Throughout my time at CIEL I’ve heard several great ideas which don’t make it to the proposal writing stage, let alone completion.

The stumbling block? For many, the sticking point for research and development is the need to contribute to the project budget. This can be a real obstacle to all companies in these times, but especially challenges start-up companies and SMEs without the resources to commit to sustained R&D.

So, what’s changed?

CIEL has recently pushed for eligibility under the Innovate UK EDGE call for funded access to RTOs and catapults. I’m pleased to confirm that we are now eligible for this opportunity which provides grants covering 100% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of £15,000.

Innovate UK EDGE provides grants covering 100% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of £15,000.

Essentially, this funding would allow you to commission CIEL to do a piece of work costing up to £15,000, and this is free of charge to your company.

Interestingly, the scope of the call is very broad, leaving businesses to decide upon how to utilise it. Suggested uses include:

• Seeking technical expertise and specialist sector knowledge
• Receiving sector-specific expert advice and support with creation of industry‐relevant R&D project plans
• Identifying opportunities for R&D, collaboration, and partnership building.

CIEL is exceptionally well placed to help with all the above.

You can access the team’s 130 years’ worth of collective expertise focussed on driving innovation within agrifood, with wide ranging experience in industry and academia.

We could provide a literature review or produce a report on how your business could implement the outputs of our recent carbon report.

You may benefit from market research to inform your next steps.

Whatever your challenge is, come and chat to us about how CIEL can support you through Innovate UK EDGE.

Who can benefit from CIEL’s support under Innovate UK EDGE?

This call is not just focussed on the smallest companies; businesses must be a UK-registered, trading company, with up to 500 employees (250 in Northern Ireland).

Before I leave you to consider the opportunities, it’s worth highlighting that, unlike many funding opportunities that come with a laborious application process, applying for this call is relatively straightforward. Applicants must be in contact with Innovate UK EDGE though before applying.

There’s no official closing date, so if this call is of interest – get in touch with us to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. We’re really looking forward to hearing your ideas and helping you get them off the ground.