Innovation support for island enterprises – TalEntEd Programme
Are you a business or third-sector organisation located in either Orkney, Shetland or the Outer Hebrides?
Are you working on emerging innovation that could lead to a new or improved product, service or process?
Are you interested in collaborating with Heriot-Watt University, the University of the Highlands & Islands or Robert Gordon University to advance your innovation?
If your answers to the above questions are ‘yes’, the TalEntEd – Innovation & Commercialisation project may be able to assist you by providing academic, financial and business development support to allow your innovation to take the next step towards adoption.
What’s available
An integrated support package which includes:
£5,000 and £25,000 innovation funding awards
Collaboration with leading academics
Expert support from an Innovation Development Manager
Connections across Scotland’s innovation ecosystem
This innovation and commercialisation project is part of the TalEntEd Islands Programme supported by the Islands Growth Deal , which is funded by the Scottish and UK Governments. The TalEntEd Islands Programme unites Heriot-Watt’s undertaking of this project with the work of two other leading universities across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides: the University of the Highlands, which leads on the development of work-based learning, and Robert Gordon University, which leads on the growth of entrepreneurship.
Academic collaboration
The award of project funding partially supports collaboration with an academic from one or more of the universities collaborating in TalEntEd (Heriot-Watt University, the University of the Highlands & Islands and Robert Gordon University). The project’s Innovation Development Manager will work with applicants to identify an academic from one of these three universities that has a good fit with an emerging innovation and will facilitate collaborative project discussions.
Project funding
Project financial support takes the form of either a £5k (‘Develop’) or £25k (‘Adopt’) innovation grant. While the scope of eligible projects is broad, ‘Develop’ awards will typically support early stage scoping studies, assessment of feasibility and initial business planning. They will usually have a maximum term of 3 months. ‘Adopt’ awards, which could be a follow-on from a ‘Develop’ award, will typically have a duration of 6 months. These will tend to focus on early-stage pilot or prototypes, designed to demonstrate value and potentially provide the basis for further investment.
Innovation grants will support project costs within a business or third sector organisation, excluding staff or overhead costs, which will be treated as in-kind contributions. Within one of the collaborating universities, direct project and staff costs will be met, with overhead being ineligible and treated as an in-kind contribution.
Business development support
The project’s Innovation Development Manager will provide business development support and guidance on completing an application for innovation grant funding. They will also advise on other potential sources of leveraged funding within the sector and connections with other innovation projects, both within and outwith the scope of the Islands Growth Deal. The aim of this is to give maximum resource and opportunity to an emerging innovation.
We understand that the landscape of innovation support available to businesses and the third sector can often be difficult to navigate. The Innovation Development Manager will support applicants’ understanding of this landscape and where an innovation grant sits in relation to support provided by other agencies.
Have a discussion with us – the essential first step!
Ready to get started on your application for a ‘Develop’ or ‘Adopt’ innovation grant? First, make contact with us by emailing TALENTEDWP3@HW.AC.UK We will back in touch to set up a conversation to confirm that this funding and support is right for you.
The application dates, application and award process, and guidance on eligible costs are provided for your information at this stage – please do not start completion of the application forms until we have had the opportunity to discuss whether or not this project fits your emerging innovation.
We look forward to hearing from you!
