Health and tech solutions in India: apply for innovation funding
UK businesses are invited to apply for a share of £1.6 million to work with Indian partners on healthcare and technology solutions in India.
The launch of the new £1.6 million Newton Fund at the India-UK Tech Summit in Delhi with Innovate UK Chief Executive Ruth McKernan, Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson and Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, pictured with our Newton Fund partners in India, and Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Chairman of the British Library.
Innovate UK is investing up to £1.6 million in this competition. Projects must provide solutions to enhance healthcare, clean technology and infrastructure in India.
The aim is to encourage innovative partnerships between the UK and India. Innovate UK and the Indian government are funding this competition which the Newton Fund will administer.
Projects should address one or more of the following societal challenges:
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clean technology
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affordable healthcare
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electronic system design and manufacture (ESDM) technology solutions for urban, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, disaster management and environmental challenges
Competition information
- this competition is open now
- the registration deadline is noon on Wednesday 15 February 2017
- the application deadline is noon on Wednesday 22 February 2017
- there will be a briefing event for potential applicants on Friday 11 November 2016
- we expect projects to range in size from total costs of £350,000 to £450,000 in the UK
- projects should last between 1 and 2 years
- a UK business must lead the project
- if you are a UK business, you can carry out the project as the only UK partner or you can work with others
- at least one partner must be an Indian business
Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson, announced the competition today at the India-UK Tech Summit in Delhi. He said:
This competition will encourage innovative technology businesses from the UK and India to collaborate on cutting-edge solutions to the healthcare and environmental challenges India faces.
Innovate UK Chief Executive, Ruth McKernan, welcomed the announcement. She said:
Today’s competition opening is an excellent example how UK companies can forge new international partnerships with important markets such as India. We are extremely pleased to be working closely with the Indian government to deliver this latest Newton Fund competition that will help address important societal challenges in India.
New £8 million research and innovation fund announced
The Minister also announced a joint £8 million research and innovation fund. This will support commercially focused research and development partnerships. These partnerships will bring innovative biotechnologies to market. They will include cleaning, processing and using industrial waste streams. This is part of the Newton Fund with India. Innovate UK, the Research Councils UK (BBSRC and EPSRC) and India’s Department of Biotechnology will lead the fund.
The UK and Indian Prime Ministers, Theresa May and Narendra Modi, have attended the summit. The event has brought together British businesses and science and technology experts to India to show the best of what the UK has to offer. It is also helping to build collaborations and partnerships to further enhance the India-UK relationship in the future.