Creative, Digital and Design
Business Briefing
November 2018

Contents
• Funding competitions
• Support programmes
• Upcoming events
• Investment
• Networks
• Register for updates

Funding – Last Call
Production innovation for immersive content
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 1st October 2018
Closes: 28 November 2018
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million for research and development projects
to create faster, more efficient immersive content. This funding is from the Industrial Strategy
Challenge Fund.
READ MORE AND APPLY

Funding
Open grant funding competition: round 3
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 24 September 2018
Closes: 14 November 2018
Opportunity to apply for a share of up to £20 million to deliver game changing or disruptive
innovations with significant potential for impact on the UK economy.
Applications can come from any area of technology, science or engineering, including arts,
design, media or creative industries, and be applied to any part of the economy. All proposals
must be business focused, rather than pure research.
READ MORE AND APPLY

Funding – Last call
Agri-tech Catalyst round 7: agriculture and food systems innovation
Department for International Development (DFID)
Opened: 28th August 2018
Closes: 21st November 2018
UK businesses and research organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million from DFID for
projects on agri-tech and food chain innovations with partners in eligible African countries. The aim of
this competition is to increase the pace of development and scale of uptake of agricultural and food
systems innovation by farmers and food systems actors (such as manufacturers, processors, retailers,
distributors or wholesalers) in Africa.
READ MORE AND APPLY

Funding
Innovation loans: September 2018 open competition
Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 17 September 2018
Closes: 21 November 2018
Innovate UK is to offer up to £10 million in loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs). Loans are for highly innovative late stage projects with the best game changing and/or
disruptive ideas or concepts. There should be a clear route to commercialisation and economic
impact. Your proposal can come from any technology (including arts, design, media or creative
industries) and any part of the economy.
READ MORE AND APPLY

Funding
Defence and Security Accelerator: open call for innovation
Defence and Security Accelerator
Opened: 19 March 2018
Closes: 1 March 2019
The open call is looking for innovative ideas to improve the defence and security of the UK. These
could be a concept, technology, product or service. The aim is to find novel opportunities to be
exploited across the defence and security sectors.
READ MORE AND APPLY

Funding
European Space Agency (ESA) funding for business applications
Open call for applications:
ESA Business Applications offers funding and support to businesses from any sector who intend to use
space (satellite navigation, earth observation, satellite telecommunication, space weather, space
technologies) to develop new commercial services. Including Immersive Tech and Health Tech
Applications are open all year: businesses can either apply to a thematic opportunity or submit an
open application
READ MORE AND APPLY

Support programmes
Mayor of London's TechInvest
Apply by: 5th November 2018
Mayor of London's TechInvest will showcase London’s leading Women in Tech, with a focus on female tech
founders making an impact in London as a Global Tech Capital. Businesses applying should be based in London
and demonstrate strong female leadership in the founding team, be actively seeking investment to scale and
raising between £250k-2mil. The business can be focusing on different tech sectors and applications, but should
demonstrate that their technology offers solutions to improve the lives of London’s communities both present
and future.
READ MORE

Support programmes
Healthcare AI Catalyst
Apply by 8th November
This new programme offers an unprecedented opportunity for UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) organisations
to access one of the world’s largest healthcare markets, India.
Companies receive grant funding as part of the programme along with business support to implement
their solutions. We are looking for the best AI healthcare solutions that the UK has to offer.
The programme is working with the Department for International Trade in India and the Government of
India’s think tank, NITI Aayog, as part of the AI tech collaboration. The Government of India also
published #AIforAll, India’s first national AI strategy.
READ MORE

Support programmes
Digital Manufacturing Week - Innovation Alley
When: 14th & 15th November 2018
Where: Liverpool
Have you got a new innovative solution for the manufacturing sector?
KTN and Innovate UK family have joined up with The Manufacturer to support this year’s Digital
Manufacturing Week Smart Factory Expo. We are looking for start-ups and established players who
would like to showcase their innovative solutions to manufacturers; which could include advanced
technology, materials, process and systems. Register now to express your interest in exhibiting.
READ MORE

Support programmes
Wayra Financial Inclusion programme
Apply by: 16th November 2018
Wayra Fair By Design is a new acceleration programme that will tackle the poverty premium: where people
in poverty pay more for many everyday goods and services – such as energy, insurance, borrowing,
transport and food – than those who can more easily afford them.
The programme, which will be based in Wayra’s Open Future North facility in Oldham, will support up to
seven start-ups a year.
READ MORE

Support programmes
Tech Nation - Innovation Alley
Application Deadline: 18th November
Rising Stars is the UK’s newest and most exciting competition for innovative, early-stage tech start-ups,
with a prize package designed to send your business into the stratosphere.
Entries are now open for the 2018 competition – don’t miss this opportunity to connect your start-up
with mentors, investors and influencers, and significantly raise the profile of your business.
Apply Here

Support programmes
John Lewis and Partners
Apply by: 25th November 2018
John Lewis & Partners are seeking innovative step-change ideas to deliver more inspirational, immersive
and personalised in-store shopping experiences that:
• Give customers a differentiated reason to visit our shops
• Create peak moments of emotional engagement for our customers
• Support John Lewis & Partners to realise tangible commercial results (e.g. conversion)
Innovations could be used by our customers, or our in-store Partners, or both, and ultimately must support
us to find incredible new ways to make shops relevant destinations for our shoppers to delight in.
READ MORE

Support programmes
The Digital Impact Awards
Apply by 21st December
The Digital Agenda Impact Awards celebrate technology innovations that improve people’s lives and the
world around us.
Now in their third year, the awards are open to any UK-operating business, government or non-profit
using digital products or services for positive social impact.
APPLY HERE

Support programmes
Innovate Green FinTech challenge!
Apply by 11th January 2018
Applications are now open for a new cohort of our regulatory sandbox focusing on providing support to
firms developing innovative products and services to assist in the UK’s transition to a greener economy
READ MORE

Support programmes
Barclays Accelerator
The Barclays Accelerator Powered by Techstars is a three month intensive startup accelerator. This
program, operated by Techstars in partnership with Barclays, is focused on financial technology
innovation and disruptive solutions. Ten companies will be selected and mentors will be engaged from
the Techstars network and from Barclays. With over 300 years experience running one of the largest
financial institutions in the world, the financial product knowledge of Barclays is unquestionable. If you
are thinking about disrupting the world of finance, this is the program for you. You'll experience the
proven methodology of Techstars and deep knowledge and experience of Barclays.
READ MORE

Support programmes
ucreate – London Startup Studio 2018
We act as your technical and product co-founders rather than an outsourced team. We work cohesively
with you on product design and development while assisting your marketing, legal and fundraising
efforts. A relationship with us de-risks your venture and increases the probability of you exceeding your
business goals. So whether you are an industry professional, serial entrepreneur or thriving business, we
are ready to help and we are here for the long term.
READ MORE

Upcoming events
Immersive and Digital Business Meet-up’s
If you are an innovator with or utilising Immersive and/or Digital technologies and looking for support to
help you grow your business, join us at one of our informal information and networking event in the
North and Midlands.
The session is designed to support digital companies and learn more about the Innovate UK family,
including Immerse UK, the Digital Catapult, and the Knowledge Transfer Network, as well as other
organisations that have opportunities and support for UK based businesses across all sectors.
Newcastle 15th November: More details here
Sheffield 22nd November: More details here
Birmingham 29th November: More details here

Upcoming events
TechHub Demo Night
6th November, London
Cyber 101 Business Skills bootcamps
7th November, London
Ai and Blockchain in the water industry with
IBM
7th November, London
Digital Manufacturing Week
14th & 15th November, Liverpool
Open Banking Expo
27th November, London
Startup Business Workshop
26th November, Oxford
Blockchain 1o1 workshop
1st December, London
KTN Digital Business Meet-Up
1st December, London
TechUK’s Digital Ethics Summit
12th December, London
Women in Innovation: Building Success
6th February 2019, London
Robotics and AI Pitchfest 2019
30th January 2019, London
Keep up-to-date with KTN events here

Investment
Private Investment Directory – Digital Refer
Digital Refer now includes more than 250 organisations that provide private investment to
digital and creative businesses in the UK including:
• Accelerator programmes
• Business incubators
• Start-up studios
• Venture Capital funds
• Angel investor networks
• Corporate Venture Capital firm
LINK

Networks: Immerse UK
• Augmented and Virtual Reality Independent Network
• Bringing together businesses, public sector & research
• Free to Join
• Learn more about Immersive Tech developments
• Help shape UK funding & research policy
• Showcase your ideas & identify funding opportunities
• Make business connections & form collaborative partnerships
http://www.immerseuk.org/

Networks: UK5G
https://uk5g.org/
• Promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of 5G in the UK
• Share the knowledge and lessons of 5G Testbeds & Trials projects
• Enable new partnerships between technologists, potential new entrants and major industrial
adopters
• Support local (and international) investment opportunities

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