UK-Brazil partnerships: apply for business funding

17 Sep 2015 12:04 PM

UK businesses are invited to partner with Brazilian ones on projects that meet critical challenges in energy, water and waste management.

Innovate UK and Brazil’s national service for industrial training SENAI are to invest up to £3.4 million in innovative projects that solve critical challenges in the fields of energy, water and waste management and contribute to socio-economic growth and development in Brazil.

The competition will bring together companies, research organisations, academics and other collaborators from the UK and Brazil to develop new products and services that address these challenges.

Brazil was the world’s seventh largest economy in GDP terms in 2014. Its size and potential present many opportunities for UK businesses.

Projects must be aimed at the Brazilian market and could look at use of waste to generate power, power generation in remote areas, reductions in water consumption, waste-reduction and design of products that can be reused, recycled or re-manufactured.

They must demonstrate commercial potential and have a positive impact on economic development and social welfare in Brazil.

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.

Competition information

• this competition is open, and the deadline for applications is noon UK time 7 December 2015
• projects must involve partners in both the UK and Brazil. They must be business-led on the UK side but can involve non-business partners
• we expect total UK project costs to be between £350,000 and £400,000 and for projects to last up to 20 months
• UK small or micro businesses could attract up to 70% of their eligible costs as grant, medium-sized businesses 60% and large businesses 50%
• the UK lead partner must apply to Innovate UK and the Brazilian lead partner to SENAI
• a briefing webinar for potential applicants will be held on 28 September 2015

Find out more about this competition and apply.

Find out more about Newton Fund