Digital Business Briefing March 2015

Digital Business Briefing
A digest of useful information for UK digital businesses
seeking funding and support, updated monthly
March 2015
@KTN_Creative

Brought to you by the following
organisations:

Contents
• Live public funding calls
• Other public funding
• Private financing
• Other financing mechanisms
• Non-financial support for your business
• Relevant events
• Other information
• Useful reports

Public funding calls
Key feature: Innovation voucher scheme funding for start-up, micro, small
and medium-sized enterprises to work with an external expert to gain the
knowledge to innovate and grow.
Scale:
• Up to £5k voucher for SMEs
Closes: 22nd April 2015
More info on: innovateuk.org
Innovation Vouchers

Key feature: IC tomorrow is offering 5 businesses up to £35,000 each to
encourage innovation around financial technologies across the themes of
education, cyber security, transactions, personal finance management,
compliance and regulation.
Scale:
• 5 x £35k
Closes: 14th April 2015
Financial Technologies

Key feature: Innovate UK and the FutureRailway programme are to invest
up to £6 million to support business innovation in digital technologies that
improve the customer experience in UK and international rail markets.
Scale:
• Up to £6 million
Opens: 9th March 2015 Closes: 22nd April 2015
Enhancing customer experience in rail travel

Key feature: Investment of up to £4 million to support new ways of
enhancing user experience in retail.
News Story
Scale:
Opens: 16th March 2015 Closes: 29th April 2015
Enhancing User Experience in Retail

Key feature: Investment of up to £2 million to support feasibility studies
looking at innovative ways to improve the user experience in the digital
economy.
Scale:
Opens: 16th March 2015 Closes: 29th April 2015
Enhancing User Experience Using Personal Data

Wearable Technologies Innovation Contest
Key feature: The IC tomorrow Wearable Technologies Innovation contest
is aimed at encouraging innovation in wearable technology across the
themes of hospitality, accessibility, entertainment, design, sport and
wellbeing, health and safety.
Scale:
• 6 x projects up to £35K each
• 100% funded as a procurement
Closes 10th March 2015
More info on: innovate UK

Childcare Provision for Parents
Key feature: Department of Education is seeking the development of
a new, engaging and innovative online solution which provides
accurate information about childcare provision for parents.
Scale:
• Up to £200k
• Will fund 100% as a procurement
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 25th March 2015

Innovation in Retail Speed Networking
Key feature: The event will offer chosen companies a series of one-
to-one sessions with major retail brands including Argos, Snow &
Rock and Liberty of London. The speed networking format has been
designed to help connect start-ups and SMEs with larger commercial
partners to fuel understanding and enable partnerships.
Scale:
• Opportunity to present to big brands
• 15 places available
Closes: registration closes Monday 16th March 2015

Protecting data in industry
Key feature:collaborative research and development (R&D) projects
that tackle the growing risks of disruption to internet-enabled
businesses and their digital supply chains.
Scale:
• Normally up to £750k
• Will fund up to 60%
Opens: 23rd March 2015 Closes: 29th April 2015

Next Generation Predictive Policing
Key feature: Identify and develop innovative solutions that maximise
the effectiveness of resources and enhance the service provided to
the communities of Southern Wales.
Scale:
• £250k – procurement contract
• Will fund 100%
Closes: 6th March 2015

Better interactions between people and machines –
Feasibility studies
Key feature: The aim is to encourage new and improved ways for
machines, their computing systems and people to interact.
Scale:
• Up to £500k
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 25th March 2015

Solving urban challenges with data – Feasibility study
Key feature: Investment for feasibility studies projects for innovative,
commercial solutions to increase the resilience, quality of life or economic
performance of urban areas by integrating environmental, social and/or
economic data with data from other sources.
Scale:
• Up to £2.5m
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 11th March 2015; deadline for
applications Wednesday 18th March 2015.

Key feature:
Scale:
• For businesses who want to work with an academic organisation
• Will fund up to 70% of project costs
Closes: 15th April 2015
Better interactions between people and machines
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships designed to help
develop new ways for people to interact with machines

Key feature:
Scale:
• Up to £200k project size
Closes: on 18th March 2015
Biomedical Catalyst – Feasibility Grants
Funding to develop and test solutions to healthcare
challenges – diagnostics, devices and data

Key feature:
Scale:
• Up to £300k project size
Closes: on 8th April 2015
India-UK Collaborative Industrial R&D Programme
Research partnerships and increase bilateral R&D
collaboration with the aim of generating new intellectual
property and developing technology prototypes/processes.

Public funding calls -
Creative Production
Horizon 2020 ICT-19-2015
Key feature: R&D funding of new or emerging technologies (e.g. 3D and
augmented reality technologies) for digital content creation to support the
creative and media industries and for unlocking complex information and
media and interacting with them.
Scale: €561,000,000
Opens:15th October 2014 Closes: 14th April 2015
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for
Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

Public funding calls –
Learning Technology
Key feature: This challenge encourages public procurement of innovative
solutions to address the needs of the digital learning ecosystem in making
better use of educational cloud solutions, mobile technology, learning
analytics and big data, and to facilitate the use, re-use and creation of
learning material and new ways to educate and learn online.
Scale: €561,000,000
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for
Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

Public funding calls –
Internet of Things
Key feature: The evolution of the Internet of Things embedded in
Smart Environments and Platforms forming a web of "everythings"
has been identified as one of the next big concepts to support societal
changes and economic growth at an annual rate estimated at 20%.
Scale: €561,000,000
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points
for Horizon 2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks

Live funding calls
"Smart" grants for start-ups and small businesses
Key feature: A grant scheme which offers funding to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the
strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology.
Scale:
• Proof of market - up to £25k - 60% of project cost
• Proof of concept - up to £100k - 60% of project cost
• Prototype development - up to £250k - up to 45% of project cost
Closes: 26th March 2015

Other public funding
Key features: Online guide to over 4,000 grants, contracts and other
forms of finance:
• Fully searchable based on finance type, scale and your
geographical location
• Constantly updated – especially good for businesses seeking
charitable or grant funding
More info on: Funding Central and Finance Finder
Funding Central and Finance Finder websites

Public Investment
Nesta Impact Investment Fund
Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with
innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most
pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle:
• the health and wellbeing of an ageing population
• the educational attainment and employability of children and young people
• the social and environmental sustainability of communities.
Scale: between £150k - £1m
Closes: on-going
More info on: Nesta Investments

Private financing
Connect Ventures, London – invest in mobile, internet and digital media
businesses; invest at the early stage and focus on seed investments;
investment size ranges from £200K-£600k
Edge Investments, London - specialist investment house focused on the
creative industries sector, in particular media and entertainment, which has
raised more than £145m since launch
Growth Accelerator, Cornwall – provided by some of the UK’s leading
growth specialists; works with businesses from a diverse range of sectors;
key eligibility criteria include fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover
under £40m
Index Ventures, London, San Francisco & Geneva – venture capital firm
making investments in information technology and life sciences companies,
since 1996 they have teamed up with technology entrepreneurs in more
than 30 countries

Private financing
Ingenious Media, London – a UK media investment and advisory group with
operating divisions of Investments, Ventures, Asset Management and
Corporate Finance; since 1998 they have raised and invested over £9bn in
the media and entertainment, clean energy and real estate sectors
Notion Capital, London – invest in B2B Cloud & SaaS companies who have
sustained 100% Year-over-Year growth; investment areas include adtech,
communications and collaboration tools, ecommerce, enterprise software,
fintech and security; portfolio raised over £200m in 2014
Silicon Valley Bank, global bank dedicated to the innovation sector with
focus on technology businesses; have supported clients such as Shazam,
The Foundry and Cambridge Broadband Networks
The Business Finance Guide, expertise from over a million members in
businesses, finance providers and advisory firms and organisations

Other financing mechanisms
Crowdfunder.co.uk – UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched
1000’s of projects and raised over £2m, platform launched by KEO digital
and partners include Nesta and Plymouth University
Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend money
directly to SMEs; the first site to use peer-to-peer lending for business
funding in the UK; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has facilitated £223
in loans to SMEs
Crowd2Fund – a crowdfunding platform designed to enable a range of
funding options, from loans to equity
Seedcamp is a London based accelerator that provides startups with seed
money, mentorship, office space, support over a year long programme.

Crowdfunding Accelerator
Master crowdfunding with Impact Hub Westminster’s free Raise Impact
Crowdfunding Accelerator Programme this Spring. Receive expert support
to help you understand how to prepare for and refine your crowdfunding
offer, how to execute your campaign, and what life after crowdfunding looks
like. Learn essential skills including PR and marketing; campaign creation
and logistics; pitching and deal structuring. Spaces are limited. Apply now
to join!
#raiseimpact http://bit.ly/raise-impact

Launching a new digital business?
• The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps
start-ups build business models around open data
• Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for
guidance in and around London. It has just launched its Digital
Business Academy. Tech City UK can also endorse visa
applications to help recruit talent to Britain.
• Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with
leading commercial partners and investors, through funded
contests, events, and strategic matchmaking opportunities.
• Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to
creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be
available via traditional banking relationships.

Are you an existing digital business
seeking non-financial advice or support?
• Nesta runs a creative business mentor network for digital
businesses looking to grow
• The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting
• Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment
• The British Business Angels Association can help put you
in touch with relevant business angel investors
• The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business

Are you an existing digital business
seeking advice or support?
• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and
deliver business growth – GrowthAccelerator
• Use the IP Health check to identify commercial IP in your
business
• AngelList – helps source angel investors
• Interactive Scotland is a Scottish Enterprises project
providing specialist expert advice to all Digital and
Creative Businesses across Scotland

Personal Data and Trust Network
A digital business network to build and nurture a community that
brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research
organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the
global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data.
For more information and to join, visit the Digital Catapult website

Useful reports/ market research
• Tech Nation report – a comprehensive analysis of the clusters
powering the UK’s digital economy
• Digital Social Innovation –Nesta’s new report on digital social
innovation across Europe. Loads of examples.
• Innovate UK’s Digital Economy strategy – explaining key priority
areas for spending £120m over the next 4 years
• Digital trends 2015 report – via E-Consultancy

Training and skills
• Training in Open Data from the Open Data Institute
• Digital Project Management – via @IABUK
• Digital Acceleration – via @hyperisland_uk
• Digital training – via @Econsultancy – e-marketing courses
Develop your skills with these world-class courses:

Key events in March
• How to Deliver a Winning Pitch Deck – 10th March
• £7M Using Enhancing User Experience in Retail and using
Personal Data –
 London: 17th March,
 Manchester: 19th March,
 Edinburgh: 20th March
• £4M Protecting Data in Industry -
 Belfast: 25th March,
 Cardiff: 30th March,
 London: 31st March,
 Edinburgh: 1st April
• Innovation in Retail Speed Networking – 31st March
• For all events in and around London, check out Tech City News

Something else we've missed?
Please let us know: digitaleconomy@ktn-uk.org
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Digital Business Briefing March 2015

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