The document provides information on funding, events, support programs and resources for sustainable innovation projects from the Sustainable Innovation Fund. It announces upcoming funding competitions from Innovate UK and Horizon Europe. It also highlights news from funded projects, including Solar for Schools and Abundance Investment. Upcoming events are listed on topics like net zero innovation, e-scooters and women in innovation. Support programs from Innovate UK EDGE and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are also mentioned.

1. www.ktn-uk.org
Maximising the impact of you innovation project
Sustainable Innovation Fund
July 2021 Briefing

2. Content
• News
• Funding competitions
• Events
• Support programmes
• Resources
• Contact us

3. News
Stories from the Sustainable Innovation
Fund projects

4. Your News
Amy Flynn, Impact and Performance Manager for the Clean Growth and Infrastructure projects within The
Sustainable Innovation Fund, talks about some of your projects she has been working with in this
Innovate UK blog.
Including…

5. Solar for Schools
Solar for Schools help students develop their
energy literacy by providing an education on the
challenges facing our environment and solutions
relating to a zero-carbon society.
Through the Sustainable Innovation Fund, they
have developed an app that encourages students
to design solar installations on their school
buildings.
www.solarforschools.co.uk

6. Abundance Investment
Abundance Investment helps citizens mobilise
their money for good. They put your money to
work funding the infrastructure needed to tackle
the climate emergency.
Through the Sustainable Innovation Fund they
are continuing development on their Climate
Community Municipal Bonds for residents to
become investors in Net Zero local council
initiatives.
www.abundanceinvestment.com

7. Tell us about your News
Kyra Allen
Communications Lead
KTN is working with Innovate UK to increase the impact of the Sustainable Innovation Fund through communications and
engagement. If you have news you’d like to share then please reach out to us and your Impact and Performance
Manager.
Charlotte Thompson
Community Building Lead
sustainableinnovationfund@ktn-uk.org
Chloe Walker Harrison
Project Manager

8. Funding Competitions

9. Innovate UK Smart Grants: May 2021
Deadline: 25th August 2021 11:00am
Innovate UK is investing up to £25 million in the best game-changing and commercially viable innovative or
disruptive ideas. All proposals must be business focused.
Applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy.
Projects of 6 - 18 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £500,000 and can be single
or collaborative. Projects of 19 - 36 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £2 million
and must be collaborative.
Read more
Funding

10. Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is an EU research and innovation programme. It has a budget of €95.5 billion and runs until 2027.
In January, the government announced that the UK will associate to Horizon Europe. This means UK scientists,
researchers and businesses will be able to access funding under the programme on equivalent terms as
organisations in EU countries.
• Overview of Horizon Europe Clusters and funding calls - Webinar Series
• Horizon Europe Consortium Building events
14th June: Cluster 1 Health and Cluster 2 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
17th June: Cluster 3 Civil Security for Society and Cluster 4 Digital, Industry and Space
21st June: Cluster 5 Climate, Energy and Mobility and Cluster 6 Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources,
Agriculture and Environment
Featured International Funding

11. Featured Funding on Environmental Sustainability
IETF energy efficiency and decarbonisation studies, Spring 2021
Organisations can apply for a grant to carry out feasibility and
engineering studies into energy efficiency and decarbonisation
technologies for industrial processes.
Deadline: 14th July 2021 11:00am
IETF deployment of energy efficiency technologies, Spring 2021
Organisations can apply for a grant to improve the energy
efficiency of industrial processes, reducing energy bills and
cutting carbon emissions.
Deadline: 14th July 2021 11:00am
Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition: expression of
interest
The proposed Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition aims
to provide funding for projects that can help develop a wide range
of innovative low-carbon hydrogen supply solutions.
Deadline: 26th July 2021
ISCF smart sustainable plastic packaging: business-led R&D
This competition will fund ambitious R&D projects with the
potential to significantly impact the 2025 UK Plastic Pact targets
and address widely known problems related to plastic packaging
for consumer products.
Deadline: 8th September 2021 11:00am

12. Featured Funding on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Young Innovators Awards 2021/22
Young people can apply for an award to make their
business idea a reality, which includes a grant for
£5,000, a living allowance, and tailored business support.
Deadline: 28th July 2021 11:00am
Briefing event 15th June 10:00am
Women in Innovation Awards 2021/22
Delivered by KTN and Innovate UK Edge, the
programme enables brilliant women to fully achieve their
visions and change the world, while championing and
celebrating gender diversity throughout UK innovation.
Through the Women in Innovation Awards 2021/22, 20
female entrepreneurs will be awarded with a cash
injection of £50K each, as well as a bespoke package of
business support, coaching and mentoring.
Innovate UK and KTN are hosting a briefing event to tell
you more about the scope for this competition, the
application process and support available for applicants.
Briefing event 24th August 2021 10:0am

13. Events

14. Sustainable Fashion Business Showcase: Innovate UK
Global Expert Mission with India on 3rd August
We are hosting an online business showcase between the
UK and India focused on sustainable fashion. All welcome!
Unleashing Innovation: Net Zero Innovation Portfolio on
8thJuly
Join to understand the scope and priority areas of the £1
billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The NZIP will decrease
the costs of decarbonisation and set the UK on the path to a
low carbon future.
Transforming Foundation Industries Small CR&D
Competition Briefing on 17th August
Find out about the new Transforming Foundation Industries
Small Scale Research and Development programme at our
competition briefing. ”
Micromobility Hub: E-scooters best practice on 16th July
Hear from two Local Authorities who have implemented e-
scooter trials and Zwings a company delivering an
e-scooter trial. With plenty of time for discussion, this
webinar will offer insight on the ‘what not to do’ and hints and
tips if you are thinking of launching an e-scooter trial.
Smart local energy systems: unlocking net zero on 19th July
Join us for a four-day virtual exploration of smart local
energy systems and their potential in the race to net zero.
Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Business Led R&D
Collaboration Building Workshop on 22nd July
How do we get Reuse and refill adopted at scale?
Micromobility Hub: Behaviours and Attitudes around
Micromobility on 23rd July
Micromobility Hub: Infrastructure Investment for
Micromobility and Active Travel on 30th July
Women in Innovation: Let’s talk about…What I wish I'd
known on 11th August
Rounding off the webinar series, we offer practical advice
from women that have taken that first step.
Events

15. Support Programmes

16. Innovate UK EDGE
Exploit business innovation to
grow and scale
Protect & harness your IP, improve
innovation management and access
the innovation ecosystem globally
through their expertise & networks.
Source funding & finance to grow
and scale
Find the best option and get
investment ready with their help, to
propel your growth.
Enter new markets to grow and
scale
Connections and guidance to expand
into vertical & international markets
and achieve scale.
Support Programme
www.innovateukedge.ukri.org
All SMEs receiving Innovate UK grant funding are contacted by an EDGE advisor. If you haven’t engaged with
Innovate UK EDGE before then please reach out to your Monitoring Officer or Impact and Performance Manager.

17. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: 2021 to 2022, round 2
Deadline: 30th June 2021 11:00am
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme allows a UK registered business or not-for-profit organisation
(business partner) to partner with a UK higher education or further education institution, Research Technology
Organisation or Catapult (knowledge base partner).
This partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner to deliver a specific,
strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner will recruit 1 or 2 graduates (known as ‘associates’) to
work on the project.
Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner.
Read more
Support Programme

18. Accelerator Academy: Educating Emerging Entrepreneurs via Exited Entrepreneurs
A 12 week programme to help revenue generating start-ups validate every segment of the business and become
investor-ready. Delivered by The Accelerator Network.
This interactive programme is delivered online via remote access tailored to suit the needs of busy founders and
start-up teams UK wide.
30th Semester cohort: 20 September to 6 December, 2021
Registration closes 16th July
Further details can be found here www.acceleratoracademy.com/programme-details
Support Programme

19. Resources

20. Funding
• UKRI funding finder - online guides and support before you
apply and preparing an application
• KTN Good Application Guide - a guide on how to write a
successful Innovate UK grant application
• Pitch Guide - a guide on how to prepare and an present an
investment pitch
• British Business Bank Finance Hub
Innovation Development
• Accelerators & Incubators in the UK – a creative commons
resource of UK programmes.
• Innovation Networks - Innovation programme to bring together
stakeholders across a technology theme. To promote a shared
understanding on emerging technologies cross sector.
• Tech Nation UK Startup Ecosystem
• Innovation Development Resource Library - a tool to plan the
innovation development journey. Supplemented with resources
to help address activities and stages of commercialisation
• British Library Business & IP Centres - access to training, IP
and market research resources
Regional & Thematic SME and Business Support
• Innovate UK EDGE - regional 1:1 Business support enable
ambitious, innovative SMEs to accelerate their growth and
achieve
• Catapults – provide businesses with access to their expertise
and facilities, enabling them to test, demonstrate and improve
their ideas.
• Growth Hubs - promote and deliver business support based
on the regional needs in England
• Scottish Enterprise – works with business to help overcome
challenges, enhance business practices, explore new markets
and opportunities to grow your Scottish company
• Invest NI - helps new and existing businesses to compete
internationally, and by attracting new investment to Northern
Ireland.
• Business Wales – provides advice and guidance you need to
start and grow a business in Wales.
Resources

21. Institute for Manufacturing launches Sustainability
Association to drive change in manufacturing
The Sustainability Association, launched by the Institute
for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge
and supported by the KTN’s Manufacturing team, is a
membership group focused on ensuring manufacturing
leaders can drive sustainable change in their
organisations.
Global Expert Mission technical reports
The Global Expert Missions play an important role in
building strategic partnerships, providing deep insight
into the opportunities for UK innovation and shaping
future programmes. Our new AI in Germany technical
report from the recent online Mission is now published
online.
Resources

22. About KTN

23. KTN exists to connect
innovators with new partners
and new opportunities
beyond their existing thinking –
accelerating ambitious ideas
into real-world solutions.

24. Our Team
200 colleagues based across
the UK
Offices in Edinburgh, London
and Harwell

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