£2 Million Investment for North West Materials and Manufacturing R&D

£100,000 R&D funding could be available to advanced materials and manufacturing start- ups, companies and entrepreneurs in the North West through a £2 million launchpad competition announced by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), in partnership with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The competition opened to applications on Monday 4 March.

Designed to accelerate new business projects and their commercial success, the funding competition will stimulate small start up businesses centred around the cluster of materials and manufacturing industries at Sci-Tech Daresbury and at the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry at the Runcorn Heath Business and Technical Park.

Each cluster has a ‘Cluster Champion’, chosen by the TSB, which will be responsible for delivering business support to successful applicants. As its chosen Cluster Champion, STFC, through its Daresbury Laboratory, will deliver business support services to those applying for the North West Materials and Manufacturing launchpad.

As part of the scheme, successful applicants will be required to secure match funding within a 12 month period to receive their grant from TSB, and they will be supported throughout this process by STFC.

Paul Vernon, Head of Campus Development at STFC, said: “Using our own business support expertise and research facilities, we will be working with organisations across the cluster to ensure that entrepreneurs and small businesses are in the best possible position to accelerate the growth of their project or idea. A key part of this will be delivering an investment readiness programme and funding event to provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to potential investors.”

“Importantly, for applicants that have not been successful, we will also be identifying how we can help them accelerate their business ideas to ensure maximum impact from STFC’s capabilities and expertise.”

More information at www.stfc.org/launchpad