Within this page, you will find a whole host of funding opportunities that range from January 2021 to January 2022. A lot of information is included below, but should you have any questions on, do not hesitate to email us your queries (lowcarbonbusiness@derby.ac.uk).
East Midlands Chamber Event
Green Entrepreneurs Fund – Launch Event
Wednesday 17th March 9:00 – 10:00am
This event is to launch the Derbyshire County Council’s Green Entrepreneur Fund.
The event will include the follow speakers:
- Cllr Barry Lewis, Derbyshire County Council
- Professor Kath Mitchell, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Derby
Both speakers will discuss how both organisations are supporting carbon reduction in Derbyshire.
For more information on the event and fund, visit the page below, which provides opportunity to register for the event:
Innovate UK Smart Grants: Jan 2021
Opportunity for UK registered organisations to apply for a share of up to £25 million from Innovate UK to deliver game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy.
Eligibility summary
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO)
- be, or collaborate with, at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- carry out your research and development (R&D) project activity in the UK
- intend to commercially exploit the project results from the UK.
Circular Economy Network+ in Transportation Systems Launches Second Call for Feasibility Studies
The Circular Economy Network+ in Transportation Systems (CENTS) is a research network for the sustainable transport community, with a focus on the informed design and utilisation of more environmentally friendly, renewable and/or recyclable materials. The CENTS network has received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to build a community of academic, industry and policy experts to deliver future designs, business models and manufacturing approaches so that emergent transport systems are inherently circular.
CENTS has launched its second call for feasibility studies to support proposals for research collaborations between academic and industry partners that will enable cross-disciplinary, foresightful and risky early stage research. Proposals should focus on transportation systems and be aligned with at least one of CENTS’ five research strands:
- Material stocks and flows in transportation.
- Whole life design – End of life recycling, reuse and recovery processes.
- Circular Economy Decisions.
- Circular Economy Transitions.
- Digital Circularity.
Each feasibility study is expected to produce a tangible piece of work that would deliver a specific output, such as a discipline-bridging state-of-the-art review, early stage concept development, or demonstrator technology. Proposals should address challenges at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs 1-3). The studies are expected to lead to further deliverables such as large-scale collaborative proposals to the EPSRC, Innovate UK and other funders.
Project leads should be employed by a UK university or higher education institution and be eligible to receive EPSRC funding. Applications involving Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are particularly encouraged, as is collaboration with industry.
Funding is available to fund four projects of approximately £50,000 at full Economic Cost (fEC), with funding to be awarded at 80% fEC. Projects are expected to be approximately six months in length, and must be completed before the end of January 2022.
D2N2 Capital Growth Fund SME Growth & Innovation
The D2N2 Capital Growth Fund, part of the SME Growth & Innovation programme, offers capital grant support to small and medium-sized enterprises investing in the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire areas, with grant funding of between £1,500 and £10,000 available up to a maximum of 30% of eligible project costs.
A grant through the D2N2 Capital Growth Fund has enabled Motorhome Depot to secure new premises and create additional space, including a designated training centre.
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Energy Entrepreneurs Fund – Feb 2021
- £11 million government funding for UK’s energy entrepreneurs to turn ideas into clean, green technologies that eliminate carbon emissions
- previous projects include tech to anchor floating offshore wind turbines, using ash waste in glassmaking and new solar heating systems, benefiting from grants of £72 million in total since 2012
UKRI to fund large-scale sustainable solutions to plastic packaging challenges.
UKRI has today announced the opening of a new £16 million funding competition, Demonstrator Projects Round 2.
Part of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) challenge, the competition will fund large-scale commercial demonstration projects that include first-of-a-kind infrastructure and trials of new packaging concepts and technologies.
The projects must also focus on one or more of the following sustainable plastic packaging themes:
- materials
- product design
- manufacturing technology and process
- business model, supply chain and value chain design
- value chain and end-user behaviour change.
In addition, the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging team have identified these key themes for potential projects:
- reuse and refill approaches
- solutions for film and flexibles
- creation of infrastructure for food grade recycled polypropylene (rPP)
- behavioural change projects encouraging:
- propensity to use refills
- reduction in the use of plastic packaging
- recycling more from home and on the go.
Entries for the initial expression of interest stage are open for collaborations only, with full submissions by invitation only to take place in May 2021.
Farming Innovation Pathways competition
UKRI and Defra have today announced their R&D collaboration for an exciting new funding opportunity, Farming Innovation Pathways.
The competition will be delivered through UKRI’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Transforming Food Production, aimed at developing new and existing farm-focused innovations.
Farming Innovation Pathways will ensure practical translation of leading research in agriculture. This can directly benefit farmers and support them to address the challenges of productivity, sustainability, and net zero emissions in UK farming.
This is the first competition of its kind following the UK’s departure from the EU. It will pave the way for research and development (R&D) to turbocharge future innovation in the agricultural sector.
Derbyshire Green Entrepreneurs Fund
Derbyshire County Council is proposing a £2million funding pot to help support green economic recovery across the county.
Cabinet members are set to consider proposals for a grant scheme to help local businesses to develop and invest in green energy and carbon reduction schemes at a meeting this week (Thursday 11 February), as part of the Government’s drive for a green industrial revolution.
Under the proposals – which have been drawn-up in collaboration with the University of Derby as part of the council’s COVID Economic Strategy and climate change commitments – small and medium sized businesses with up to 250 staff and micro-business with up to 10 staff would be eligible to apply for grants designed to kick-start the county’s carbon reduction and alternative energy agenda and boost local businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
If the plans are approved, businesses will be able to apply for grants delivered through three separate funds:
- Green Entrepreneurs Demonstrator Fund – £1.2m set aside for a small number of high quality projects from entrepreneurs wanting to establish green, alternative energy or low carbon initiatives in Derbyshire to provide community heat and power schemes. The minimum grant available through this fund would be £100,000
- Green Entrepreneurs Small Grant Fund – grants of £10,000 – £20,000 for new and existing businesses with game changing proposals in alternative energy, clean fuel and carbon reduction. £500k will be made available through this fund
- Green Entrepreneurs Scholarship Fund – a training fund to support individuals to retrain with skills to enable them to enter the field of alternative energy. £100,000 will be made available through this fund
Enquiries should be directed to Regeneration@derbyshire.gov.uk.
