The Technology Strategy Board is to invest up to £2m in feasibility studies to stimulate innovation across the space industry, ensuring that small and micro businesses in the UK are well-equipped to respond to society's greatest current and future challenges. (To download the "competition for funding" leaflet here)
GRACE will be happy to collaborate with companies interested in this opportunity. We may even be able to provide assistance to help you complete your application. Contact a member of the GRACE team at http://www.grace.ac.uk/contact-us.html to discuss your requirements.
The competition builds on the growth opportunities identified in the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy, and will exploit the facilities and open innovation culture of the International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC).
Feasibility studies should last up to three months and each cost no more than £33,000 in total. We will fund 75% of the project cost (up to £25,000). Projects may be collaborative or carried out by a single company.
This competition will focus on feasibility studies that:
- accelerate the development of innovative commercial technologies for space
- lead to new services which exploit data gained from space-based systems
- lead on to identifiable commercial opportunities or will position UK organisations to access other public/ private funding where this is required for further development. The competition is co-funded by South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) which will co-fund collaborative projects that:
- have at least one industrial partner in the SEEDA region
- demonstrate the potential for significant impact in the south east of England.
- Each project will culminate in a short report and, where relevant, a demonstrator. Projects will also present their achievements at a public 'Collaboration Nation' event to be held in autumn 2011. This competition activity complements three feasibility studies competitions being run concurrently in the areas of technology-inspired innovation, digital services and nanoscale technologies.
Open date: 10 January 2011
Close date: 10 February 2011
Awards date: TBC