Notice

Competition brief: Jiangsu-UK industrial challenge programme

Updated 14 June 2017

This notice was withdrawn on 21 September 2017

This competition is no longer open. Search current funding opportunities.

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens	Monday 10 April 2017
Webinar briefing event for UK applicants	Friday 21 April 2017
Getting ready for China event in London	Friday 5 May 2017
Brokerage event with Jiangsu province companies in London	Thursday 25 May 2017
Registration deadline	Midday (BST) Wednesday 21 June 2017
Application deadline	Midday (BST) Wednesday 28 June 2017

2. The competition scope

The aim of this competition is to stimulate economic growth in China (specifically Jiangsu province) and the UK through business-led innovation. Innovations should draw on the capabilities in both countries to address the industrial opportunities and challenges that will shape the markets of the future.

All projects must show demonstrable benefits of cooperation between the UK and China through the contributions of the participants from both countries. The project effort must be balanced between participants from both countries and significant to both project partners.

Projects must show innovation and improve prospects for business growth and productivity and/or create export opportunities for the industry partners involved in the project.

3. Specific competition themes

The priority areas for this competition are:

Open priority

Open to transformational or disruptive innovations leading to new products, processes or services drawn from any technology, engineering or industrial area. Projects should lead to a significant return on investment and have a clear impact on business growth.

Infrastructure systems priorities

Solutions for smarter, integrated and intelligent infrastructure incorporating digital technologies. This includes adding a layer of intelligence to and improving links between:

• urban systems: solutions that improve the quality of life and infrastructure users’ experience in urban areas. They incorporate hard systems (energy, transport, waste, water, wastewater and communications), soft systems (data, security, sensors), social systems (health and wellbeing, social care) and environmental systems (green and blue infrastructure, parks, rivers)
• energy systems: matching energy supply and demand, improving affordability, security and value proposition
• connected transport: balancing transport infrastructure and vehicles at peak demand, connecting people and goods, optimising transport network efficiencies. This is to enable benefits in capacity, operational costs and effectiveness for accessible, safe and sustainable transport. Mobility as a service and enabling the UK to be a world class trading nation are some of the national priorities for connected transport

The aim is to provide solutions for:

• efficient infrastructure to improve capacity, productivity, flexibility and performance, and to reduce costs
• resilient infrastructure, to improve climate resilience, security and reliability

Projects should have a clear innovation value, be outcome-focused and seek to address at least one of the above 3 infrastructure systems priorities. They should also provide integrated solutions that clearly respond to the needs of infrastructure users.

4. Projects that we won’t fund

In this competition, Innovate UK will not fund projects led by anyone other than a UK-based business. Jiangsu Science and Technology Department will not fund projects led by anyone other than a Jiangsu-based business. Both the Chinese and UK sides must submit corresponding applications. Applications from one side alone will not be eligible.

5. Find out if you are eligible to apply

To apply, there must be at least one UK-based company and one eligible partner from a business in Jiangsu province working together on a project. You can also invite other types of organisations from the UK and Jiangsu province to join your project.

In the UK:

• lead applicants will be a business registered and operating in the UK
• academic and research entities in the UK are eligible to join as partners in the project

In Jiangsu:

• lead applicants will be research and development (R&D) performing companies registered and operating in Jiangsu
• academic and research entities based in the Jiangsu province are eligible to join as sub-contractors only

6. Funding and project details

Innovate UK and Jiangsu Science and Technology Department are funding this competition.

Innovate UK has allocated up to £5 million to fund innovation projects in this competition. Innovate UK will fund the UK project partners. Jiangsu Science and Technology Department will fund eligible partners from Jiangsu province.

All projects must involve at least one UK business and one business from Jiangsu province. The projects must be business led on both the UK and Chinese side.

In the UK, projects are expected to last up to 24 months. UK project costs should be up to £500,000. Total UK project costs outside this range will be considered, but you must contact Innovate UK before 1 June 2017 to discuss your proposal.

Project types

Your project may focus on industrial research or experimental development. This will depend on the challenge.

For industrial research, you could get:

• up to 70% of your eligible project costs if you are a small business
• up to 60% if you are a medium-sized business
• up to 50% if you are a large business

For experimental development projects, which are nearer to market, you could get:

• up to 45% of your eligible project costs if you are a small business
• up to 35% if you are a medium-sized business
• up to 25% if you are a large business

Find out if your business fits the EU definition of an SME.

In Jiangsu, one lump sum fund will be awarded, not to exceed RMB 1 million per project. Funding is for the entire duration of the project of around 24 months. The funding amount should not exceed 50% of the eligible and approved R&D costs of the project.

7. How to apply

In the UK

To apply:

• the lead applicant must register online
• read the guidance for applicants for this competition
• watch the webinar briefing for potential applicants
• complete and upload your online application on our secure server

In Jiangsu

• application guidance is available on the Jiangsu Science and Technology Department website
• Jiangsu Center of International Technology Transfer (JITTC) will be responsible for a partner search and for matching Jiangsu companies with UK lead organisations
• Jiangsu participants must upload a complete funding application at the time of the proposal submission

In support of this competition, we are running 2 events to ensure that businesses are ready to work with China and to meet businesses from Jiangsu province:

• a getting ready for China workshop will take place in London on Friday 5 May 2017
• a brokerage event with businesses from Jiangsu province will take place in London on Thursday 25 May 2017

Should you have any difficulties with registering for this seminar, please contact events@cbbc.org with your name, job title, company and email address.

Further details on both events will be available on the website.

We will not accept late submissions. Your application is confidential.

External, independent experts assess the quality your application. We will then select the projects that we fund, to build a portfolio of projects as described in the competition guidance for applicants. Please read this carefully before you apply.

Also please read the general guidance for applicants it will help your chances of submitting a quality application.

8. Background and further information

Innovate UK helps UK innovators launch, build and grow successful businesses. Innovation is vital to future growth. As 95% of R&D and innovation takes place outside the country, UK businesses need to access global knowledge, markets, skills and partners. Companies that internationalise are known to have strong growth.

Jiangsu is a major producer of machinery and has one of the largest petrochemical industries in eastern China. Other important industries include electronics, construction materials and automobile production. The provincial government has also invested heavily in the solar and wind energy industry.

Jiangsu is home to many of the world’s leading exporters of electronic equipment, chemicals and textiles. Manufacturing and construction were the 2 biggest sectors of Jiangsu’s industrial production in 2014, making up 41.4% and 6.0% of the gross regional product (GRP) respectively.

Emerging industries in Jiangsu include next-generation information technology, new materials and nanotechnology, intelligent manufacturing and advanced equipment, bio-medicines and healthcare, clean technologies and urbanisation, and modern agriculture.

With a favourable environment for intellectual property protection, Jiangsu is one of the provinces in China with the most abundant scientific resources and the most active innovation activities.

Nanjing, Jiangsu’s provincial capital, is also a major telecommunications, transportation, distribution and retail centre. The city government has embarked on an ambitious programme of infrastructure development to ensure its continued growth.

Nanjing’s biomedical industry has maintained an average annual growth rate of 30% and attracts talents in the life science and biotechnology field.

8.1 More information and contacts

In the UK

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Enterprise Europe Network.

If you need more information, contact the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 or email us at support@innovateuk.gov.uk.

In Jiangsu

For partner search and matching, please contact Jiangsu Center of Technology Transfer. If you need more information, contact Ms Huang Cen (Project Manager) on +86-25-85485890, or email prisca.cen@hotmail.com.

For policy enquiries, please contact Jiangsu Science and Technology Department, Mr Wu Sanmao (Program Coordinator) on +86-25-58708856, or email wusm@jstd.gov.cn.