This document provides a monthly digital business briefing with information on funding opportunities, support programs, events, training and market research for UK digital businesses. It summarizes several open funding calls for areas like connected cities, smart technologies, food data, driverless cars and automated cyber defense. It also lists resources for launching and growing a digital business, including accelerators, mentoring networks, export advice and connecting with investors. Key upcoming events and training are highlighted for September 2014.

1. Digital Business Briefing
September 2014

2. What is this briefing?
• A digest of useful information for UK digital
businesses seeking funding and support,
updated every month
• Brought to you by the following
organisations:

3. Contents
• Open funding calls
• Other funding
• Support for launching a new digital business
• Existing digital businesses
• Events
• Training
• Useful market research

4. Open funding calls
IC tomorrow Connected Cities
Key feature: Grant funding to work with industrial partners to develop
new solutions for connected cities
Scale:
• Up to £35k grants, 100% funded
• Specifically for micro, small or medium sized businesses
Closes: 14th October 2014
More info on innovateuk.org

5. Open 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: 25th September 2014
More info on innovateuk.org

6. Open funding calls
Food open data challenge
Key feature: A grant to use available open data to develop products
and services to support people to make better choices with their food.
Scale:
• Finalists receive £5k
• A “Grand prize” of up to £40k for successfully evidenced services
Closes: 27th October 2014
More info on Nesta website

7. Open funding calls
Introducing driverless cars to the UK
Key features:
• Grants to research how driverless cars can be integrated onto our
roads
• Looking for town/city based consortia to help test in 3 urban areas
• Delivered in partnership with industry funding
• 18-36 month project timescale
Scale:
• Between £5-10m grants funding up to 60% project costs
• Projects must find match-funding
Closes: 24th September 2014
More info on innovateuk.org

8. Open funding calls
An integrated future for cities
Key feature: large-scale SBRI contracts to encourage new ways of
achieving better integration of infrastructure and services across a
city. Contracts will be to develop prototypes, must link up cities and
will enable users to interact with multiple models to tackle different city
problems.
Scale:
• Contracts of between £1.5 - 2m – 100% funded
• Single contract, but able to sub-contract out work
Closes: registration closes on 7 January 2015
More info on innovateuk.org

9. Open funding calls
Social Seed Fund
Key feature: Funding and mentoring support for new digital ventures
for social impact
Scale:
• Between £15-50k
• A “Grand prize” of up to £40k for successfully evidenced services
Opens: 22nd September 2014
More info on Nominet Trust website

10. Open funding calls
Automated cyber-defence
Key feature: Contracts to develop tools that support the planning and
automated response to cyber-threats to armed forces’s systems
Scale:
• Up to £500k available
Closes: on 23 October 2014
More info on innovateuk.org

11. Open funding calls
Innovation Vouchers
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: on 22 October 2014
More info on innovateuk.org

12. Open funding calls
Nesta Impact investment
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: ongoing
More info on Nesta Investments

13. Other Funding
Funding Central and Finance Finder websites
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

14. Other Funding
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
Key features: The UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched
thousands of projects
• Guides to launching a successful crowdfunding campaign
• Information on reward-based, peer-to-peer and equity
crowdfunding
More info on www.crowdfunder.co.uk

15. 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 also endorses visa
applications to help recruit talent to the UK.
• 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.

16. 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

17. Are you an existing digital business
seeking advice or support?
• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and
deliver business growth – GrowthAccelerator
• Email IP Audit to apply for up to £3k of free advice from
an IP professional
• AngelList – helps source angel investors

18. Key events in September
• Learn Do Share – London 5-6th September
• Future of online and mobile payments – 11th September
• IBC Content Everywhere - Amsterdam 11-15th September
• Mind the Product – London 12th September
• Innovate UK Derry meet-up – 18th September
• Bristol digital events – via @goramandvincent
• Wired Sussex events – via @WiredSussex
• Manchester events – via @McrDig
• For all events in and around London, check out Tech City News

19. Training and skills
• Open Data in a Day training course at the ODI – 15th September
• Mobile Advertising – via @ukaop London 17th September
• Mobile Programmatic – via @IABUK - get your head around buying and selling
ads on mobile platforms – London 25th September
• Digital training – via @Econsultancy - World-class training courses

20. Useful market research
• 10 Great internet marketing stats – via @Econsultancy
• UK Digital Market overview via @comScoreEMEA
• Silicone Cities: Supporting tech clusters – via @Policy_Exchange
• Communications Market report 2014 – via @Ofcom consumer trends on web and mobile

21. Something else we've missed?
Please let us know, plus sign up for monthly updates at:
digitaleconomy@ktn-uk.org

22. Thanks
jon.kingsbury@ktn-uk.org