Digital business briefing September 2014

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A summary of useful funding, support and research for UK digital businesses for September 2014.

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Digital Business Briefing

September 2014

What is this briefing?

• A digest of useful information for UK digital businesses seeking funding and support, updated every month

• Brought to you by the following organisations:

Contents

• Open funding calls• Other funding• Support for launching a new digital business• Existing digital businesses• Events• Training• Useful market research

Open funding calls

IC tomorrow Connected Cities

Key feature: Grant funding to work with industrial partners to develop new solutions for connected cities

Scale:• Up to £35k grants, 100% funded• Specifically for micro, small or medium sized businesses

Closes: 14th October 2014

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding calls

"Smart" grants for start-ups and small businesses

Key feature: A grant scheme which offers funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology.

Scale:• Proof of market - up to £25k - 60% of project cost• Proof of concept - up to £100k - 60% of project cost• Prototype development - up to £250k - up to 45% of

project cost

Closes: 25th September 2014

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding calls

Food open data challenge

Key feature: A grant to use available open data to develop products and services to support people to make better choices with their food.

Scale:• Finalists receive £5k• A “Grand prize” of up to £40k for successfully evidenced

services

Closes: 27th October 2014

More info on Nesta website

Open funding calls

Introducing driverless cars to the UK

Key features:• Grants to research how driverless cars can be integrated

onto our roads• Looking for town/city based consortia to help test in 3 urban

areas• Delivered in partnership with industry funding • 18-36 month project timescaleScale:• Between £5-10m grants funding up to 60% project costs• Projects must find match-funding

Closes: 24th September 2014

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding calls

An integrated future for cities

Key feature: large-scale SBRI contracts to encourage new ways of achieving better integration of infrastructure and services across a city. Contracts will be to develop prototypes, must link up cities and will enable users to interact with multiple models to tackle different city problems.

Scale:• Contracts of between £1.5 - 2m – 100% funded• Single contract, but able to sub-contract out work

Closes: registration closes on 7 January 2015

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding calls

Social Seed Fund

Key feature: Funding and mentoring support for new digital ventures for social impact

Scale:• Between £15-50k• A “Grand prize” of up to £40k for successfully evidenced

services

Opens: 22nd September 2014

More info on Nominet Trust website

Open funding calls

Automated cyber-defence

Key feature: Contracts to develop tools that support the planning and automated response to cyber-threats to armed forces’s systems

Scale:• Up to £500k available

Closes: on 23 October 2014

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding calls

Innovation Vouchers

Key feature: Innovation voucher scheme funding for start-up, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to work with an external expert to gain the knowledge to innovate and grow.

Scale:• Up to £5k funding for SMEs

Closes: on 22 October 2014

More info on innovateuk.org

Open funding callsNesta Impact investment

Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle:

• the health and wellbeing of an ageing population• the educational attainment and employability of children

and young people• the social and environmental sustainability of communities.

Scale: between £150k - £1m

Closes: ongoing

More info on Nesta Investments

Other Funding

Key features: Online guide to over 4,000 grants, contracts and other forms of finance:

• Fully searchable based on finance type, scale and your geographical location

• Constantly updated – especially good for businesses seeking charitable or grant funding

More info on Funding Central and Finance Finder

Funding Central and Finance Finder websites

Other Funding

Key features: The UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched thousands of projects

• Guides to launching a successful crowdfunding campaign

• Information on reward-based, peer-to-peer and equity crowdfunding

More info on www.crowdfunder.co.uk

www.crowdfunder.co.uk

Launching a new digital business?

• The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps start-ups build business models around open data

• Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for guidance in and around London. It also endorses visa applications to help recruit talent to the UK.

• Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with leading commercial partners and investors, through funded contests, events, and strategic matchmaking opportunities.

• Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be available via traditional banking relationships.

Are you an existing digital business seeking non-financial advice or support?• Nesta runs a creative business mentor network for

digital businesses looking to grow

• The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting

• Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment

• The British Business Angels Association can help put you in touch with relevant business angel investors

• The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business

Are you an existing digital business seeking advice or support?

• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and deliver business growth – GrowthAccelerator

• Use the IP Health check to identify commercial IP in your business

• AngelList – helps source angel investors

Training and skills

• Open Data in a Day training course at the ODI – 15th September

• Mobile Advertising – via @ukaop London 17th September

• Mobile Programmatic – via @IABUK - get your head around buying and selling ads on mobile platforms – London 25th September

• Digital training – via @Econsultancy - World-class training courses

Something else we've missed?

Please let us know, plus sign up for monthly updates at:

digitaleconomy@ktn-uk.org

Thanks

jon.kingsbury@ktn-uk.org