EPISODE DETAILS
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Nigel Walker is the Deputy Director at Innovate UK responsible for lending & investor partnerships to support innovative SMEs. Nigel has a combination of financial services & operational experience having worked for over 10yrs at each of Deutsche Bank, General Electric & Innovate UK.

When Unicorns Fly | Episode 9
Innovate UK: Maximise your chances of success when applying for grant funding

In this episode we are joined by Nigel Walker to discuss the end-end process of applying for grant funding with Innovate UK and how to maximise your chances of success. In detail we covered:

  • Who are Innovate UK?

  • How to find the most relevant grants for your business

  • An overview of the application process

  • Top tips & what not to do when applying for a grant

  • Specific grant options for micro-entities & SMEs

  • Innovate UK's wider support network and how they can help you

  • The relationship between R&D tax credits and grant funding

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EXTRA INFORMATION

Index:

  • Intro
  • 1.20 - Common issues when applying for grant funding
  • 2.00 - Who are Innovate UK?
  • 2.26 - Welcoming Nigel Walker
  • 4.00 - How to find the most relevant grants for your business
  • 6.00 - Innovation competitions
  • 8.10 - Positive market signaling after successfully being awarded grant funding
  • 10.00 - Overview of the application process
  • 10.30 - What not to do when filling out an application
  • 12.40 - The responsibility when funding with taxpayers/public money
  • 14.15 - Innovate UK Smart grants & The Sustainable innovation fund (both popular with early stage businesses)
  • 16.25 - Application tips: Use of language
  • 19.35 - Specific grant options for micro-entities & SMEs
  • 21.35 - The proportion of project costs that grants will typically cover
  • 23.00 - The benefits of being adequately capitalised
  • 23.40 - Innovate UK & their relationship with investors
  • 24.38 - Innovate UK's wider support network (Knowledge Transfer Network & Enterprise Europe Network)
  • 26.58 - R&D tax credits for companies post grant funding
  • 29.00 - R&D and grants: Eligible costs
  • 29.50 - Overall tips when applying
  • 30.47 - The grant scoring matrix
  • 31.20 - Innovate UK briefing events & customer support service
  • 32.00 - Wrap-up