CFAs: Developing Semiconductor Hardware for Critical Technologies (UK)

Aims

• The aim of this competition is to encourage exploration of feasibility for innovative ideas with the potential to advance semiconductor hardware that can contribute to the global competitiveness of the UK in the critical technologies.

Specific Themes

• Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
  • novel semiconductor materials or designs, or both
  • semiconductor fabrication techniques
  • manufacturing equipment innovation
  • multi-technology integration or interfacing
  • novel packaging materials and techniques
  • advanced packaging
  • thermal management
  • front end of line processes
  • back end of line processes
  • in line and end of line test
  • development of Process Design Kits (PDKs)

Funding Information

• Up to £5 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
• Your project’s total eligible grant funding request must be between £75,000 and £300,000.
• If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.
  • Category 1 Feasibility studies
    • Funding available for your eligible project costs of:
      • up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
      • up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
      • up to 50% if you are a large organization
• Research participation
  • The research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 30% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:
    • 100% of your eligible project costs if you are an RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation
    • 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-S registered institution such as an academic

Ineligible Projects

• They are not funding projects that involve the:
  • design or fabrication of printed circuit boards (PCBs)
  • assembly of end use systems
• They cannot fund projects that are:
  • dependent on export performance, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country
  • dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project
  • Your project must:
    • have a total grant funding request of between £75,000 and £300,000
    • last up to six months
    • carry out all its funded project work in the UK
    • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
    • start by 1 September 2025
    • end by 28 February 2026
• Lead organisation
  • To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:
    • be a UK registered business of any size
    • be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME)
  • If collaborative you can work with other UK registered organisations.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.