Launchpad: Marine and Maritime in the Great South West – R1 CR&D (UK)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £2 million in innovation projects. The funding will support projects across the three Launchpad competition strands that target the innovation cluster in the Great South West.

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your project must focus on one or more of the following:

• marine autonomy
• clean maritime
• digital ocean technologies

Your project must lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and economic impact in the cluster.

In support of the Government’s Levelling Up goals, they reserve the right to prioritise projects that:

• are shorter in duration
• significantly advance innovation in marine and maritime
• are led by businesses already based in the innovation cluster
• have greater levels of activity outside the Greater South East

Specific Themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

• disruptive technology to replace traditional ship-based alternatives for equipment inspection and other marine monitoring operations and enhance safety of the seas
• achieving net zero through transition to alternative fuel powered vessels using energy from low or zero emission sources or highly efficient batteries, also integrating ports into a decarbonised energy network and supplying the fuels of the future
• leading sensor and communications technology advancement and their connectedness and interoperability, to inform offshore operation by enhancing the understanding of the ocean and any impact upon it

Project Size

• Your project’s total grant funding request must be between £150,000 and £1 million.

Projects they will not fund

• They are not funding projects that:
  • do not contribute to innovation activity in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West
  • require approval from the Marine and Coastguard Agency MCA) for testing in an operational marine environment within the duration of the project.
  • are within scope of the Cluster management strand of this Launchpad competition
  • request grant funding of less than £150,000 or more than £1 million
• 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

Who can apply?

• Your project must:
  • last between 6 and 18 months
  • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
  • start at the earliest on 1 April 2024
  • end by 30 March 2026
• Projects must always start on the first of the month and this must be stated within your application. Your project start date will be reflected in your grant offer letter if you are successful.
• To lead a project 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)
  • collaborate with other UK registered organisations
  • be active or growing your work activities in the marine and maritime innovation cluster in the Great South West
  • have a demonstrable ambition for business growth
• To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:
  • business of any size
  • academic institution
  • charity
  • not for profit
  • public sector organisation
  • research and technology organisation (RTO)
• The contribution of project partners must add to the innovation led growth of the cluster.
• To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding when entering their costs into the application.
• Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example non-UK businesses. Their costs will count towards the total project costs.
• Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Their contribution must add to the innovation led growth of the cluster.
• Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
• All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total project costs.
• A business can lead on only one CR&D strand application for this competition, but can 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.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.