Innovation Loans for SMEs: apply for funding

9 Jul 2019 11:23 AM

Organisations can apply for a share of £10 million to work on highly innovative, late stage projects.

Following the success of the Innovation Loans pilot programme throughout 2018, the programme is being extended to the end of 2020 with an additional £25 million available for business innovation projects in 2 further competitions.

Loans will be used to help businesses to support cutting-edge innovations become successful commercial realities.

Previous successful applicants of Innovation Loans include:

• Callaly, a new feminine hygiene care product manufactured entirely in the UK which has had further success following their loan
• Ashwood Electric Motors, creating smaller, lighter and more efficient permanent magnet electric motors
• The Electrospinning Company, making clinical-grade biomaterials

In this current competition, a share of £10 million is available through Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, for micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for highly innovative, late stage projects with the most game-changing ideas and concepts.

In this latest loan competition the terms have been updated. Make sure you read the latest information.

Disruptive promise

Projects should develop new products and services, or highly innovative uses of existing ones, that are significantly advanced of anything currently used.

These can come from any technology and in any part of the economy, as long as they are sufficiently disruptive. Projects must focus on commercialisation, growth or scale-up, and priority will be given for projects likely to lead to growth in productivity.

Projects must show:

• a clear game-changing idea
• how the idea can lead to innovative products, processes or services significantly ahead of the current field
• practical financial plans

Loans will be declined for businesses that are considered unable to afford the interest and repayments on the loan.

Competition information

• the competition opened yesterday (8 July 2019). The registration close date is 11 September 2019
• micro, small and medium-sized organisations may apply
• loans between £100,000 and £1 million are available per project
• briefing events will be held throughout July 2019 in Brighton, Birmingham, London, Daresbury and Sheffield, where organisations can find out more about the competition and process of applying

Find out more about this competition and apply.