This document provides information about maximizing the impact of projects funded by the UK Sustainable Innovation Fund. It announces support programs being led by KTN to help funded projects collaborate with industry partners and diffuse innovations. It shares stories of funded projects, lists upcoming events, and provides resources and contact information for those receiving funding.

1. www.ktn-uk.org
Maximising the impact of you Sustainable
Innovation Fund or Continuity Grant project
Sustainable Innovation
Fund
October 2021 Briefing

2. Content
• SIF Stories
• News
• Funding competitions
• Events
• Support programmes
• Resources
• Contact us

3. Beyond the Funding: Sign up to
hear from us
KTN is leading on a programme of support for
funded projects to drive collaboration with
industry and new partners to build better
innovation communities, support adoption and
diffusion, and maximise the impact of this
funding. Sign up to hear about upcoming events
and other activity.
Sign up here

4. #SIFStories
Showcasing projects funded through the Sustainable
Innovation Fund which worked to nourish ideas and
help turn them into game-changing solutions; so that
the UK can recover from the pandemic, stronger,
greener and fairer.
https://bit.ly/SIF_Stories

8. New Innovate UK blog
Louis Robertson, Project Co-Ordinator for Continuity Grants at Innovate UK talks about
how Innovate UK helped ensure UK research and development (R&D) activity during the
COVID-19 pandemic.

9. KTN is working with Innovate UK to increase the impact of the Sustainable Innovation Fund
through communications and engagement.
If you have news you’d like to share, or you would like to be a part of our SIF Stories
campaign, then please email the KTN SIF Team.
What’s next for you?

10. News

11. Join thousands of UK
businesses tackling climate
change
Start your Net Zero journey today

12. Could you be a
#OneStepGreener Ambassador?
Become the voice of the UK public on climate
change and will work closely with the government
in the lead up to COP26 .
Apply here
Applications close 11:59pm Sunday 10 October

13. Funding Competitions

14. Innovate UK Smart Grants: August | Deadline: 6 October 2021, 11:00am
Innovate UK is investing up to £25 million in the best game-changing and commercially
viable innovative or disruptive ideas > apply here.
Women in Innovation Awards | Deadline: 6 October 2021, 11:00am
Winners will receive a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and
business support > apply here.
More funding opportunities here.
Funding

15. Events

16. (Manufacturing) Made Smarter Innovation: Webinar Series
5th October | Made Smarter Innovation: Explained
12th October | Made Smarter Innovation: The Future of Digital
Manufacturing
19th October | Made Smarter Innovation – Sustainable Smart
Factory (& introducing forthcoming funding)
26th October | Made Smarter Innovation: UK to Global Technology
Strategy
2nd November | Made Smarter Innovation: Ecosystem of UK
Manufacturing Hubs & Accelerators
Resource Efficiency (waste utilisation, symbiosis, design for
circular economy) on 6th October
Register for KTN’s three conferences on the Foundation Industries,
in partnership with TFI Network+ and TransFIRe, covering: resource
efficiency; sensors, control and digitalisation; and energy recovery.
Innovate Local Yorkshire, Humber & the North East on 20th
October
Other area events will be announced in due course.
Digital Business Meetup – Sustainability on 20th October
If you are an innovative SME with new ideas and solutions that can
bring new positive change to the environment, join us for this event to
hear about the latest funding and support opportunities available.
Digital Business Meetup - Next Generation Services on 24th
November
If you are an innovative SME with new solutions in AI and data
technologies, join us for this event to hear about the latest funding
and support opportunities available to you, share some of your
innovation stories and network with other businesses to spark new
collaborations.
View all more events here
Events

17. Support Programmes

18. Innovate UK Edge
Exploit business
innovation to grow
and scale
Source funding &
finance to grow and
scale
Enter new markets
to grow
and scale
Protect & harness your IP,
improve innovation
management and access
the innovation ecosystem
globally through their
expertise & networks
Find the best option and
get investment ready with
their help, to propel your
growth.
Connections and guidance
to expand into vertical &
international markets and
achieve scale.
All SMEs receiving Innovate UK grant funding are contacted by an EDGE advisor. If you haven’t engaged with
Innovate UK EDGE before then please reach out to your Monitoring Officer or Impact and Performance Manager.

19. Resources

20. Innovation Development
• Accelerators & Incubators in the UK – a creative
commons resource of UK programmes.
• Innovation Networks - Innovation programme to
bring together stakeholders across a technology
theme. To promote a shared understanding on
emerging technologies cross sector.
• Tech Nation UK Startup Ecosystem
• Innovation Development Resource Library - a tool
to plan the innovation development journey.
Supplemented with resources to help address
activities and stages of commercialisation
• British Library Business & IP Centres - access to
training, IP and market research resources
Funding & Innovation Development
Funding
• UKRI funding finder - online guides
and support before you apply and
preparing an application
• KTN Good Application Guide - a guide
on how to write a successful Innovate
UK grant application
• Pitch Guide - a guide on how to
prepare and an present an investment
pitch
• British Business Bank Finance Hub

21. • Innovate UK EDGE - regional 1:1 Business support enable ambitious, innovative SMEs to
accelerate their growth and achieve
• Catapults – provide businesses with access to their expertise and facilities, enabling them
to test, demonstrate and improve their ideas.
• Growth Hubs - promote and deliver business support based on the regional needs in
England
• Scottish Enterprise – works with business to help overcome challenges, enhance
business practices, explore new markets and opportunities to grow your Scottish
company
• Invest NI - helps new and existing businesses to compete internationally, and by
attracting new investment to Northern Ireland.
• Business Wales – provides advice and guidance you need
Regional & Thematic SME and Business Support

22. Institute for Manufacturing launches Sustainability Association to drive change in
manufacturing
The Sustainability Association, launched by the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the
University of Cambridge and supported by the KTN’s Manufacturing team, is a membership
group focused on ensuring manufacturing leaders can drive sustainable change in their
organisations.
Global Expert Mission technical reports
The Global Expert Missions play an important role in building strategic partnerships,
providing deep insight into the opportunities for UK innovation and shaping future
programmes. Our new AI in Germany technical report from the recent online Mission is now
published online.
Resources Continued…

23. About KTN

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

25. ©KTN All rights reserved | www.ktn-uk.org
Talk through your next steps in your innovation journey
sustainableinnovationfund@ktn-uk.org
Contact us