SME Innovation Initiative

Do you have a business idea that you want to develop with the help of experts in order to try and access additional external funding? Does this business idea involve the use of satellite data or satellite-enabled services?

The South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications SME Innovation Initiative is a funding scheme designed to support businesses in the region who are working with satellite data to develop a new product or service. Through the initiative, you can claim up to £5,000 of advice and expertise to develop this idea and produce a written funding proposal for a UK or EU funding call. The funding can be used to develop Industrial Research, a Technical Feasibility Study or Experimental Development.

As industrial partner, you must be willing to make a cash or in-kind contribution to the academic partner which at least matches the value of the funding allocated work but by working with one of our experts on your novel idea, your project idea will be identified and then progressed into a formal application for external funding in the hope of generating further funding to support your innovation or research activity and support the growth of your business.

Eligibility

To qualify for the South Coast CoE SME Initiative you must:

  • be starting up or running a micro, small or medium-sized UK business
  • be located in the South Coast region.
  • be willing and able to match in cash or in-kind to the value of the funding allocated

Please note that funding will be granted to the expert who works with you on your idea, and funding will only be allocated on submission of a written funding proposal for a UK or EU funding call.

 

Funding Calls will open on the following dates:

November 1st 2017

January 1st 2018

Closing dates for applications are the last day of the same month.

Application and other useful information:

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SCCoE_Model_FUNDING_Innovation Initiative SMEs_Application Form_Templatev.001

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Please email sccoe@port.ac.uk for more information.

Space to Accelerate

If you are looking to take your business to new levels, find a dynamic business space and get the support you need to facilitate your growth and success, then your company could benefit from this new and innovative programme designed for companies looking to work in the downstream space sector.

The South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications is supporting the Space to Accelerate programme which offers a select number of companies in the Solent region the opportunity to take part in a customised business growth programme and take up exclusive business space in one of two dedicated business incubation centres at the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre in Southampton in Southampton or the Innovation Space at the University of Portsmouth.

To take part you need to have a dedicated business idea or growth aspiration that could operate in the downstream space sector.

Examples of this could be, but not limited to:  using satellite imagery to analyse soil composition, measure flood water depth to understand water flow characteristics to predict the impact of flood events; developing a communications toolkit using satellite data for telemedicine in remote areas or where connectivity is poor or coverage is limited; tackling the rising costs of fuel using Global Navigation Systems; offering a service for the tracking of assets and people 24 hours a day in remote or hazardous environments to ensure safety and allow SOS messages to be sent and retrieved in real time.

To find out more visit http://projects.noc.ac.uk/uksa/