Businesses are being invited to apply for funding through the Business Basics Fund.
The Business Basics Fund, a series of open competitions, is the main element of the Business Basics Programme. The fund aims to build evidence on how to encourage SMEs to adopt productivity boosting technology and/or management practices. It is administered by Innovate UK on behalf of BEIS.
Under the second round of the Business Basics Fund, for which a total of up to £2 million is available, 2 types of project will be funded: trials and proof of concept.
Rules and guidance applying to both types of project
- all project work must be carried out in England
- all selected projects must start by 1 September 2019 and can last up to a year
- further guidance and help on evaluation / finding partners available via the above links
- a networking event and evaluation masterclass will be held
Trial projects – non-business or business led
- aiming to generate robust evidence on the most effective approaches, and build an understanding of the short, medium and long-term impacts of these approaches
- grant funding of up to £400,000 per project
- you must have an evaluation plan, and, ideally, an evaluation partner
- non-business led trials – where the lead applicant is a public sector organisation, a university, or research and technology organisation (RTO), a charity, or a not for profit company. Businesses can participate as collaborators but cannot be the lead applicant: use appropriate link above
- business-led trials – where the lead applicant is a business: use appropriate link above
Proof of Concept projects
- ideas at an earlier stage of development
- grant funding of up to £60,000 per project
All applications must be submitted before the 17 April 2019 deadline.
For further information and to discuss ideas you think will fit with the Business Basics Programme, email clair.bowman@beis.gov.uk or natalia.davie@beis.gov.uk in the BEIS Business Basics team.
For help finding a potential partner, contact businessbasicsIGL@nesta.org.uk by 5pm on 11 March 2019.
For more information about submitting an application on the IFS system, email support@innovateuk.ukri.org or call the competitions helpline on 0300 321 4357.
For further information, visit the gov.uk website here.