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Canada-UK Ocean Collaborative R&D

Fund Name

Canada-UK Ocean Collaborative R&D: Expression of Interest

Project Length

12 months

Project Value

£165k - £500k

Deadline

18.10.2023

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster to invest a combined total of up to £4 million in innovation projects that can involve a collaboration of industry and academia. The funding will support projects to deliver innovative outcomes in ocean technology.

This is stage 1 of a 2-stage competition.

1. Expression of Interest (EOI) (this competition): your proposal is reviewed by Innovate UK. Your Canadian partners’ proposal has been reviewed by Ocean Supercluster Canada. Innovate UK and Ocean Supercluster are responsible for the decision to progress your EoI proposal to stage 2. There is no funding in this stage, funding will be awarded in stage 2.

2. Full-stage application (FSA) (invite only): if you are successful in this EoI competition, you will be invited to apply to the full-stage competition. Your proposal will be subject to an independent assessment by Innovate UK. Your Canadian partners’ proposal will be reviewed by Ocean Supercluster Canada. You will receive feedback on your application from Innovate UK. The Canadian partners in your project will receive feedback from Ocean Supercluster Canada.

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Fund details

The aim of this competition is to foster and support collaborative research and development (CR&D) through Canadian and UK partnerships.

Your joint Canadian and UK projects must focus on innovations in ocean technology.

Your project must demonstrate:

  • a focus on co-development, adaption, or validation of an innovative product, process or technology that has commercial potential and outcomes
  • quantified performance objectives
  • a plan for future exploitation

Innovate UK particularly encourages projects that:

  • involve consortia which span the supply chain of service or component suppliers, integrators, and end-user businesses
  • progress ocean technology from lab prototypes to industry-ready systems for commercial use through the integration of innovative and scalable technologies

Specific themes

  • alternative energy
  • aquaculture systems
  • seaweed cultivation and production
  • carbon capture and storage
  • autonomous vessels or ocean systems
  • robotics and drones
  • ocean sensors and environmental monitoring

Eligibility

This application is for an Expression Of Interest (EoI). No funding will be awarded at this stage. If you are successful, then you will be invited to apply for funding in the full stage competition.

Your project must:

  • have a total grant funding request between £165,000 to £500,000 allocated to UK organisations
  • have a total grant funding request between CA$280,000 to CA$850,000 for Canadian partners
  • have no more than 60% of the total grant funding request allocated to UK organisations
  • have no more than 60% of the total grant funding request allocated to Canadian organisations
  • start by 1 June 2024
  • last up to 12 months

In order to receive any grant funding, your project proposal must be successful on both sides of the consortium and be invited to apply for the full stage. If successful at full stage, UK participants will receive grant funding from Innovate UK and Canadian participants will receive grant funding from Ocean Supercluster. UK participants must be part of an application submitted to Innovate UK. Canadian partners must submit a parallel application to Ocean Supercluster.

All businesses in a consortium must be separate legal and non-linked entities. This is to ensure that projects encourage genuine international collaboration, not internal company research. Linked companies are considered a single entity under the parent company.

To lead a UK application your organisation must:

  • be a UK-registered business of any size
  • be or involve at least one grant claiming UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
  • partner with a Canadian registered SME, which must be a separate non-linked entity to the UK project partners
  • include at least one further eligible grant-claiming partner from either the UK or Canada
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