Notice

Research Ventures Catalyst: question and answer (Q&A) document (updated 17 August 2023)

Updated 9 February 2024

1. Applicant Information (Q&A) session (added 17 August 2023)

Please see the recording of the Research Ventures Catalyst applicant information event, held on 13 August 2023.

Research Ventures Catalyst Applicant Q&A Session (13 August 2023).

2. Will there be another applicant information (Q&A) event? (added 17 August 2023)

A second applicant information event will be held on 13 September 2023.

Further details on the applicant event and invitations will be shared with those who registered their interest in the scheme. If you have not registered your interest, but would like to attend, please register before 12 September 2023 at the latest. We will make recordings of these sessions available on the gov.uk page for those that cannot attend.

3. How do I apply to the programme?

To successfully apply to the Research Ventures Catalyst (RVC) programme you must submit your stage 1 proposal via this Microsoft Form by October 23, 2023, 23:59.

We recommend all applicants read the RVC stage 1 application guidance before submitting their proposal. You should ensure all parts of the application form are completed and answer the assessment criteria questions set out in the guidance.

4. Where can I find further information on the RVC eligibility and assessment criteria?

The stage 1 application guide sets out the programme’s eligibility criteria, as well as the assessment and scoring criteria.

5. How much public funding is available per project over the lifetime of the programme?

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is initially inviting proposals and bids for up to £100,000 of ‘seed corn’ funding, which is available to support successful applicants in developing final technical plans for their new research ventures. Not every application that receives seed corn funding will receive full funding.

For stage 2 of the programme, DSIT will make available public funding of up to £25 million for each successful research venture, alongside additional co-investment from other investors. This is a maximum government contribution, and we expect proposals will vary in the size of funding they require.

6. Will DSIT support applicants in forming consortia?

The department may share promising proposals with our co-investor network, if applicants consent to this on the application form.

We do not however have plans to help applicants build research teams, but we do not expect applicants to come with a fully established team at stage 1. If your bid for seed corn funding succeeds, as part of stage 2 (building full technical plans), you may seek to expand your team or partner with other organisations for their expertise and facilities.

7. Are all research areas eligible for this programme?

We are interested in hearing from researchers who work in all disciplines and produce reliable knowledge and insights about the natural world, ourselves, and our society.

8. Are all regions of the United Kingdom eligible for this scheme?

Yes, this programme is open to applicants in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

9. My organisation is interested in acting as a co-investor. How should I proceed?

Please contact us via this form setting out your organisation and the research area or proposals you are interested in co-investing in. Alternatively, if you have further questions regarding the programme and the role of co-investors, please contact us at researchventures@dsit.gov.uk.

10. How do I register interest in the applicant events?

Further details on the applicant events and invitations will be shared with those who registered their interest in the scheme. If you have not registered your interest, but would like to attend, please register before 12 September 2023 at the latest. We will make recordings of these sessions available on the gov.uk page for those that cannot attend.

11. Is a late application or an extension to the competition window possible?

There is no possibility of extending, or making an application, beyond the current competition window.

12. If I am unsuccessful at stage 1, can I apply to stage 2?

No, only those successful at stage 1 of the RVC will be eligible to apply for further public funding at stage 2.

13. Will you run further funding rounds of this programme?

The RVC is a pilot scheme, and we will consider further funding rounds dependent on the success and appetite for this wave. However, there are no plans at present for additional rounds.

14. Can I move straight to stage 2? / I do not need ‘seed corn’ funding for my proposal – do I have to take it?

All applicants must be successful in stage 1 of the programme before moving on to stage 2.

If you do not require any seed corn funding to build a full technical plan, we recommend that you explain why in Section D: Other supporting questions for your proposal, Question 2: Financial case, of your proposal.

15. What does success look like for a research venture?

At a programme level, success for the Research Ventures Catalyst programme is about piloting innovative organisational approaches to performing research and stimulating public-private partnerships across the UK R&D landscape.

For individual research ventures, success at stage 1 will be determined by how effectively applicants meet the assessment and scoring criteria set out in the application guide.

For successful research ventures which receive full funding, success will be determined by the ‘defined outcome’ applicants set in their full technical plans at stage 2.

16. How will this programme support UK academic researchers?

This opportunity is open to applicants hosted at research organisation or a small or medium size enterprise (SME).

The programme provides a unique opportunity for researchers to put forward ideas to pilot new collaborative approaches for performing science in the UK that are not currently captured elsewhere in the UK science landscape.

The Research Ventures Catalyst seeks to support the UK Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) landscape by fostering collaboration between academia, charities, philanthropic organisations and industry.

17. How will this programme support UK businesses?

This opportunity is open to applicants hosted at research organisation or a small or medium size enterprise (SME).

This programme seeks to support the UK RDI landscape by fostering collaboration between academia, charities, philanthropic organisations and industry.

Government is providing up to £50 million public investment in this programme to stimulate deeper co-investment partnerships around a research agenda.

This is in line with Sir Paul Nurse’s recommendation in the Landscape Review that government should provide support to create a favourable environment for business to invest in RDI.

18. Does this funding count towards the state aid limit? (added 3 August 2023)

Yes. Applicants should use the Feasibility Studies category under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route to assess the level of funding they are eligible for.

19. Does a UK based organisation proposing a project already need to exist, or can an individual who is qualified to work in the UK propose the creation of such an organisation as part of their proposal? (added 3 August 2023)

To lead an application, applicants must be hosted at an existing UK research organisation, or a small or medium enterprise. However your research venture may propose the creation of a new organisation which would sit outside of one of these existing organisations.

20. Does an individual need to already have approval to work in the UK, or would it be sufficient if they had a clear pathway to work in the UK if the proposal were to be accepted, such as via the Global Talent visa route or the High Potential Individual visa? (added 3 August 2023)

To receive stage 1 funding the lead applicant must be eligible to work in the UK. If at the point of applying you do not have the necessary visa you may still apply, however you will not be able to receive funding for this open call until you have the necessary visa.

Applicants must also be hosted at a UK research organisation or a small or medium size enterprise (SME).

21. Could the lead organisation be a wholly owned UK-based subsidiary of a foreign company? The subsidiary would conduct its research operations in the UK, employing talent locally and working with local research institutions, and would intend to exploit its results in and from the UK. (added 3 August 2023)

Yes. A UK subsidary of a foreign company could lead an application providing the subsidary is UK based, conducts its research in the UK and intends to exploit its results in or from the UK. The organisation must also meet the definition of an SME.

22. Will funding be distributed as a reimbursement or can funding be paid directly to fund agreed costs outlined in applicants’ proposals? (added 3 August 2023)

You are required to provide details of what you require seed corn funding for in your application. Providing the assessors agree the nature and volume of spend is proportionate to your plans, this will be distributed quarterly in arrears.

23. Does the recipient organisation for Stage 1 funding need to be the same as the recipient organisation for Stage 2 funding? (added 17 August 2023)

To lead a project in stage 1, applicants must be hosted at an already-established research organisation or a small or medium size enterprise (SME). However, your proposal may include the creation of a new organisation outside of this existing structure to deliver your research venture using a new organisational model. Full details of the eligibility criteria for Research Ventures Catalyst can be found in the application guidance on gov.uk.

24. Are Catapult organisations eligible for this programme? (added 17 August 2023)

Seed corn funding will be dispersed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on behalf of DSIT.  We therefore ask that applicants requesting funding, including catapults, are eligible for UKRI funding, either via the Research Councils or Innovate UK funding, or be prepared to undertake all required checks to receive funding.

If this condition and those outlined in the applicant guide are met, your organisation will be eligible for this programme.

25. Does the funding cover individual ventures, or can it also be used to fund providers of research development and commercialisation programmes to aid additional ventures to expand their impact? (added 17 August 2023)

Research Ventures Catalyst is seeking to fund individual ventures, establishing new organisational models to tackle a research challenge across any discipline. Funding cannot be used to deliver widespread programmes or further ventures.

26. Will seed corn funding allow for the addition of enabling equipment and kit in existing buildings if not available elsewhere? (added 17 August 2023)

The application guidance details costs you can request seed corn funding for. Seed corn funding is to be used to develop your full technical plans. You may not request seed corn funding to cover the costs of equipment, or buildings and other types of infrastructures. For successful ventures which go on to receive substantive funding following stage 2, this funding may be used to procure technical equipment, however we would encourage applicants to form partnerships where possible to utilise existing technical facilities across the UK.

27. When does co-investment need to be secured? (added 17 August 2023)

Applications that are successful in proceeding to stage 2 will be required to secure co-investment that at least matches any government funding before they are eligible to receive full funding. DSIT will support applicants in sourcing this co-investment if you confirm you are content with us sharing your proposal with potential co-investors on your application form. Applicants are not required to seek co-investment before they submit their initial proposal, however you may wish to detail any interested investors or any co-investment you have already secured in Section D, Question 3 of the application form (additional information).

28. What counts as co-investment - partners giving time/facilities or cash only? (added 17 August 2023)

Co-investment should be in-cash contributions which at least matches the level of government investment. For example, to be successful in your bid for £8 million of government funding, you must secure an additional £8 million from other sources such as, but not limited to, philanthropy, businesses or the third sector.

29. What is the aim of the “new organisational model”? (added 17 August 2023)

The Research Ventures Catalyst programme is open for initial proposals to establish new organisational models to tackle a research challenge across any discipline. Some research efforts can be hindered by the incentive structures of typical research performing organisations like universities, businesses, or public bodies; whether that be because researchers work in disciplinary silos, or chase publications or profit over significant but distant research breakthroughs. The RVC aims to seed, and ultimately back with multi-million-multi-year funding, new ways of performing research.

We expect ventures to be set up as new legal entities. We this offers ventures an opportunity to tackle a problem in a truly innovative way, rather than adopting existing approaches within an established organisation. We also want new organisations to have the agency to collaborate across sectors and disciplines, and with investors, to leverage the full potential of this opportunity. Therefore, these new organisational structures will be set up with the goal of increasing knowledge, generating innovative solutions to complex problems, and increasing investment into UK R&D.

However, we recognise that some research ventures may be better hosted in an existing organisation such as a university, research institute, or business. If you feel this is the case for your venture, please justify this when describing the organisational model in your proposal.

Regardless of the approach taken, there must be a clear explanation for why a new organisational model is needed to meet the research aims. The operational model proposed forms 50% of the overall assessment criteria for applications which make it through to the full sift. In this, assessors will be evaluating how your proposal is innovative and additive to the UK’s research, development and innovation landscape, and why existing organisations cannot meet the proposal’s aims and objectives. This may be because the outcomes would be realised over a longer time horizon than is usual or because the research requires experts from a range of disciplines and sectors to view a problem through a new lens.

30. Does the research venture have to be based upon a new discrete and otherwise undeveloped business proposition or can it be developed from an existing venture? (added 17 August 2023)

Your research venture may build on existing or ongoing work. However, you will need to make clear what additional research or challenge could be addressed through the Research Ventures Catalyst programme which would otherwise not be possible.

Ventures must have a defined timeline (max 8 years) associated with the public spend, with a clear and defined goal and/or output at the end of that period. This defined goal does not necessarily determine the end of any future work on the venture, but there should be no expectation of further funding from government beyond the defined timeline. Examples of suitable defined goals include proving an initial organisational concept which could then be scaled up into a larger research institution, advancing an understanding in a particular field, or developing research to a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) such that it is ready to be spun out into a private company.

31. Are the ventures able to work with international partners? (added 17 August 2023)

Non-UK institutions cannot lead an application however they can partner on a proposal. Further guidance on working with international partners can be found on UKRI’s website Trusted research and innovation.

The advice on UKRI’s Trusted Research website has been produced in consultation with the research and university community and is designed to help the UK’s world-leading research and innovation sector get the most out of international scientific collaboration whilst protecting intellectual property, sensitive research and personal information.

32. What is the difference between the RVC and ARIA Build? (added 17 August 2023)

The Research Ventures Catalyst is a DSIT programme separate to ARIA Build and is about piloting new collaborative approaches to bring together scientists and experts from different scientific disciplines or with complementary forms of technical expertise to tackle a complex problem in a new way. A core objective, that is specific to the RVC programme, is to create and stimulate deeper co-investment partnerships around a research agenda presents an exciting opportunity for innovators and government to come together with private investors to transform the way we do research.

We are working with ARIA to ensure these two programmes operate effectively alongside each other.

33. Is there a time limit on spending the seed corn funding? (added 17 August 2023)

We expect successful stage 1 applicants will have 6 months to develop their full technical plans and that they will therefore spend their seed corn grant in this time.

We intend to distribute funding in early 2024 which will be the start of stage 2, and the development of full technical plans.

34. Are organisations able to put forward multiple proposals? (added 17 August 2023)

Yes, but each proposal will require a different lead applicant and research question/area.

35. What are the terms for the intellectual property the organisations produce? (added 17 August 2023)

We expect successful applicants at stage 1 to outline their plan for the intellectual property (IP) produced as part of their stage 2 technical plans.

There are no set terms for IP at stage 1 and we intend to take a tailored approach in stage 2 by working with the lead applicants to agree the conditions regarding any IP developed.

36. What Technology Readiness Level (TRL) are your expecting the organisations to operate at? (added 17 August 2023)

We ask that organisations are set up to focus on research and development activities between Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-6. We are not looking to fund truly exploratory science but neither do we want to fund technologies that are deployable and very close to commercialisation.

Further questions

If you have questions that have not been answered in this (Q&A) document or the application guide, or you would like to register your interest in the RVC programme, please contact us here.