Notice

Competition brief: urban innovation in Brazil

Updated 26 April 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This notice was withdrawn on 21 September 2017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 7 November 2016
Briefing event for applicants	Monday 14 November 2016
Registration deadline	Midday (12.00pm) on Wednesday 26 April 2017
Application deadline	Midday (12.00pm) on Wednesday 3 May 2017
Partnership building visit to Brazil	January 2017

2. The competition scope

The aim of this competition is to fund collaborative technological solutions that address one or more of the challenges listed below.

Projects and their outcomes must fit with the official development assistance (ODA) criteria. This aims to boost economic development, and have a positive social or environmental effect on the wider Brazilian society.

2.1 Challenge 1: Integration and governance of city systems

Brazilian cities face the challenge of improving the collection of information that can inform policy-making, reduce cost and increase the quality of public services. Cities also benefit from being more transparent and accountable to their citizens. These goals can be achieved by developing solutions based on information and communication technology.

Consortia are encouraged to bring together eligible UK and Brazilian partners to put forward solutions for system development and platform integration tailored for the Brazilian urban context. Examples may include, but are not limited to, developing solutions for:

• improving public service planning (location addresses, street scenes, transportation services, facilities and so on)
• public warnings and emergency alerts
• detection of natural disasters
• anticipating disruption to essential public services, including interruption, maintenance and other events

2.2 Challenge 2: Urban infrastructure and affordable, smart mobility

Following decades of intense growth, Brazilian cities need to improve outdated infrastructure. There is also a need to solve the problem of ever-increasing traffic. New technologies provide the opportunity to address those issues in innovative, efficient and cheaper ways. This would also provide value to citizens and municipalities.

Consortia are invited to propose solutions that help Brazilian cities update their infrastructure. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

• software solutions for smart grids
• water and sewage distribution management and maintenance
• technologies to provide universal access to urban transport

2.3 Challenge 3: Sustainable urban environments

The reality of climate change and dwindling natural resources means that we need to find more efficient and environmentally-friendly ways to use water, generate and store energy, and dispose of waste.

The United Nations estimates that the global urban population will be nearly 70% by 2050. In Brazil, this figure is already greater than 85%. Cities have an important role in making the world more sustainable. Emerging technologies can provide solutions to make cities more sustainable and resilient.

Eligible consortia are invited to develop innovative solutions that would allow Brazilian cities to use their resources in a more efficient and sustainable way.

Examples of projects may include, but are not limited to:

• building automation (energy and water management)
• wind turbines micro-generation (up to 100 kW) and mini-generation (between 100 kW and 1 MW)
• technologies for buses with reduced carbon emissions

3. Projects that we won’t fund

Projects that do not fall under the 3 challenge areas detailed in section 2 will be considered out of scope for this competition.

4. Find out if you are eligible to apply

To apply for a Newton Fund award you must:

• be a UK-based company acting as lead applicant
• have at least one UK-based company and one eligible Brazilian participant working together on the project
• show that Brazil is the principal market for the project
• show how your project fits within ODA criteria

You can also invite other types of organisations to join your project. Please see the Guidance for Applicants, when it is available, for further information.

5. Funding and project details

Innovate UK and the Brazilian government are funding this competition as part of the UK–Brazil Newton Fund programme.

In Brazil the competition is co-funded by: the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, the Brazilian Development Bank and Embrapii, the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Research and Innovation. In the UK, Innovate UK have allocated up to £2.4 million to fund innovation projects in this competition. Innovate UK will fund the UK project partners and the Brazilian government will fund project partners from Brazil.

All projects must involve at least one UK business and one Brazilian partner. The project lead must be a business on the UK side.

5.1 Project types

Projects must focus on industrial research. Work packages that include elements of experimental development will be considered within projects that predominantly target industrial research. Those work packages that are primarily experimental development will receive the appropriate grant percentage.

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 work packages, 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 a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME).

We expect projects to last from 12 to 24 months. We expect total UK project costs of between £200,000 to £500,000, giving rise to total UK grant of approximately £350,000. Information on funding for project partners from Brazil is included in the Guidance for Applicants.

6. How to apply

To apply:

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

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

A panel of independent experts from the UK and Brazil will assess your proposal. We will choose the best proposals from those that meet the aims of this competition. We will then select the projects that we fund, to build a portfolio of projects as described in the guidance for applicants.

Please read this general guidance carefully before you apply. It will help your chances of submitting a quality application.

7. Background and further information

Innovate UK helps translate the UK’s innovation expertise into business solutions in emerging economies. We enable collaborative solutions to overseas socio-economic challenges. We do this by supporting British companies to establish global partnerships and exchange knowledge with organisations in some of the most dynamic markets in the world. The size, diversity and potential of Brazil’s markets present significant opportunities for innovative UK businesses.

For this reason, Innovate UK and the Brazilian government are funding this competition. We are running it as part of the UK–Brazil Newton Fund programme. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy leads the Newton Fund in the UK.

7.1 About the Newton Fund

The Newton Fund was established in 2014 and will operate until 2021. The Newton Fund forms part of the UK government’s ODA. It uses science and innovation partnerships to improve the economic development and social welfare of 16 partner countries, including Brazil. There is a total of £735 million funding available from the UK government for the Fund’s duration to 2021. Partner countries contribute extra matched funding.

7.2 Further help and information

To find suitable domestic and overseas partners, please consider the following opportunities:

• register on the Meeting Mojo platform and interact with other organisations that have shown an interest in this competition
• pitch and talk to potential partners at our brokering webinar (date to be announced once the competition opens)
• take part in our mission to Brazil in January 2017

If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network.

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