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Royce Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP)

Funding Call - Round 4

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 Applications to ICP Round 4 are now open

About the funding call

Universities, research and technology organisations and companies can apply for funding up to total project costs of £125,000 for exploring innovative ideas with a focus on technology translation. These projects will be supported by the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials through its research, development, and innovation industrial collaboration programme. 

Academic organisations and research and technology organisations undertaking non-economic activity can obtain the following funding: 

  • Up to 80% of full economic costs (FEC) for UK Je-S registered institutions or 
  • 100% of project costs for RTO, charity and not-for-profit organisations

Access to Royce facilities will be funded at 100% for academic and RTOs and should be included in their project costs. 

Companies can claim a grant equal to a percentage of their total project costs:  

Fundamental research projects are ineligible for funding. 

Projects are expected to start from 1 October 2024 and Royce-funded project expenditure must be completed by 28 February 2025 

The Royce Research and Business Engagement team is available to discuss potential project ideas, particularly from businesses unfamiliar with expertise and capabilities across Royce. Get in touch via grants@royce.ac.uk  

The application deadline is 17:00 Monday 13 May 2024  

Further details can be found in the guidance document.

An intro webinar for the funding call was held on 20 March 2024. Watch the recording here

Scope Areas

Sustainable Materials Innovation (with particular emphasis on foundation industries)
  • Materials innovations seeking to minimise environmental impact in the foundation industries.
  • Resource efficiency and scarcity: innovations in materials use and recycling to address the scarcity of critical minerals and reduce dependence on limited resources.
Quantum Technologies and Semiconductor Materials
  • Materials for quantum computing: materials enabling second-generation quantum devices.
  • Quantum sensors and imaging systems: New material concepts allowing improved resolution and sensitivity in proof-of-concept quantum devices for targeted applications.
  • Innovations for semiconductors: new materials to support semiconductors achieve superior properties and efficiencies.
Energy Innovation and Hydrogen Technologies
  • Hydrogen production, storage and utilisation: materials innovations to support hydrogen’s role in the energy transition, including production, storage, transport, and utilisation.
  • Advancements in energy materials: materials for enabling a new generation of energy storage and conversion technologies, to ensure scaling up efficient and low-cost solutions.
  • Sustainability in energy systems: innovative materials and processes that contribute to a green energy landscape.
Healthcare Innovation
  • Advanced manufacturing for healthcare devices: New material paradigms for creating bespoke medical devices and implants ensuring biocompatibility.
  • Material Innovations in Healthcare: Materials for medical applications that interface effectively with biological systems to realise a healthier population.

ELIGIBILITY

Your project is expected to:

  • Include at least one business and at least one university or RTO 
  • Start from the 1 October 2024 
  • Complete all Royce-funded activity by 28 February 2025 
  • Carry out its project work in the UK 
  • Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK 
  • Incur costs within the project’s duration 
  • Be a new project or activity that has not already started 

Participation of either Royce partners or facilities in projects is optional but strongly encouraged and looked upon favourably.   

To collaborate or lead, you must be one of the following: 

  • Higher Educational Institutes and Universities (HEI)  
  • Research and technology organisation (RTO) 
  • Charity or not for profit organisation 
  • Business of any size  

UK registered companies may participate and claim funding.  International companies are eligible for participation but cannot claim funding.  

HOW TO APPLY

PRE-APPLICATION DISCUSSION

Applicants are encouraged to start exploratory discussions on proposed projects, identifying collaborators, specifying the scope of a proposed project and identifying resources required for delivery. 

We would also advise applicants who are interested in using Royce facilities as part of their project to contact the Research and Business Engagement Team to check costs and availability grants@royce.ac.uk. 

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

You must apply using the online application form and we recommend you start your application early. Before completing this application form, please ensure you have had confirmation from your institution of the project costings. If a project partner does not wish to claim grant funding or wishes to provide in-kind or cash contribution towards the total project costs, it should outline this on a company letterhead document signed by a senior company official. These additional in-kind or cash costs do not count towards the total £125,000 project costs limit and will be required to be included in the contractual collaboration agreement, which must be signed between project partners. There must be at least one HEI/RTO and one industry partner collaborating to be eligible for funding.

A text version of the form can be downloaded here for reference.

Consortia that are awarded funding must agree to have a collaboration agreement in place prior to the project commencing.  Although these need to be agreed between the project partners, our expectation is that each party will own IP developed within its respective work packages. Deviation from this clause may result in delay or withdrawal of your grant. No project funds will be released until a collaboration agreement is in place. 

DEADLINE

Royce must receive applications by 13 May 2024 at 17:00. You will not be able to apply after this time. 

HOW WE WILL ASSESS YOUR APPLICATION

Your application will be confidentially shared with, and assessed by a combination of experts in the field from both industry and academia.  

Any applications deemed out of scope will be rejected.  Royce will provide unsuccessful applicants with feedback.  

TIMELINE

18 March 2024: Call opens

20 March 2024: Briefing and Q&A session – Watch the recording

13 May 2024: Deadline for application at 17.00 

19 July 2024: Announcement of outcome 

01 October 2024: Projects start

28 February 2025: Project funding ends

28 March 2025: Cost log

28 March 2025 Final report/case study

28th March 2025: Independent accountant’s report/Director’s Statement.  

GET IN TOUCH ABOUT ICP

Please contact the Royce Research and Business Engagement Team via grants@royce.ac.uk

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR FUNDING

This competition provides funding in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations. You must always make sure that the funding awarded to you is compliant with all current Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom. All companies must complete a Subsidy Control declaration as part of the application form. 

Royce is unable to fund high risk organisations and applications will be subject to financial and due diligence checks. 

Industry partners are required to submit an independent accountant’s report for claims over £50,000. Any claims under £50,000 require a signed Director’s statement of expenditure.  

Further information about the grant award process is available here. 

COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

Collaboration agreements between the project partners could be based on a Lambert template for university and company collaborations, or a Brunswick template for university-to-university collaborations. The project partners are responsible for negotiating this after the award, preferably to be agreed before a project commences (NB no project funds will be released until a collaboration agreement is in place).

A copy must be sent to the Royce admin office within one month of the start of the project as a condition of funding. Such agreements should include how intellectual property should be managed.

 Start an application

The Royce Industrial Collaboration Programme is supported via long-term funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research & Innovation.