Inventors
Submit a project proposal to Royce Catalyst
Gain insights on translating your research to real-world markets.
Home / Training & Skills / Entrepreneurship & Commercialisation / Royce Catalyst / Royce Catalyst – Inventors
Turn your materials innovation into real-world opportunities.
Royce Catalyst expands the UK’s capacity for advanced materials entrepreneurship by bringing inventors and researchers together in a structured, supported programme. By submitting a project proposal, you’ll gain independent insight into the commercial potential of your technology, from applications and markets to risks, opportunities, and pathways to impact.
At the same time, you’ll play a leadership role in shaping the next generation of materials entrepreneurs.
Programme details
- Application deadline: 17 November 2025.
- Launch Night:27 January (Manchester).
- Student research spell: 1 Feb – 21 April (hybrid).
- Pitch Night 21 April 2026 (Manchester).
Why take part?
Royce Catalyst gives inventors the chance to explore the commercial potential of their technology at a critical early stage.
Your project becomes the focus of a student team’s work: guided by supervisors and supported through structured entrepreneurial training, they assess applications, markets, risks, and opportunities.
The result is independent, well-grounded insight into the commercial feasibility and impact potential of your innovation.
Benefits for inventors
Independent insight
- Receive a detailed commercial feasibility report, a two-minute value proposition video, and a final pitch presentation.
- Gain objective perspectives from researchers outside your immediate field.
Strategic advantage
- Validate potential applications and markets while your technology is still flexible.
- Spot risks, hidden opportunities, and new collaboration pathways.
- Strengthen awareness of IP considerations at an early stage.
Broader engagement
- Sharpen your technology story so it resonates with investors, funders, and partners.
- Connect with motivated researchers who could become future collaborators, employees, or founders.
- Join a national network of inventors shaping the future of UK advanced materials enterprise.
What we ask of inventors
- Engage: Meet your team at Launch Night (27 Jan, Manchester), join them again at Pitch Night (21 Apr, Manchester), and check in at least three times online during the project.
- Respond: Provide timely feedback so your team can keep moving forward.
- Stay focused: Let the students concentrate on commercial feasibility — they are not technical consultants.
Eligibility and fit
- Discipline: Projects must be rooted in advanced materials and connected to UK industrial priorities.
- Stage: Best suited for TRL 2–5. Advanced enough for engagement, but early enough to benefit from commercial exploration.
- Intellectual property: All work is non-confidential. Share only information safe for open discussion with your team. If in doubt, we can arrange a short advisory call with our IP law partners.
- Commitment: There is no fee. Your contribution is your time, insights, and openness to non-confidential sharing.
Application process
- Stage 1: Submit a project proposal
Applications are open now and will close on 17 November 2025. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. - Stage 2: Online interview
Shortlisted inventors will be invited to an online interview between 19–21 November 2025. - Stage 3: Project acceptance
All applicants will be notified by the end of November 2025 whether or not their project proposal has been accepted for the upcoming cohort.
Be part of the bigger picture
Royce Catalyst is more than a programme. It marks the start of a national effort to embed materials-centred entrepreneurship education, put technology translation into action, and ultimately support the UK’s advanced materials research base.
Whether you join as a student participant, inventor, or supervisor, your involvement will help shape the culture, capacity, and community that drives material discoveries into real-world impact.
