How to secure ‘Match Funding’ the easy way
As part of our ‘Overcoming Barriers to securing R&D Grant Funding’ series, we look at how common challenges to securing R&D grants can be navigated by working with specialist partners.
In part one, we take a look at Sprk Capital, a specialist financing partner who offer a alternative, non-dilutive source of capital for matched funding.
Professional Digital Support System secures £2.6m equity and grant investment
Today is a good day! Our client, Brain In Hand, has confirmed that the joint equity and grant investment from 24 Haymarket and Innovate UK has been officially confirmed – a significant win for all parties.
What is the new Innovate UK Smart Grant?
In April 2022, Innovate UK launched a new Smart Grant competition that offers between £50,000 and £2million to innovative SMEs based in the UK.
The Innovate UK Smart Grant has gone through a few changes in the last 10 years and this latest iteration for 2022 has a few changes that we will cover in this blog, as well as a link to the Smart Grant Briefing Event hosted by Innovate UK in May.
What is an Impact Venture? 5 gamechangers to look out for in 2022
Impact Ventures and impact entrepreneurs are on the rise. In 2021, the European Commission launched Horizon Europe, a €95bn funding programme entirely focused on impactful companies and collaborative projects aiming to solve some of the biggest challenges to society. This article will help to explain what an impact venture is by giving you some examples of some businesses that are making an impact.
Innovation Grant Funding in the 20’s
Multidisciplinary is the first word that springs to mind when I think about innovation grant funding since 2020. There has been a distinct move on behalf of grant funders in recent years to embrace technology, expand the range of funding for innovation and align with how the VC’s are doing it. No doubt, changes have been backed up with even more grant funding for innovative businesses – so what does innovation grant funding look like in the 20’s?
£265k R&D Grant for Wearable Robotics Tech Startup
This month (February 2022) the team, that have bootstrapped their way to a prototype wearable technology that has piqued the interest of physiotherapy and gym chains across the world, start a 12month R&D project funded by Innovate UK.
Crowdfunding for Impact Ventures
In part four of our funding series, we take a look at the different types of crowdfunding and how appealing to multiple smaller investors unlocks new funding opportunities.
The best time to hire a grant writer
Whilst I like the intention behind “fail early”, there are surely some lessons we can learn that mean we are more likely to “succeed early”. I have been writing grants since 2009. What if I were the tech entrepreneur or CEO – when would I hire an experienced grant writer?
Equity Funding for Impact Ventures
In part three of our funding series, we take a look at more traditional equity funding and how it might be used to benefit impact ventures.
The intangible benefit of showing character in grant applications
Quantify, reference, state deadlines, dependencies, timely, SMART, concise, precise, measurable – these are the watch words of many grant writers, and rightly so.
But we also know that many Investors rate team, ambition, personality and motivation as key decision-making factors – so should we as grant writers be putting more emphasis on showcasing the character of the team? And how can we do that with such limited space?!
Why it’s so difficult to agree on matters of sustainability
The following is a short essay I wrote earlier this year as part of my M.Sc. studies at Kiel University. It provides a brief introduction to the challenges around (the lack of) a universal meaning of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable development' and a quick overview of different schools of thought (narratives) around those terms.
A Simple Guide to Impact Investment Funding
In part two of our funding series, we take a look at impact investments and how they could help to fund forward-thinking organisations and entrepreneurs.
How to choose a grant writer – part II
It is fair to say that there are more factors to consider when choosing which grant writing company or freelance grant writer you want to work with. In this article we'll take a closer look at how you can differentiate between grant writing services on more than just fees.
What types of grant funding are available?
Understanding what types of funding are available and appropriate for your business is a valuable first step towards securing a future for your current projects. Part one of our funding series looks at the different types of funding available, their pros and cons, and the types of organisations that might best benefit.
Can UK companies still access EIC Accelerator EU grant funding?
We recently recorded a webinar with some of the most innovative UK-based SMEs for Newable all about the EIC Accelerator EU grant funding programme. Before Brexit, UK companies could access grant funding from EIC Accelerator / SME Instrument – but what is the situation for UK companies eligibility for EU grant funding post-brexit?
