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UK businesses are invited to partner with Chinese ones on projects that meet challenges in energy, healthcare, urbanisation and agri-food.

Innovate UK, Research Councils UK and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) for the People’s Republic of China are to invest up to £16 million in collaborative research and development projects that propose commercial solutions to critical challenges affecting socio-economic growth and development of China.

UK and Chinese businesses are invited to join forces to apply for a share of the money for projects in the fields of energy, healthcare, urbanisation and agri-food.

The UK investment has been made possible by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills-managed Newton Fund, which aims to build research collaborations between UK business and those in lower and middle-income partner countries.

Projects must show commercial potential and must also demonstrate they will have a positive impact on both the economic development and social welfare of China.

Competition information

• this competition is open and the deadline for registration is noon UK time 23 March 2016
• projects must be collaborative and involve a UK and a Chinese lead partner
• lead partners in the UK can be a business or a research organisation
• Innovate UK and RCUK have allocated up to £8 million to fund UK participation. We expect total UK project costs to range from £800,000 to £1 million and for projects to last up to 24 months
• UK small or micro businesses could attract up to 70% of their costs as grant, medium-sized businesses 60% and large businesses 50%
• the UK lead partner must submit an application on behalf of all UK applicants to Innovate UK and the Chinese lead partner will submit their application for the same project to MoST

A briefing webinar for potential applicants was held yesterday 17 November 2015 at 1.30

Find out more about this competition and apply