Notice

MRIP clarification questions (updated 6 July 2023)

Updated 18 October 2023

General administration

Can you extend the deadline? (added 28 June 2023)

We are extending the deadline for bid submission by 2 weeks. The deadline for submissions will now be 12pm on 26 July 2023.

Please can you confirm that universities are eligible to apply? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, universities are eligible to apply and are required to provide the information requested in paragraph 106 of the MRIP Application Guidance (other than information they do not hold due to being a university).

Does the lead bidder have to be a company or public body? (added 28 June 2023)

No, universities can be lead bidders.

Please can you confirm what information needs to be provided about consortium members that are not the lead? (added 28 June 2023)

See paragraphs 109-110 for the required information for consortium members that are not the lead.

Are there limits or rules on the share of costs each partner can claim in a consortium? (Any limits on specific partners?) (added 28 June 2023)

See paragraph 71 of the guidance, it is up to the consortium lead to organise the share of costs each partner can claim, noting the relevant subsidy control and UK value requirements.

Please can you confirm what information needs to be provided about a subcontractor involved in a project? (added 28 June 2023)

If work is being subcontracted then it should be included as a line item in the expenditure in the economic spreadsheet, and detailed in the project plan, explaining the rationale for the cost as with any other expenditure.

Can projects include international work? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, see paragraph 36 of the MRIP Application Guidance.

Can you confirm we can put more than one application in? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, see paragraph 40.

Is there an optimal time and resource allocation between university and commercial partners? (added 28 June 2023)

HMG has no preference, this should be determined by the applicant.

Can we provide one bid with multiple separate technical proposals and the supporting documentation specific to each proposal or should we submit multiple separate proposals as standalone bid packages? (added 28 June 2023)

See paragraph 40 in the guidance.

Can a consortium apply and if so, would there be any additional terms and conditions? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, consortiums can apply (see paragraph 11 of the guidance). We do not anticipate requiring any additional terms and conditions as we intend to enter into the grant agreement with the lead applicant only (see paragraph 71).

Who will be reviewing the proposals (what backgrounds or specialisms)? (added 28 June 2023)

We will not publish the names of the individuals involved in the evaluation. However, please expect your bids to be reviewed by HMG officials or third-party contractors from technical and non-technical backgrounds.

Could the nationality of a company Director impact eligibility for HMG funding under MRIP? (added 6 July 2023)

Providing all the eligibility requirements are met, an application can be made to the programme. The application guidance does not include eligibility requirements associated with individual applicant’s nationality. We may request more information during the evaluation process depending on the circumstances.

Scope

Do projects need to focus solely on infrastructure already existing in the UK or can they consider merits of existing infrastructure versus new infrastructure? (added 28 June 2023)

Projects do not need to focus solely on infrastructure already existing in the UK but should note the requirements in paragraph 36 of the guidance.

Our submission is planned to be a broad activity overarching few projects and diverse radionuclides within a common family of target. This is to exploit potential similarity in processing methodology. Could you confirm that is within the MRIP guideline? (added 28 June 2023)

It is for the applicant to determine their best scope and approach to meet MRIP objectives. Improving or developing target manufacturing capability is within scope, see paragraph 7 of the guidance. Applicants should note the required focus on the identified growth areas: radionuclides for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and targeted therapies.

As the activity above aims to fulfil 2 MRIP objectives, we would like some reassurance that it will be rather viewed as a balanced proposal. Could you please confirm this will be taken into account in the evaluation? (added 28 June 2023)

To what extent proposals meet the MRIP objectives (page 7 of MRIP Application Guidance) will be assessed in the technical assessment, contributions to objectives will be assessed holistically and not based on individual objectives.

Would transport options be eligible under ‘improving the outputs of existing irradiation techniques’? (added 28 June 2023)

No, transport options are out of scope of the fund.

Are you interested in computational approaches? (added 28 June 2023)

We do not have a preference on particular approaches.

Which medical radionuclides is the government interested in? (added 28 June 2023)

We will not prescribe specific radionuclides of interest.

Are they interested in reactor or beam line medical isotope productions? (added 28 June 2023)

HMG is currently technology agnostic, we have no preference in different radionuclide production techniques.

Where clinical research and novel irradiation techniques are out of scope, is this aimed at adaptation or optimisation of existing medical techniques? (added 28 June 2023)

The fund cannot be used to support the development of novel irradiation techniques. However, one of the objectives of the fund is to ‘diversify existing capabilities / technologies in support of medical radionuclide production by March 2025.’ Work under the fund could therefore explore how existing or emerging technologies/capabilities currently used for alternative applications, could be applied to medical radionuclide production / processing.

Would a component of an investigation which sought to make existing medical radionuclides in a new and potentially cheaper / safer manner be admissible, please? (added 28 June 2023)

Proposals must achieve one of the following. Only costs relating to these objectives are capable of being eligible.

a) Developing new target enrichment and manufacturing techniques
b) Improving the outputs of existing irradiation techniques
c) Improving or developing radioactive material processing techniques

One aspect of our bid will be enhancement of an existing user facility so that it can support the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals, from transmutation right through to final product. Would costings for an amount of beam time be eligible with a view to ring fencing time against which UK academics / clinicians can bid for access to try various production schemes and syntheses, please? (added 28 June 2023)

It is for the applicant to determine their best scope and approach to meet MRIP objectives. Proposals must achieve one of the following. Only costs relating to these objectives are capable of being eligible.

a) Developing new target enrichment and manufacturing techniques
b) Improving the outputs of existing irradiation techniques
c) Improving or developing radioactive material processing techniques

Costs funded by HMG grant funding must also meet the criteria for R&D Capital spend.

Can UK funded facilities located outside of the UK be considered in respect to the technologies / data available? (added 28 June 2023)

See paragraph 36 of the application guidance. The work must be at least 50% based in the UK. Work undertaken in facilities outside the UK would count towards the non-UK proportion.

Will MRIP accept proposals focussed on theranostic radionuclide pairs, even if the diagnostic radionuclide is gamma emitting? (added 28 June 2023)

Projects focussed on theranostic radionuclide pairs are in scope, including gamma emitting radionuclides, providing the project is centred around a PET and/or therapeutic radionuclide.

Eligible costs

Can the Authority please confirm what the Eligible Expenditures will be for this grant? (added 28 June 2023)

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure costs that would be covered by HMG grants meet the criteria for Research and Development. See HMG Consolidated Budget for more information. Beyond that, there are no additional requirements for expenditure.

Are there restrictions on the capital element for a project in either total or as a % of the total? (added 28 June 2023)

All (100%) funding requested from HMG needs to meet the criteria for R&D Capital. See HMG Consolidated Budget for more information.

Are there any limits/requirements for eligible expenditure? (added 28 June 2023)

We have no upper cost limit for certain activities, our one requirement is that costs requested from HMG meet criteria for R&D Capital spend. All costs need to be justified in Annex 3 as part of your application.

Annex C p183. R&D funding definition. Do all outputs need to be classified as R&D to get 100% funding under Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA)? (added 28 June 2023)

All work funded by HMG needs to meet the R&D funding definition.

Subsidy control

How does Minimal Financial Assistance work for overseas companies who receive more than £315k subsidy from the EU and their own national schemes? (added 28 June 2023)

Equivalents to Minimal Financial Assistance provided by other international or EU bodies will not count towards eligibility for MFA in the UK.

Does a sub-contractor need to register in the UK and provide subsidy evidence? (added 28 June 2023)

Sub-contractors do not need to register in the UK, as DESNZ intends to enter into the grant agreement with the applicant (single organisation or consortia lead) only.

Is it possible to request specifically that funding is made via the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route rather than as part of the MFA for an applicant? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, please make this clear in your application in Annex A when asked about whether the project raises the required co-funding.

Are universities exempt from subsidy control requirements? (added 28 June 2023)

It will depend on the nature of the activities carried out by a research organisation as to whether it is considered an enterprise for the purpose of subsidy controls. Please refer to Section 15.35 of the Subsidy Control Statutory Guidance for more information.

Can we assume low or no residual value for items of capital equipment purchased and owned by the university beyond project duration? (added 28 June 2023)

Depreciation should be considered when identifying eligible costs for subsidy. More information can be found in the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route.

Are bids over £315,000 in this call permitted, and will these comply with the subsidy control assessment, if classed as minimal financial assistance under research, development and innovation category? (added 28 June 2023)

MRIP is accepting bids of more that £315,000 and we have suggested a maximum grant size of £500,000. Grants provided under MRIP will need to meet subsidy control requirements of either Minimal Financial Assistance or the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route. For more information on MFA please see pages 92-97 of the UK Subsidy Control Statutory Guidance, and more information on the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route.

Is a full grant payable on projects up to £315k for 100% of costs under Minimal Financial Assistance? (added 28 June 2023)

If applicants qualify for Minimal Financial Assistance, they may be eligible for a full grant, depending on other MFA received by their organisation. Applicants are reminded that all costs covered by HMG grants under MRIP must meet R&D budget requirements found in Annex C of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance 2023 to 2024.

Can you confirm which category my organisation falls under? (added 28 June 2023)

HMG will not confirm the category of individual organisations. Applicants are advised to consult the Companies Act (Section 382 and Section 465, respectively).

Is it the total awarded that would need to be under the £315k threshold for MFA or total per study? (added 28 June 2023)

The total grant and certain other subsidies received by the applicant need to be taken into account when determining eligibility for Minimal Financial Assistance. Please refer to the UK Subsidy Control Statutory Guidance for details.

Do all proposals need to be match funded or only industrial proposals? (added 28 June 2023)

Please refer to Subsidy Control Assessment section in the Application Guidance which begins on page 21. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the subsidy control rules that are applicable to their project, organisation or consortium.

In the situation where a university is a sub-contractor to an industry led application, would there be any subsidy control regulation implications if the university charges its costs with all IP being owned by the lead? (added 28 June 2023)

It is the responsibility of the applicant/s to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the subsidy control rules that are applicable to their project and organisation (or consortium).

Economic assessment

Over what timescales should benefits be captured in Annex 3, considering that projects, R&D in particular, may not see significant benefits in the 2-year project window? (added 28 June 2023)

The funding available ends on 31 March 2025. The Value for Money assessment will consider benefits achieved in that time, as well as longer-term benefits past March 2025. Applicants are asked to provide evidence for the benefits (including, for quantified benefits, the year in which they will materialise) and include any assumptions made.

R&D projects may have a high uncertainty associated with the work but could realise high value outputs if successful. Will this be considered in the Value for Money assessment? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, risks and potential value of work will be considered in the Value for Money assessment. Appropriate details, including any assumptions made, should be included in Annex 3.

In the Value for Money, worksheet 3 (Annual Expenditure), template, does the capital spend value include depreciation of the asset over the lifetime of this project? (added 28 June 2023)

No, for the economic assessment we are looking for the total capital cost. The applicant should include any calculations and assumptions made to address depreciation in the comments of their application.

Please can you advise on whether a Full Economic Costing model can be used for the Medical Radionuclide Innovation Programme? (added 28 June 2023)

Applicants will need to adhere to subsidy control requirements on co-funding. Where an applicant either qualifies for Minimal Financial Assistance or is not considered an enterprise, the full project costs may be recoverable. All costs funded by HMG grant need to also meet the requirements of R&D capital funding. All costs and benefits should be provided in 2023 GBP prices accompanied by any assumptions made about inflation rates. A full breakdown of costs should be provided as specified in Annex 3.

Will benefits in-kind, such as material and employee’s time, be taken into account in the assessment? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, please provide evidence of benefits “in kind” these will be included in the Value for Money Assessment.

Will financial contributions be considered as part of the evaluation? (added 28 June 2023)

Yes, please include details of any financial contributions as these will be considered as part of the Value for Money assessment. Applicants are also reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure they comply with subsidy control requirements for co-funding.

Will the level of detail required depend on the level of funding applied for? For example, will less detail be required for a £30k proposal than a £300k one? (added 28 June 2023)

The Value for Money assessment will be based on the information provided within each application. All proposals will have to demonstrate Value for Money to HMG and as such our advice is to provide as much evidence as possible to ensure this can be done with the avoidance of doubt.

Should cost savings as a result of buying multiple pieces of equipment be recorded under additionality? (added 28 June 2023)

No, such savings should be captured under the justification for costs.

Grant terms and conditions

Can the Authority please send out the draft Grant Offer Letter or its relevant draft Schedules? (added 28 June 2023)

The standard terms and conditions can be found Annex 6 of the MRIP Application Guidance. We will not provide a draft grant offer letter at this stage.

Can HMG please confirm that the parental guarantee will not be applied? (added 28 June 2023)

Parental guarantee will not be expected on grants below £250,000. Grant recipients receiving funding above £250,000 may be required to provide a parental guarantee.

Can HMG please confirm that the Aggregate Job Target will not be applied? (added 28 June 2023)

We do not anticipate that the Aggregate Job Target be applied to grant offers under MRIP.

Can you please clarify what would be accepted as an independent auditor. Is this to be independent of the company, or independent to the project? (added 28 June 2023)

An independent auditor must not have any conflict or interest, whether real or perceived. We would recommend an auditor external to the company.

Annex 5 states that Intellectual Property will remain the property of the grant recipient. Is there any flexibility for negotiating this where there are 2 or more parties applying, either as consortium or where there will be a lead and a sub-contractor? (added 28 June 2023)

See paragraph 15.1 of Annex 5, Intellectual Property will remain the property of the grant recipient. For consortia and/or subsequent contracts, it is the responsibility of the lead organisation (the grant recipient) to ensure suitable arrangements are in place.

Will you accept proposals from organisations with a links to nations that are not signatories of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? (added 28 June 2023)

As part of due diligence, checks will be carried out on the structure of companies to ensure they are appropriate recipients for government funding.

Landscape assessment

Is it possible to share the landscape assessment with the bidders? (added 28 June 2023)

Page 6 of the Application Guidance - “The outputs from workstreams a) and b) are not currently publicly available but will be shared with Programme participants where there is significant value identified and the appropriate agreements are in place”.