Grants to support the Growth of Cyber Security Sector (UK)

The aim of this competition is to develop impactful regional activities and events that focus on supporting the growth of the cyber security sector and the development of cyber security skills.

Themes

• Your project must focus on one or more of the following:
  • Cyber security skills for local people and communities to reduce the skills gap.
  • Upskilling underrepresented demographics in the cyber security sector.
  • Strengthening the local cyber security sector through area partnerships and forging links between industry, public sector and academia.
  • Supporting the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems.
  • Increasing opportunities for local people to pursue a career in cyber security, paying particular attention to underrepresented communities.

Themes 

• These will be to resolve geographical disparities in the development and growth of the cyber security sector and to reduce the skills gap in the sector.
• Your project must:
  • Be delivered in one of the seven specified areas.
  • Demonstrate clear impact in the cyber security sector of the region through the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems or increasing opportunities for activities to reduce the skills gap in the sector.
  • Have the endorsement of your area steering group.
• The seven specified areas are:
  • Northern Ireland
  • North-West England
  • South-West England
  • Yorkshire & Humber
  • Northeast England
  • East Midlands
  • West Midlands

Funding Information

• They have allocated up to £1.3 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.
• Your total project costs will be up to 100% funded, up to the maximum grant of £150,000 Your grant funding request detailed within your application must not exceed £150,000. If your grant funding request exceeds £150,000 then your application will be made ineligible.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project must:
  • Last between one month and three months
  • Carry out its project work in the UK
  • Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
  • Not start before 1 January 2025
  • End by 31 march 2025
  • Have the endorsement of your area steering group
• Lead organisation
  • To lead a project or work alone your organisation must be a UK registered:
    • Business of any size
    • Academic institution
    • Research and technology organisation (rto)
    • Charity
    • Not for profit
    • Public sector organisation
• Project team
  • To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered:
    • Business of any size
    • Academic institution
    • Charity
    • Not for profit
    • Public sector organisation
    • Research and technology organisation (RTO)
• Subcontractors
  • Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.
  • Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
  • You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use suppliers from the UK.
  • You must also provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you.
  • They expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. They will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
• Number of applications
  • A business of any size, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO) can lead in any number of applications and can also be included as a collaborator in any number of applications.
  • If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.
  • Organisations that are leading or collaborating in multiple applications must be able to prove they can deliver on all applications. The funding required for the total number of applications must be not exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) limit.

For more information, visit GOV.UK.