Notice

Competition brief: Shanghai-UK industrial challenge programme

Updated 14 June 2017

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

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-competition-shanghai-uk-industrial-challenge-programme/competition-brief-shanghai-uk-industrial-challenge-programme

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens Wednesday 12 April 2017
Webinar briefing event for UK applicants Friday 21 April 2017
‘Getting ready for China’ event Friday 5 May 2017 in London
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 Shanghai municipality) and in 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

Open priority: open to transformational or disruptive innovations leading to novel, new products, processes or services. These should be drawn from any technology, engineering or industrial area, with particular interest in the areas of healthcare and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and energy/green technology. Projects should lead to a significant return on investment and have a clear impact on business growth.

Future cities: rapid urbanisation, demographic and social change, resource scarcity and climate change put significant pressures on city systems, services and on citizens. On the other hand, those pressures can also stimulate the development of new, integrated solutions. These combine the power of new technologies, digital capabilities, social innovation and novel business approaches while responding to the needs of citizens. This call will focus on the following priorities:

  • digitally-enabled city: smart infrastructure and digital connectivity solutions. These should aim to have a major impact on the performance, operational cost efficiency and quality of urban services and infrastructure (such as transport and energy). They should also improve the links between urban land use and public transport planning
  • resilient city: innovation improving climate resilience and environmental sustainability, in particular with respect to heat island effect, flooding, air and noise pollution. These should enable cities to retain core functions and a healthy living, working and business environment
  • wellbeing city: technological and social innovations to support and promote well-being and active and healthy lifestyles. In particular, for an ageing population, directed to the outcome of significantly lower healthcare costs and an improved quality of life of citizens

Projects should include integrated approaches addressing one or more of the above priorities continually considering the needs of citizens.

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. The Science and Technology Department of Shanghai Municipality will not fund projects led by anyone other than R&D performing Shanghai-registered companies operating in Shanghai. 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, you must have at least one UK-based company and one eligible partner from a business operating in Shanghai working together on the project. You can also invite other types of organisations from the UK to join your project.

In the UK:

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

In Shanghai:

  • lead applicants will be R&D performing companies registered and operating in Shanghai

6. Funding and project details

Innovate UK and the Science Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality 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. The Science Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality will fund eligible partners from Shanghai.

All projects must involve at least one UK business and one business from Shanghai. The projects must be business led on both the UK and Chinese sides.

Projects are expected to last up to 36 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. For Shanghai applicants, each project will get no more than 1 million RMB funding from the Science Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.

Project types

In the UK, 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.

For funding details in Shanghai municipality please see the funding section of the competition guidance.

7. How to apply

In the UK:

To apply:

In Shanghai:

In support of this competition, we are running an event to ensure that businesses are ready to work with China:

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 the event 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 UK, UK businesses need to access global knowledge, markets, skills and partners. Companies that internationalise have strong growth.

Shanghai is historically a commercial and financial centre of China. Shanghai is not only the leading container port in China, but also the busiest container port in the world. In 2015, 67.8% of Shanghai’s GDP was attributed to services industries. The top 3 largest industries were financial services, retail and wholesale and real estates.

Shanghai is a global hub for the life sciences with 13 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies by turnover having established R&D operations there. There are 55 universities in the municipality including 2 of China’s elite ‘C9’ universities. Many major UK companies, including GSK, AstraZeneca, Unilever and Dyson, have established R&D facilities in Shanghai.

Shanghai plays a key role in China’s heavy industries. Baosteel Group, China’s largest steelmaker, and Fosun Group, one of China’s largest private steelmakers, are both headquartered in Shanghai. Auto manufacture is another important industry. Shanghai’s output of motor vehicles reached 2.43 million in 2015, accounting for 10% of the national total. Shanghai is also a leading producer of ethylene, plastics, microcomputers, integrated circuits and mobile phones.

8.1 More information and contacts

In the UK:

If you want help to find a project partner, contact the 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 Shanghai:

For partner search and matching, please contact Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center.

If you need more information, please contact:

Mr Tang Dengwei Director of Department of Project Management SSTEC - Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center Tel: + 86-21 64370468 Email: dwtang@sstec.com.cn

For policy enquiries, please contact:

Mr Li Chenhao Program Officer, International Cooperation Department Science and Technology Department of Shanghai Municipality Tel: 0086-21-23112519 Email: chhli@stcsm.gov.cn

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