Innovate UK: COVID-19 fast-track competition

Innovate UK is looking for “innovative and ambitious ideas, which would realistically and significantly meet a societal need that has emerged or increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the need of an industry that has been severely impacted and/or permanently disrupted”.

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to respond to these needs in UK and global communities.

Innovate UK is looking for ambitious ideas for projects which can be:

• scaled up quickly
• delivered during this lock-down period
• started by June 2020
• and last up to six months. 

Launched on 3 April, the deadline for applications is 17 April 2020 at 12pm. There is a streamlined application process for 100% up-front grants of up to £50k.

Ideas can come from any industry and be niche. Whilst solutions are likely to feature cross-cutting digital solutions, they could come from and impact on diverse sectors, for example healthcare, financial services, transport or creative services. 

If you have ideas for solutions across priority areas that you could foresee through to commercialisation, or if you have clients who you can support and shape their R&D processes to help get these products to market quickly you can apply for a grant of up to 100% of your project costs up to the maximum of £50k (paid in advance of the project start date) from Innovate UK.

Your proposal must focus on a clear need and the proposed innovation to address it. You must have the ability to deliver the project during the working restrictions of Covid-19 pandemic.

Key details: 

• competition closes 17 April at 12pm
• full funding up front
• project length 3-6months
• funding cannot be used for sustainability of a business
• sole traders will not be eligible.

Your application must demonstrate:

• a clearly innovative and ambitious idea, which would realistically and significantly meet a societal need that has emerged or increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic or the need of an industry that has been severely impacted and/or permanently disrupted
• that you have the capacity and capability to deliver the project successfully and on time during the working restrictions of Covid-19
• the ability to start your project no later than June 2020
• value for money