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 & Islands, 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!
Taic ùr-ghnàthachais airson iomairtean eileanach – Prògram TalEntEd
A bheil sibh nur gnìomhachas no nur buidheann treas roinne a tha suidhichte ann an Arcaibh, Sealtainn no sna h-Eileanan Siar?
A bheil sibh ag obair air ùr-ghnàthachadh a tha a’ tighinn am bàrr a dh’fhaodadh bathar, seirbheis no pròiseas ùr no leasaichte a thoirt gu buil?
A bheil sibh airson a bhith a’ co-obrachadh le Oilthigh Heriot-Watt, Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean no Oilthigh Raibeart Ghòrdain gus ur cuid ùr-ghnàthachaidh adhartachadh?
Ma fhreagair sibh "tha" do na ceistean gu h-àrd, dh’fhaodadh pròiseact Ùr-ghnàthachaidh agus Comas Malairteach TalEntEd ur cuideachadh le bhith a’ toirt seachad taic acadaimigeach, ionmhasail agus leasachaidh gnìomhachais gus an gabh an t-ùr-ghnàthachadh agaibh ceum a dh’ionnsaigh soirbheas.
Na tha ri fhaighinn
Prògram taic aonaichte a tha a’ gabhail a-steach:
• Duaisean maoineachaidh ùr-ghnàthachaidh de £5,000 no £25,000
• Co-obrachadh le prìomh acadaimigich
• Taic fhiosraichte bho Mhanaidsear Leasachaidh Ùr-ghnàthachaidh
• Ceanglaichean air feadh eag-shiostam ùr-ghnàthachaidh na h-Alba
Tha am pròiseact ùr-ghnàthachaidh is comas malairt seo mar phàirt de phrògram TalEntEd Islands le taic bho Aonta Fàs nan Eilean, a tha air a mhaoineachadh le Riaghaltasan na h-Alba agus na RA. Tha prògram TalEntEd Islands ag aonachadh obair Heriot-Watt air a’ phròiseact seo leis an obair aig dà phrìomh oilthigh eile air feadh Arcaibh, Sealtainn agus na h-Eileanan Siar: Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean, a tha a’ stiùireadh leasachadh ionnsachadh san àite-obrach, agus Oilthigh Raibeart Ghòrdain, a tha a’ stiùireadh fàs air sgilean iomairt.
Co-obrachadh Acadaimigeach
Tha an tabhartas maoineachaidh pròiseict a’ toirt pàirt-thaic do cho-obrachadh le acadaimigeach bho co-dhiù aon de na h-oilthighean a tha ag obair còmhla ann an TalEntEd (Oilthigh Heriot-Watt, Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean agus Oilthigh Raibeart Ghòrdain). Obraichidh Manaidsear Leasachaidh Ùr-ghnàthachaidh a’ phròiseict còmhla ri tagraichean gus acadaimigeach a chomharrachadh bho fhear de na trì oilthighean seo a tha a’ dol gu math le ùr-ghnàthachadh ùr agus cuiridh iad còmhraidhean co-obrachail mun phròiseact air dòigh.
Maoineachadh pròiseict
Tha taic ionmhais a’ phròiseict air a thoirt seachad an dàrna cuid tro thabhartas ùr-ghnàthachaidh de £5k (‘Leasaich’) no £25k (‘Cuir an gnìomh’). Ged a tha raon farsaing de phròiseactan ion-roghnach ann, mar as trice bidh duaisean ‘Leasaich’ a’ toirt taic do sgrùdaidhean sgòpaidh tràth, measadh comasachd agus dealbhadh gnìomhachais tùsail. Mar as trice, mairidh seo suas ri 3 mìosan. Mar as trice, mairidh duaisean 'Cuir an Gnìomh’, a dh’fhaodadh a bhith a’ leantainn air bho dhuais ‘Leasaich’ 6 mìosan. Mar as trice, bidh am fòcas air pìleat no prototaipean tràth-ìre, a tha air an dealbhadh gus luach a dhearbhadh agus a dh’fhaodadh a bhith mar bhunait airson tasgadh a bharrachd.
Cumaidh tabhartasan ùr-ghnàthachaidh taic ri cosgaisean pròiseict taobh a-staigh gnìomhachais no buidheann san treas roinn, ach a-mhàin cosgaisean luchd-obrach no cosgaisean rianachd, a bhios air am meas mar thabhartasan neo-ionmhasail. Taobh a-staigh nan oilthighean a tha a’ co-obrachadh air a’ phròiseact seo, thèid cosgaisean dìreach a’ phròiseict agus an luchd-obrach a phàigheadh, ach chan eil cosgaisean rianachd ion-roghnach agus thèid an làimhseachadh mar thabhartas neo-ionmhasail.
Taic leasachadh ghnìomhachais
Bheir Manaidsear Leasachaidh Ùr-ghnàthachaidh a’ phròiseict taic leasachaidh gnìomhachais agus stiùireadh seachad air mar a nithear iarrtas airson maoineachadh tabhartais ùr-ghnàthachaidh. Bheir iad comhairle seachad cuideachd air stòrasan maoineachaidh eile taobh a-staigh na roinne agus air ceanglaichean ri pròiseactan ùr-ghnàthachaidh eile an dà chuid taobh a-staigh agus taobh a-muigh sgòp Aonta Fàs nan Eilean. Tha seo ag amas air na stòrasan agus na cothroman as motha a thoirt do dh’ùr-ghnàthachadh a tha a’ tighinn am bàrr.
Tha sinn a’ tuigsinn gu bheil e duilich a bhith a' tuigsinn cruth-tìre na taic ùr-ghnàthachaidh a tha ann do ghnìomhachasan agus dhan treas roinn. Cuidichidh am Manaidsear Leasachaidh Ùr-ghnàthachaidh tagraichean gus tuigse fhaighinn air an t-sealladh-tìre seo agus air dè an t-àite aig tabhartasan ùr-ghnàthachaidh an coimeas ri taic a bheir buidhnean eile seachad.
Bruidhnibh rinn – a’ chiad cheum!
A bheil sibh deiseil airson tòiseachadh air an tagradh agaibh airson tabhartas ùr-ghnàthachaidh ‘Leasaich’ no ‘Cuir an gnìomh'? An toiseach, cuiribh fios thugainn le bhith a’ cur post-d gu TALENTEDWP3@HW.AC.UK. Cuiridh sinn fios air ais thugaibh gus còmhradh a chur air dòigh gus daingneachadh a bheil am maoineachadh agus an taic seo ceart dhuibh.
Tha na cinn-latha airson tagraidhean, na pròiseasan airson tagraidhean agus gus duaisean a thoirt a-mach, agus stiùireadh air cosgaisean ion-roghnach airson fiosrachadh dhuibh aig an ìre seo – na tòisichibh air na foirmean iarrtais a lìonadh gus am bi sibh air bruidhinn ruinn gus beachdachadh a bheil am pròiseact seo freagarrach airson an ùr-ghnàthachais agaibh.
Tha sinn a’ dèanamh fiughair ri cluinntinn bhuaibh!
