Open Call: Launchpad Immersive and Creative, Coventry and Warwickshire Rd2 MFA (UK)

The funding is from Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme which supports the UK government’s goals for local economic growth. This Launchpad is also supporting CWX as the local cluster management organisation.

Aims

• The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must be growing your innovation activities in the immersive and creative industries cluster centred on Coventry and Warwickshire in the West Midlands.

Themes

• Your project can focus on developing and applying technologies including one or more of the following:
  • digital media
  • mixed media
  • augmented reality
  • virtual reality
  • virtual production
  • game engine and 3D environments
  • simulations and data visualisations
  • performance and motion capture
  • gesture and facial recognition
• Your project can be aimed at application in one or more of the following market sectors and industries:
  • creative industries
  • video game development
  • screen sector
  • healthcare
  • education
  • future mobility
  • manufacturing
  • retail
  • tourism, leisure and sport
• These lists are not exhaustive.
• Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this competition you can focus on other technologies, sectors and industries.

Funding Information

• They have allocated up to £4.35 million to fund innovation projects across the two strands of this Launchpad competition for Coventry and Warwickshire.
• Funding will be in the form of a grant.
• The total funding available for this Launchpad competition can change. The funders have the right to:
  • adjust the funding allocations between all Launchpad competitions and strands
  • apply a ‘portfolio’ approach
• Your total project costs will be up to 100% funded up to the maximum grant of £100,000. If your total grant funding request exceeds the £100,000 maximum, then your application will be made ineligible. Your project costs can be higher than your grant funding request.
• have a total grant funding request between £25,000 and £100,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project
  • Your project must:
    • last between 6 and 12 months
    • carry out all of its project work in the UK
    • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
    • not start before 1 April 2025
    • end by 30 June 2026
  • Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean they need to delay your project start date.
  • You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
  • You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application.
• Lead organisation
  • Your business must:
    • be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
    • not have previously been awarded funding from the Round 1 MFA competition strand for this Launchpad for Coventry and Warwickshire
    • be growing your innovation activities in the immersive and creative industries cluster centred on Coventry and Warwickshire
    • have a demonstrable ambition for business growth.
• 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.
  • 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 can lead on only one MFA strand application for this competition. Any subsequent applications submitted by the same business will be ineligible and will not be forwarded for assessment.
  • You are not eligible to apply to this Round 2 MFA competition if you led a successful application to the Round 1 MFA competition for this Launchpad for Coventry and Warwickshire.
  • If you apply to the CR&D strand of this competition, as well as this MFA strand, each project must be clearly distinctive and separate. They will monitor closely for this separation if you are awarded funding in both competition strands.
• Sanctions
  • This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.
• Use of animals in research and innovation
  • Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
  • Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.
  • Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.