Increasing the capability and capacity of Welsh businesses to undertake RD&I activity through knowledge transfer.
We offer financial support to innovative collaborative projects that require a range of expertise to help businesses grow, improve productivity and increase competitiveness.
It is offered to Welsh businesses and Welsh knowledge base partners*. The project must demonstrate that all partners are working collaboratively and will deliver positive Well-being of Future Generations impacts.
Funding will support 100% of the knowledge base partners eligible project costs, which will be matched by a minimum of 50% from the business.
Duration of projects: 6-12 months.
Contract research and provision of research services are not eligible.
* A knowledge base partner - either a Welsh higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research, and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.
Partnership information
- To increase business growth, productivity and competitiveness in partnership with research organisations.
- To secure competitively won follow-on funding.
- To encourage innovative collaborative partnerships between business and a knowledge base partner
This will support the creation of mutually beneficial collaborations between a business, knowledge base partner, and a suitably qualified person (known as the Associate) with the capability to lead the proposed project.
It is expected that businesses will exploit or commercialise the knowledge of their partnership or undertake further development through other avenues of support.
The application needs to be jointly developed by all partners and submitted by the knowledge base partner in partnership with the business.
To be eligible for consideration for funding, all applications must clearly evidence and demonstrate:
- The lead partner is a knowledge base partner.
- The project needs to be business driven with the Welsh business clearly demonstrating the capacity and resource to exploit the outcomes of the project.
- Non-Welsh businesses can be considered only in exceptional cases and must have a clear business case that demonstrates a positive impact on the Well-being of Future Generations.
- The project needs to demonstrate significant challenges and benefits to all partners.
The projects are part funded by the Welsh Government and funding will be awarded to the research organisation.
Funding will support 100% of the research organisations eligible project costs to be matched by a minimum of 50% from the business. The business partner provides the remaining balance of the total eligible projects costs through match funding either in cash or in-kind contributions to the overall project.
All activities are solely for the purpose of the project, are conducted at the minimum cost to achieve the intended results and should not duplicate or displace existing support packages.
The funding can be used for projects minimum 6 to maximum 12 months in duration.
Eligible costs for projects include direct costs relating to:
- Associate employment costs
- Associate development
- Travel and subsistence (UK only)
- Equipment, consumables (non-capital)
- Knowledge Base supervisor
- Company staff costs (if applicable)
- Overheads
The recruitment of the associate options:
- The associate is formally employed by the knowledge base partner. The decision on who to appoint rests jointly with the business and the knowledge base partner.
- The associate can be employed by the business with their salary costs being used as match funding for the project. It must be clear in the application that the person will be dedicated to working on the project.
Requirements for the associate:
The associate should have qualifications and/or experience that match the project delivery requirements (minimum BTEC, Diploma level 3 or equivalent). The associate must be recruited, and the project started within 6 months of the grant offer letter being issued.
The appointed associate is based within the business to develop and implement the project and they should meet with their research supervisor on a regular basis to progress the project.
Where appropriate the associate will utilise the knowledge base partners facilities to progress the project. During the time that the associate is working on the project, new RD&I knowledge and skills will be developed and embedded into the business.
Approved projects will receive a conditional offer of funding valid for 6 months. This will be subject to a signed Collaboration Agreement.
The Collaboration Agreement can also be submitted with the application, if ready.
Should there be no formal Collaboration Agreement in place and received by us by the end of the 6-month period, the offer of funding will be withdrawn.
How will the application be appraised?
The application will be appraised against the following criteria:
- Motivation
- Innovation
- Challenge
- Cohesiveness
