For those involved in business and business planning some of this information would not necessarily be new, however very important when completing any funding application or competition where Innovate UK are the main funder. Innovate UK is the new name for the Technology Strategy Board and fund, support and connect innovative businesses to accelerate sustainable economic growth.
A short guide to to help make clear what an assessor for Innovate UK competitions is looking for has been produced. All of the Innovate UK funding programmes follow a similar pattern and you should bear in mind that the questions are designed to help rather than trip you up. It is important that you answer the questions asked and cover all aspects the Guidance for Applicants describes.
Try and use the language they are looking for: the easier you make it for the assessor to understand and check off the information they seek, the more likely the proposal will score highly. The guidance is noted under 10 headings as follows :
- Business opportunity
- The market
- Exploitation
- Benefits,
- Project plan
- Innovation
- Risks
- Skills/ Project Consortium
- Finances
- Additionality
This is a user friendly document and worth reading to assist with applications for funding large or small!