending for business
funding in the UK; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has facilitated £223
in loans to SMEs
Kickstarter.com – a global crowdfunding platform based in the United
States; the company’s stated mission is to help to bring creative projects to
life; since launching in 2009, 7m people have pledged $1bn, funding 70,000
creative projects
Seedcamp is a London based accelerator that provides startups with seed
money, mentorship, office space, support over a year long programme.

24. Launching a new digital business?
• The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps
start-ups build business models around open data
• Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for
guidance in and around London. It has just launched its Digital
Business Academy. Tech City UK can also endorse visa
applications to help recruit talent to Britain.
• Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with
leading commercial partners and investors, through funded
contests, events, and strategic matchmaking opportunities.
• Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to
creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be
available via traditional banking relationships.

25. Are you an existing digital business
seeking non-financial advice or support?
• Nesta runs a creative business mentor network for digital
businesses looking to grow
• The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting
• Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment
• The British Business Angels Association can help put you
in touch with relevant business angel investors
• The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business

26. Are you an existing digital business
seeking advice or support?
• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and
deliver business growth – GrowthAccelerator
• Use the IP Health check to identify commercial IP in your
business
• AngelList – helps source angel investors
• Interactive Scotland is a Scottish Enterprises project
providing specialist expert advice to all Digital and
Creative Businesses across Scotland

27. Personal Data and Trust Network
A digital business network to build and nurture a community that
brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research
organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the
global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data.
For more information and to join, visit the Digital Catapult website

28. Training and skills
• Training in Open Data from the Open Data Institute
• Digital Project Management – via @IABUK
• Digital Acceleration – via @hyperisland_uk
• Digital training – via @Econsultancy – e-marketing courses
Develop your skills with these world-class courses:

29. Key events in January
• Countering Cyber Threats – London, 15 Jan 2015
• Wearable Technologies Innovation - London, 28th Jan and
Manchester, 29th Jan
• FutureEverything events - via @FuturEverything
• Wired Sussex events – via @WiredSussex
• Manchester events – via @McrDig
• For all events in and around London, check out Tech City News

30. Useful reports/ market research
• Biggest Technology Trends – the biggest technology trends and
possible twists in the horizon
• Report of the Digital Government Review – recommends ways to
improve trust and engagement between the government and its
digital citizens
• Over half of UK shoppers now regularly using digital wallets -
research by online payment and digital wallet provider Skill (HQ:
Ldn) finds major generational gap in paying habits
• TechCrunch Live from CES show 2015 – an annual international
electronics and technology trade show

31. Something else we've missed?
Please let us know: digitaleconomy@ktn-uk.org
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