£20m for game-changing or disruptive innovations

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £20 million in the best cutting-edge or disruptive ideas with a view to commercialisation.

All proposals must be business focused, rather than pure research. Applications can come from any area of technology, science or engineering, including arts, design, media or creative industries, and be applied to any part of the economy.

The competition closes at midday on Wednesday 14th November.

Find more details of the funding available, eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Innovation loans for innovative late stage projects

Innovate UK is offering up to £10 million in loans to SMEs for highly innovative late stage projects with the best game changing and/or disruptive ideas or concepts. There should be a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact.

Projects should aim to develop new products, processes or services (or innovative use of existing ones) believed to be significantly ahead of anything similar in the field.

Your proposal can come from any technology and any part of the economy. Projects must focus on commercialisation, growth or scale up. Priority is given to proposals likely to lead to growth, gains in productivity and/or access to new overseas markets through export.

Registration closes midday on Wednesday 14th November.

There are briefing events where you can find out more information on these innovation loans. The closest to Buckinghamshire are the ones in Oxford on October 15th and London on October 19th.

Find more details of the funding available, eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Please note: these innovation loans are a distinct funding opportunity from the £20m investment in cutting-edge or disruptive ideas.

Funding to enable pubs to offer local services

More than 30 rural communities are set to benefit from new or expanded village services thanks to a £70,000 government investment in the ‘Pub is The Hub’ service.

The aim is to support local pubs to add to their food and drink offering by also offering services that will benefit the local community and bring people together.

The new funding is expected to deliver 36 projects which will help revamp local pubs with services ranging from village shops, libraries and allotments, to post offices, community cafes and cinemas.

Find out how your local pub could support the local community with vital and helpful services.

Aviva Community Fund 2018 opens for entries

The Aviva Community Fund is an annual funding competition that offers grants to not-for-profit groups in the UK for projects that make a real difference in their local community.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations or groups working for the good of their community, which have been in existence for at least six months and have an income of £1 million or less.

To be eligible, projects must make a positive difference to people’s lives and address at least one of the following categories set out for 2018:

• Projects helping people take control of their physical and mental health
• Projects to help communities and individuals improve their lives by learning useful new skills, particularly in financial literacy and digital
• Community projects trying to improve their natural surroundings and make a positive change to the local area

The Community Fund operates like a competition, and all projects will be put forward to a public vote.

Grants of up to £25,000 are available, with plenty of smaller grants also on offer.

The deadline for entries is midday on Tuesday 9th October.

Find out more about the Aviva Community Fund and how to apply.

Search for more funding opportunities

Visit our ‘Funding and Finance’ section for more opportunities.