This presentation covers a multitude of frequently asked questions relating to funding and competitions from Innovate UK.

1. Innovate UK
Frequently asked questions

2. Innovate UK - FAQ
1. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT COMPETITIONS INNOVATE UK ARE RUNNING?
2. HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT A COMPETITION?
3. HOW MUCH FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR A COMPETITION?
4. HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A COMPETITION?
5. HOW DO I APPLY TO ENTER A COMPETITION?
6. WHICH COSTS CAN I INCLUDE IN MY APPLICATION FOR FUNDING?
7. CAN I ENTER INTO MORE THAN ONE COMPETITION?
8. CAN I SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR MORE THAN ONE PROJECT WITHIN A COMPETITION?
9. HOW WILL SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS BE CHOSEN?
10. IF MY APPLICATION IS UNSUCCESSFUL CAN I RE-SUBMIT IT IN A FUTURE COMPETITION?
11. HOW CAN I FIND PARTNERS FOR MY PROJECT CONSORTIUM?
12. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON ‘DEFENCE' INDUSTRY PROJECTS?
13. ARE THERE ANY ETHICAL OR HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH APPLYING FOR
FUNDING FROM INNOVATE UK?
14. DO GRANTS CONSTITUTE STATE AID?
15. DO I HAVE TO FUND PART OF THE PROJECT MYSELF?
16. CAN OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR BODIES PROVIDE FUNDING FOR MY PROJECT?

3. Innovate UK - FAQ
17. CAN AN ACADEMIC ORGANISATION APPLY TO A COMPETITION?
18. CAN SPIN-OUT COMPANIES FROM UNIVERSITIES APPLY?
19. HOW DO YOU DEFINE AN SME?
20. CAN A UK BUSINESS COLLABORATE WITH A BUSINESS PARTNER OUTSIDE OF THE UK (WHERE THE
PROJECT IS COLLABORATIVE)?
21. HOW MANY PARTNERS CAN THERE BE IN A CONSORTIUM (WHERE THE COMPETITION IS
COLLABORATIVE)?
22. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONSORTIUM PARTNER AND A SUBCONTRACTOR?
23. HOW ARE R&D TAX CREDITS AFFECTED BY THE FUNDING OFFERED FROM THE TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAMME?
24. CAN I OBTAIN INVESTMENT UNDER THE SEED ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SCHEME (SEIS) AND ALSO
RECEIVE A GRANT FROM INNOVATE UK?
25. HOW SOON CAN I START MY PROJECT?
26. WHERE CAN I FIND AN EXAMPLE OF A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT?
27. WHO OWNS THE IP OF THE PROJECT?
28. WHERE AND BY WHEN AM I REQUIRED TO EXPLOIT THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT?
29. HOW MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT MY APPLICATION WILL INNOVATE UK MAKE PUBLIC?
30. HOW WILL PROJECTS BE MONITORED?
31. HOW WILL PROJECTS BE AUDITED?
32. WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES DURING THE PROJECT?

4. Innovate UK - FAQ
Here you will find the answers to a number of frequently asked questions about
Innovate UK’s funding competitions.
1. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT COMPETITIONS INNOVATE UK ARE RUNNING?
• All competition details are held on the competition section of the Innovate UK website.
• If you register onto their mailing list via their website, you will be kept informed of any forthcoming
competitions once they are announced.
• We would also advise you to register with the Knowledge Transfer Network in your area of interest who
will be able to keep you informed about any other funding opportunities in the UK for your area of
interest.
2. HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT A COMPETITION?
• For each competition, there are two key documents to guide you through your application:
• Competition Brief - this document will provide key competition information such as the technical
summary, background, challenge, scope, research area, funding available, entry requirements, key events
and dates. The document can be downloaded from the relevant competition page on the website.
• Competition Details - this document provides more details of the competition, including the process for
applying and is available once the competition opens from the competitions page on the website.
• For many competitions, Innovate UK will hold a briefing event to present the scope of the competition, the
application process and eligibility criteria where attendees can meet the Innovate UK team and have the
opportunity to ask questions. Attendance is free to the event, but you are advised to register in advance,
as spaces are limited. Registration links are available on the competition website page for each
competition.

5. Innovate UK - FAQ
3. HOW MUCH FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR A COMPETITION?
• Funding varies for each competition. The Competition Brief and the Competition Guidance for
Applicants will state the levels of funding available for each competition.
• Some competitions will have co-funders in the form of other public sector bodies, in addition to Innovate
UK. Details of any co-funders for a specific competition are available in the Competition Brief.
4. HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A COMPETITION?
• The eligibility criteria are described in both the Competition Brief and the Competition Guidance for each
competition. Your project will need to both meet the eligibility criteria and directly address the scope of
the competition if it is to be considered for funding within a particular competition.
5. HOW DO I APPLY TO ENTER A COMPETITION?
• To apply for a competition, you must first register in order to receive an application form, along with a user
ID and secure password. The registration link will be available on the competition webpage once the
competition is open. Registration should be done by the lead applicant for your project who should submit
their email address. Registration closes exactly one week before the application deadline.
• Please note that the application form will need to be completed and uploaded onto the secure site by a
set deadline which is documented in the Competition Guidance and Competition Brief for the
competition.

6. Innovate UK - FAQ
6. WHICH COSTS CAN I INCLUDE IN MY APPLICATION FOR FUNDING?
• The costs included should be all those directly incurred as a result of delivering your project. A list and
description of the main eligible costs that can be included in your total project costs is available in the
Project Costs section of Guidance for Applicants on the Innovate UK website.
7. CAN I ENTER INTO MORE THAN ONE COMPETITION?
• Yes, you may enter more than one competition as long as your proposal is eligible and meets the specific
competition scope for each of the competitions you are entering.
• If the application is for the same project Innovate UK will only fund the project in one competition.
8. CAN I SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR MORE THAN ONE PROJECT WITHIN A COMPETITION?
• Yes, providing the eligibility rules allow you to do so, however, you must submit a separate application
form for each project. Each application should be distinct and aligned with the competition scope and
eligibility requirements.
• Please contact Innovate UK helpdesk if you do wish to submit more than one proposal so that they can
send you multiple application forms as each form has a unique number. Uploading more than one
application to the same application ID number will overwrite your first application and it will not be
submitted to the competition.
• Should you be successful in gaining the offer of funding for more than one proposal, you will need to
evidence that you can sustain your involvement for the full duration of the project life in all funded
projects. You may be asked for further information by Innovate UK to evidence your financial and physical
resource capacity to deliver multiple projects.
• Please refer to the Smart guidance for rules on submitting multiple Smart applications.

7. Who are Innovate UK?
9. HOW WILL SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS BE CHOSEN?
• Innovate UK's funding mechanisms are a competitive application process. Independent assessors with
relevant sector expertise, knowledge and experience in the relevant technology areas are appointed by
Innovate UK for each competition.
• Each application is assessed by up to five assessors from both business and academia. The assessors are
briefed in the competition scope and will score proposals against the answers to the questions provided in
your application form.
• The competition guidance gives details on what information assessors look for against each question along
with further details of the assessment process.
10. IF MY APPLICATION IS UNSUCCESSFUL CAN I RE-SUBMIT IT IN A FUTURE COMPETITION?
• You may be able to resubmit an application into a future competition, providing the project addresses the
technology priorities and eligibility criteria for that competition.
• However, it should be noted that the application form and specific competition guidance differs across
competitions. If you are resubmitting a previous application you must ensure that you are using the
correct application form and competition guidance for the competition.
• In the case of competitions which are continuously open, such as Smart and the Biomedical Catalyst Fund,
only one resubmission per project is allowed within the scheme.

8. Innovate UK - FAQ
11. HOW CAN I FIND PARTNERS FOR MY PROJECT CONSORTIUM?
• Some competitions are collaborative in nature, and, therefore, projects must be delivered by a
consortium, rather than by a single applicant.
• Innovate UK supports two routes to help you identify partners for your project:
• Join a Knowledge Transfer Network, which are national networks in a specific field of technology or
business application. Join connect, a networking platform, to find collaborators and networks and find out
about any planned competition consortium building events.
• It is usual that you will have identified your consortium members prior to applying for a competition and,
as such, we do not assist you with finding partners during the competition application process itself.
12. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON ‘DEFENCE' INDUSTRY PROJECTS?
• Projects are to serve civilian and not defence purposes. Projects aimed at developing technology for
defence-related products will not be funded by Innovate UK. However, projects aimed at developing
civilian uses from technology developed for defence purposes will be eligible.
• The exceptions are the responsive mode of the Smart scheme and relevant SBIR competitions, where
defence projects will be accepted.

9. Innovate UK - FAQ
13. ARE THERE ANY ETHICAL OR HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH APPLYING FOR FUNDING
FROM INNOVATE UK?
• It is important that public concerns about technologies are addressed and any unfounded fears dispelled.
• Project participants will be responsible for ensuring that individual projects are delivered according to the
current legislative, regulatory and protocol frameworks. In some cases, certain requirements will be
indicated in the competition guidance.
14. DO GRANTS CONSTITUTE STATE AID?
• Most grants do constitute State Aid, but those awarded through our competitions are covered by Innovate
UK's approved State Aid Scheme.
• Grants awarded under this scheme do not count towards the de minimis allowance of a business.
Occasionally competitions are run under the de minimis regulation, but in these cases it will be clearly
stated in the Competition Guidance.
15. DO I HAVE TO FUND PART OF THE PROJECT MYSELF?
• As a business applicant, you will receive grant funding for part of the total projects costs, but you will need
to provide match funding for the remainder of the total project costs from private sources.
• If you are awarded a grant, Innovate UK will ask for evidence that you have the funding mechanisms in
place to manage your cash flow across the life of your project before your project can start. This could
include letters of credit or other such mechanisms.
• The level of the match funding required is dependent on the type of competition you have entered, your
organisation type and on the type of research you are delivering in your project. Details can be found in
the Competition Guidance.

10. Innovate UK - FAQ
16. CAN OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR BODIES PROVIDE FUNDING FOR MY PROJECT?
• Yes, however you cannot apply for funding from them through Innovate UK and you must make separate
arrangements for the funding with the public sector body concerned. Details of any funding you have
arranged with other public sector bodies must be declared in the finance summary table on your Innovate
UK application form.
• Note that total grant funding from all public sector bodies cannot exceed the grant intervention rate limits
provided in the Competition Guidance. In most cases other public sector involvement will count as part of
the grant contribution to the project and reduce the grant funding available from the Innovate UK for the
project.
• Public sector bodies cannot receive grant funding.
• Public funding from EU programmes is treated in the same way as public funding from UK bodies.
17. CAN AN ACADEMIC ORGANISATION APPLY TO A COMPETITION?
• This will depend upon the type of competition and the eligibility rules. However, in most Innovate UK
grant competitions, academics can apply as a member of a consortium which is led by a business partner.
• However, the business must be performing the majority of the project (usually 70%) and hence incurring
the majority of the project costs. The application must demonstrate that the project is business driven and
has industry commitment.

11. Innovate UK - FAQ
18. CAN SPIN-OUT COMPANIES FROM UNIVERSITIES APPLY?
• In general, yes. Where a university or other public sector body has 50% or greater ownership of the spin
out, the spin out will be treated as a large business, which will affect the eligibility of its costs and level of
any grant that can be awarded.
• In cases where both the spinout and the university are involved in the same collaboration, the added
value brought to the collaboration between the two organisations through the project will need to be
justified in the application.
19. HOW DO YOU DEFINE AN SME?
• In certain competitions there are requirements for SME involvement, and also the SME status of a
business can affect the amount of grant that can be claimed. Innovate UK use the EU definition of a Small
to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). Note that a business which is part of larger organisation group may
need to include employee/turnover/balance sheet data from that group in the eligibility and so may not
actually qualify as an SME.

12. Innovate UK - FAQ
20. CAN A UK BUSINESS COLLABORATE WITH A BUSINESS PARTNER OUTSIDE OF THE UK (WHERE THE
PROJECT IS COLLABORATIVE)?
• A key aim of Innovate UK is to accelerate UK economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led
innovation. Therefore, where a consortium has a non-UK partner, the application must justify how
involving a partner from outside of the UK will meet this key aim and that there is a clear and substantial
gain for the UK brought about by their involvement.
• Note that work done outside the UK will not attract grant funding, although the project costs associated
with the overseas work may in exceptional circumstances be included when calculating total project costs.
• Where a competition is for single applicants, it is open to UK-registered businesses only.
21. HOW MANY PARTNERS CAN THERE BE IN A CONSORTIUM (WHERE THE COMPETITION IS
COLLABORATIVE)?
• There must be at least two partners in a consortium, but there is no upper limit. You should explain the
role(s) of each of the project partners and what value that partner will be adding to the project and the
exploitation of its outcomes. An unduly large group may be unwieldy in practice.
22. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONSORTIUM PARTNER AND A SUBCONTRACTOR?
• A partner in a consortium will typically have a significant input to, and role in, the project and will be able
to exploit the results of the project (where collaborative through the terms of the Collaboration
Agreement), including, for example, preferential access to intellectual property rights (IPR) created by the
project.
• A subcontractor's role is expected to be less significant and its work will be subcontracted to the applicant
at a normal commercial rate. A subcontractor does not have financial input to or a management role in the
project and is not able to benefit preferentially from any IPR created by the project (and is not included in
the collaboration agreement).