Following on from a successful first round, UWE Bristol has launched the second round of funding for its Digital Innovation Fund, a £1m Covid-19 recovery fund open to SMEs in the West of England.
The programme is supporting Research and Development projects in a range of industries and will be creating more innovation opportunities with this second round.
The scheme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), offers eligible businesses innovation grants from £10,000 to £40,000 to fund 35% of project costs.
Grants are open to businesses in any sector that want to innovate and address new challenges that have arisen from Covid-19. Applicants must be small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and based in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.
Deadlines for applications: 10 November 2020
Apply now: www.digitalinnovationfund.co.uk
Director of Research, Business and Innovation at UWE Bristol, Tracey John commented: “We were delighted to receive so many strong applications in round one and were impressed with the calibre of these. It was great to see how businesses are continuing to innovate during such challenging times. We are excited to go live with a second round, supporting the research and development ambitions of even more businesses across the West of England.
The scheme remains open to SMEs in the region that are undertaking a digital innovation or research and development project. We are offering a sliding scale of grants, from £10k to £40k, so there will be a funding option for a range of businesses – from start-ups and micro enterprises, to more established organisations. Once again, the application process is straightforward and UWE Bristol staff are available to provide hands-on support through a series of confidential 1:1 drop-in sessions. This unique support is available to any business eligible to apply.
UWE Bristol has given over £2.5m of grants to thriving businesses in the West of England, creating over 150 new jobs and over 100 new products and services.
In a time of unprecedented change, UWE Bristol is proud of the role it can play to help transform businesses in the region during the pandemic and beyond.”
Notes to editors
European Regional Development Fund:
The project will receive up to £1,900,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund.
Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit here.
West of England region: All organisations with a presence in Bristol, Bath, BANES and South Gloucestershire.