Open call for Digital Supply Chain Innovation Funding Opportunity – UK

The Made Smarter Innovation | Digital Supply Chain Hub is on a mission to transform UK manufacturing through digitally-empowered supply chains that are more efficient, resilient and sustainable. To achieve this, the programme must address various digital supply chain issues focused around the hub’s seven core challenge themes.

This open call looks to develop solutions to issues that have arisen in three critical areas; data governance, reporting and verification of emissions across the food supply chain, and cybersecurity vulnerability. Applications are invited from companies interested in working with programme collaboration partners from the Digital Supply Chain Hub ecosystem.

As a delivery partner, Digital Catapult will facilitate and oversee the partnerships between technology innovators and programme collaboration partners, furthering digital adoption and driving innovation forward.

Programme Objectives

The Programme objectives include:

• Accelerate the adoption of innovative digital technologies that enhance efficiency, transparency, and collaboration across supply chains
• Develop up to 3 prototype solutions addressing the challenges set out by the Digital Supply Chain Hub to promote and drive innovation forward in these areas
• Advance digitalisation and knowledge sharing across Digital Supply Chain Hub’s seven key challenge themes

Themes

• Supply chain risk and resilience
• Supply and demand imbalances
• Supply chain sustainability and the move to net zero
• The circular economy
• End-to-end supply chain visibility
• Finance, working capital and inventory
• Last mile logistics

Challenge Briefs

• Challenge brief 1: Data governance systems for supply chains
  • Aim: To develop a data governance framework mechanism to build trust among Digital Supply Chain Hub ecosystem participants, ensuring that their interests are maintained when sharing information.
• Challenge brief 2: Food supply chain carbon management
  • Aim: To establish a comprehensive carbon management system to monitor, report and verify the greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain starting with farms.
• Challenge brief 3: Cybersecurity vulnerability in supply chains
  • Aim: To develop a system to test whether supply chain cyber vulnerabilities and breaches can be found through available data

Why should you get involved?

• MVP funding Up to £150,000 to develop a challenge focused minimum viable product (MVP) and supporting material within the timeframe of the project.
• Collaborate with technology and industry experts from Digital Catapult to assess, iterate and accelerate your solution, and significantly expand your network.
• Upon successful completion of the project, the participant will have the opportunity to join the future digital supply chain hub platform, which will offer a platform to connect interested digital supply chain stakeholders.
• Diagnostic sessions with your project team to determine current technological, commercial and strategic needs.
• Upon successful completion of the project, join the Digital Catapult Alumni Network, which keeps them informed of opportunities and relevant updates from the Digital Catapult, and which provides additional opportunities to engage with other Alumni.
• Be part of the showcase event, which is an opportunity to participate, pitch and attend meetings at the showcase events in February 2025 and any relevant digital supply chain events.

What they’re looking for?

• The programme seeks applications for technology innovators who will be interested in developing technology MVPs to one of the UK’s core supply chain challenges.
• Here are the requirements for applications to the Made Smarter Innovation: Digital Supply Chain Hub:
  • The applicant has to be registered with Companies House in the UK (or equivalent, for example, establishment in the UK and the majority of work must be carried out in the UK. In the case of international co-productions, the work carried out outside the UK must be proportionate to the amount of funding brought in by the international company)
  • Experience within the manufacturing sector is not essential, however, knowledge of how to apply this to industry and relevance to the challenge is required.
  • They expect a minimum Co-investment of £100,000 from Solution Providers/Grant recipients. There are various categories of co-investment which can be considered. The Co-investments cover the value for money and the cost of delivering the technology solutions.
  • Companies considered an SMEs by the EU’s definition.

Minimum Requirements

• Applicants must be a UK based registered company – or prove they have an establishment in the UK and undertake the majority of the activity in the UK.
• Applicants must be eligible to receive £150,000 in Special Drawing Rights/De Minimis Aid.
• Applicants must have a UK business bank account for any payments to be made.
• Applicants must be able to attend all of the activities as stated in Programme Obligations.
• Applicants must develop solutions enabled by at least one of the technologies from the Advanced Digital Technology Stack: Artificial Intelligence, Immersive, Internet of Things, Distributed Ledger Technologies and 5G/Future Networks.

For more information, visit Digital Catapult.