Apply for ATI programme funding
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme co-funds civil aerospace research and technology development in the UK. You must read this guidance before you apply.
Overview of ATI programme funding
The ATI programme offers funding for research and technology development, aligned to the UK aerospace technology strategy, to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace. Sustainability is also a core element of the UK aerospace technology strategy.
Funding will be awarded from the ATI programme’s 10-year research and development (R&D) budget; extended to 2035, with up to £2.3 billion available.
There are 3 ATI programme competition streams detailed on the ATI website. These are the:
Each is a 2-stage competition designed to support and encourage industrial investment into the UK aerospace sector and its supply chain, through the funding of innovative and high impact projects. The ATI programme will fund industrial research projects as defined in Innovate UK’s guidance on categories of research.
The roles of the 3 partner organisations
The ATI programme is coordinated and managed by:
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
- Innovate UK (IUK)
- Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)
All 3 organisations work in partnership. Together they deliver a portfolio of projects to meet the objectives and priorities of the UK aerospace technology strategy detailed on the ATI website.
DBT is accountable for the programme budget and decides which projects will be funded with government resources. DBT carries out a value for money and policy assessment on each eligible application.
IUK is the funding and contracting authority for the programme. The IUK:
- provides independent assessment and assessment of application submissions
- monitors live projects
- manages the distribution of grant funding
ATI creates the technology strategy for the UK aerospace sector, and reviews applications for strategic and technology alignment.
ATI programme application assessment overview
All 3 streams involve a 2-stage competition:
- stage 1: outline stage
- stage 2: full stage application
As the budget holder, DBT is the decision maker for each competition stage. This means DBT decides which projects pass the outline stage and are then invited to full stage application, and which projects are funded following the full-stage application assessment.
The outline stage opens 3 times per calendar year and is assessed by the ATI only. There is no funding in stage 1 (outline stage). All funding is awarded in stage 2 (full stage application).
Only successful applicants from the outline proposal will be invited to apply for full-stage application, which are assessed separately by IUK, the ATI, and DBT.
If your full-stage application is successful, your application will progress to final approval through DBT ministers. Contracts are issued by IUK.
Stage 1 application process
Outline stage applications are made through the ATI website. You should read the information on ATI’s website for the 3 programme streams before starting your application process:
The information includes:
- eligibility requirements
- programme scope
- assessment criteria
- restrictions and finances
- how to prepare your application
- details of competition dates
- support available from ATI
- guidance on preparing strong applications
- how to submit your application
Stage 2 application process
Successful outline stage applicants are invited to submit full stage applications through IUK’s online system.
How to apply to a competition via the Innovation Funding Service (IFS)
The Innovation Funding Service (IFS) is an online application process. You must create an account in the service to start an application, or sign into your existing account.
Applications are separated into sections, which all need to be completed to submit your application. You cannot submit an application unless you have correctly completed each section.
Once you submit your application, the process cannot be reversed.
Collaborating in the IFS
Many Innovate UK competitions require organisations to work with others on collaborative research and development projects.
The collaboration rules are stated in the eligibility section of the guidance for each funding opportunity. This section outlines the different roles of organisations who intend to work collaboratively in completing an application and setting up a project on the service.
Lead applicants
The lead applicant represents the lead organisation for the application. As the lead applicant you will be responsible for:
-
starting an application
-
adding people from your organisation to the application and removing them
-
adding partner organisations you wish to collaborate with, where applicable, and removing them
-
assigning questions to project partners
-
answering questions relevant to you
-
submitting the application before the deadline
-
accepting the terms and conditions on behalf of your organisation
-
uploading permitted appendices
You should only add people who are directly involved in the project. If your project wants to change who is leading the application, the new person will need to start a new application and the proposal would have to be restarted as an outline stage proposal.
Partner organisations
Partner organisations are invited to join an application by the lead applicant. They will receive an email invitation from the IFS and will need to accept the invitation and create an account, or sign into an existing account.
As a partner you are responsible for:
-
completing project costs and finance details for your organisation
-
inviting other people from your organisation to help with the application
-
answering questions assigned to you by the lead applicant
-
accepting the terms and conditions for your organisation
Partners can see:
-
all application questions and answers
-
their own organisation’s finance details
-
the application finance summary
Neither the lead applicant nor partners can view the financial details of any of the other organisations involved in the application. They can only view their own.
Partners are not able to:
-
start an application
-
invite people from other organisations
-
assign questions
-
submit the application
The ATI Programme will share information with other authorised parties listed on the IUK website in order to deliver our public tasks and functions. This includes our close network of affinity partners, including other government departments, with an interest in research or dual use technology. Further information beyond the delivery of our public tasks and functions will be subject to prior agreement with the applicant.
Subsidy control (and state aid where applicable)
This competition provides funding in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).
IUK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.
EU state aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. Read the general guidance on IUK’s website to check if these rules apply to your organisation.
If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the state aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. The ATI programme partner organisations are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.
You must always make sure that the funding awarded to you is compliant with all current subsidy control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.
This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or actually distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.
If there are any changes to the above requirements that mean the ATI programme partners organisations need to change the terms of this competition, we will tell you as soon as possible.
Completing your application on the IFS
If you are invited to apply to the full stage competition, IUK will send you an email with a link to the IFS online application platform.
Detailed guidance is provided for each question. It is important to read this and ensure you stick to the word limit and appendix guidance.
Individual sections can be allocated to partner organisations or individuals for completion where required by the lead applicant.
The application is split into 3 sections:
-
Project details.
-
Application questions.
-
Finances.
‘Project details’ includes:
-
application team
-
application details
-
equality, diversity, and inclusion
-
research category
-
project summary
-
public description
-
scope
’Application questions’ includes:
-
business opportunity
-
market
-
results (including exploitation plan)
-
benefits (including a ‘value for money spreadsheet’ to be assessed by DBT)
-
technical approach
-
innovation
-
risks
-
team and facilities
-
costs
-
added value to the UK
-
project partners location (not scored)
-
value for money questions (to be assessed by DBT)
‘Finances’ includes:
-
your finances
-
finances overview
You can submit additional information, including graphical information or diagrams, in the relevant IFS section as an appendix. Read the IFS question guidance for the eligible page limit. Pages exceeding this limit will not be assessed.
Help completing your full stage application from each ATI programme partner organisation
For help from the ATI or DBT email: competitions@ati.org.uk.
ATI
You can:
-
discuss your project ideas
-
get guidance on the application and process
DBT
You can:
-
clarify what information you need to provide
-
request feedback on draft value for money returns
DBT will prioritise requests for feedback based on the date received by them. Applicants are therefore advised to contact DBT as early as possible, and not later than 2 weeks before competition close.
DBT cannot guarantee that it will respond to all requests for feedback.
At no point will DBT give a preliminary indication of project assessment against assessment criteria.
IUK
For IUK help on the full stage online application, refer to the IUK website: ATI Programme Strategic Batches: application guidance – UKRI.
Full stage application assessment
Applications are assessed by the 3 partner organisations in parallel.
These assessments are reviewed by the Programme Investment Board (PIB). The PIB typically meets 3 times per calendar year to review applications.
DBT full stage application assessment
DBT carries out a value for money and policy assessment on each eligible application.
The value for money assessment considers whether ATI programme funding is necessary for the success of your project, that is, why private funding from a range of sources is not sufficient to make the project a success in the UK.
You must demonstrate why this is the case for your project by providing clear evidence of either financial constraints or alternative pathways for your project overseas.
It also looks at whether the benefits of the project, including benefits from job creation, safeguarding and ‘spillover’ benefits from the investment in R&D activity, are enough to justify the cost to the taxpayer. The value for money assessment is based on the answers to the questions in the application form and the MS Excel pro-forma (value for money workbook) that you must complete.
The value for money workbook should be downloaded from the relevant question in the application form. You must complete the form in full and upload as part of your application.
The ‘value for money questions’ are assessed by DBT as part of the overall value for money assessment. These questions are there to give applicants enough space to explain the method and calculations behind the data provided on the grant requested and expected job impacts and further private investment.
Failure to submit a value for money return will make your application ineligible. Detailed guidance on how to complete each section is provided in the value for money template. It is important to read this and ensure you provide as much information as possible.
Following submission, you may be contacted by DBT who will ask you to clarify or submit additional information if an error or omission appears to have been made. This is to ensure a thorough and fair assessment.
The policy assessment is based on all the information submitted as part of your application and assesses the proposals fit with wider policy priorities.
IUK independent assessment
The IUK assessment is based on the answers to the questions in the application form and all the attached appendices.
Applications are assessed by up to 5 independent assessors. The assessors can be from both business and academia. All applications in a competition are assessed against the same set of scoring criteria. Assessors will provide written feedback for each scored question in the application. All applications are assessed on individual merit.
You will receive feedback on IFS for each scored question.
Your answers to ‘value for money questions’ is not scored by IUK independent assessors but may be used as supporting evidence.
IUK reserve the right to invite applicants to interview without providing any reasons. Refer to the competition brief for further information on interview.
ATI full stage assessment
The ATI will conduct an assessment of your full stage application based upon:
-
its alignment to the UK aerospace technology strategy
-
fit with existing activity
-
the capability of project partners
The ATI assessment is based on the answers to the questions in the application form and all the attached appendices.
The assessment will consider the following criteria.
Market value
This includes the:
-
strength and validity of the business need and market opportunity
-
extent to which the delivery of this project provides UK competitive advantage.
Market risk
This includes the level of:
-
market risk involved in delivering the stated economic value
-
commitment to the exploitation within the UK
Technology value
This includes:
-
alignment with the UK aerospace technology strategy
-
the credibility and viability of the approach
-
an assessment of the potential to deliver innovation
Technology risk
This includes the:
-
match of technical capabilities and skills of the consortium
-
strength of the management structures and procedures, including project, technical, risk and innovation management
Programme Investment Board (PIB)
Each ATI programme partner brings recommendations for funding to the PIB based on their respective assessments of the full stage applications.
An application must receive a positive recommendation from all 3 assessments to be considered for funding. DBT is responsible for making the final decision as to which applications will receive funding. Applications selected for funding are sent to DBT ministers for their final approval.
There are 2 possible outcomes:
-
The application is recommended to proceed to the next stage of project pre-contracting checks. This might be subject to meeting further conditions, including affordability.
-
The application is not recommended to proceed to the next stage of project pre-contracting checks.
Feedback on full stage application
You will receive an email notification from DBT following the PIB meeting. This email includes feedback from DBT, the ATI and the IUK independent assessment.
If your project is recommended for funding, the email from DBT will also include any additional conditions which need to be met. You may also be asked to arrange a meeting with DBT and the ATI to discuss the benefits the project will deliver to the UK. Following this you will be asked to submit a letter to DBT confirming the benefits. This will need to be agreed with DBT before the Grant Offer Letter (GOL) is issued.
If you are unsuccessful at this stage, you will be invited to set up a meeting with the programme partners to discuss your feedback.
More detailed feedback on your full stage application is available upon request from each organisation (DBT, ATI and IUK) and relates to their individual assessment.
The detailed IUK independent assessor feedback for your written application is accessible from the Innovation Funding Service dashboard.
The feedback from the IUK independent assessors on your written application is not available to the ATI or DBT. If you wish to discuss it with these organisations, you will need to share it in advance of your meeting.
What you must do prior to contract
Sign into your IFS dashboard which will provide full details under ‘Set up your project’. Complete the ‘Project details’ and ‘Project team’ sections within 30 days.
The offer of funding is conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of a finance and pre-contract check by IUK, project document approval by your IUK assigned Monitoring Officer (MO) and ministerial approval.
Finance checks will start once written approval has been received by IUK from DBT that ministerial approval has been received.
From this point you have 90 days to complete the rest of the project set up steps.
IUK will pose all queries to you via your IFS dashboard which will notify the appropriate finance or project contact by email. Please ensure these are addressed by yourself and any collaborators in a timely manner. Once all queries are resolved the lead will be able to upload a spend profile which should be in project quarters and reflect agreed eligible costs per quarter.
To allow your project to start promptly, please ensure that your exploitation plan, collaboration agreement and second level plan are submitted via your dashboard as early as possible. You must also ensure all partners have signed the ATI Framework Agreement and you have submitted a value for money letter to DBT, if required.
Upon satisfactory completion of all the above, IUK will issue your Grant Offer Letter (GOL) which must be signed by each partner, uploaded to IFS, and approved before your project is able to start.
Project pre-contract checks process
Before your project can begin IUK will need additional details and documents from you. Submitting documents in a timely fashion will speed up the pre-contract checks and contracting process.
Pre-contracting documents checklist
The ATI Programme recommends you start to consider the collaboration agreement early in the process to allow sufficient time to agree it with your project partners.
Please refer to the quick checklist below to see what you will need to complete before contracting. These documents can be submitted to the appropriate party before finance checks begin:
-
collaboration agreement to IUK via the IFS dashboard
-
exploitation plan to IUK via the IFS dashboard on the IUK website (download template from supporting documents)
-
second level plan to IUK via the IFS dashboard (download template from supporting documents)
- ATI Framework Agreement to the ATI
- value for money letter to DBT, if required
Publicising your project
Your notification email from DBT provides the ATI programme communication guidance on when you can publicise ATI programme funding of your project.
Publicising projects is not permitted before the GOL is signed and returned unless agreed with DBT.
The lead partner is responsible for ensuring that all members of the consortium and their press offices comply with this restriction.
IUK frequently publicises the results of competitions and applications on their website soon after a project is contracted. The public description you provided of your project will be used for publicity purposes without further consultation with you, and by accepting this funding, you agree to these terms.
Monitoring of your project
IUK in-project monitoring
You will be assigned a monitoring service provider who will work with you throughout the project. They will help to make sure your project complies with the terms and conditions of the competition. They are not responsible for project management. The outputs of quarterly monitoring reports may be shared with DBT and ATI.
Costs are only eligible if they are incurred and paid between the project start and end dates. Claims may be subject to an independent audit. You must submit an independent accountant’s report (IAR) with your final claim. All participants must provide evidence to support each claim made.
Post project monitoring
At project close out all participants in a project are required by IUK to complete the ATI Programme close out form. The completed form will be shared with DBT. In addition, there may be periodic reviews and requests to participate in case studies.
DBT operates a post-project monitoring framework to gather important evidence on how the programme is delivering on its objectives. Following project close out and for up to 10 years, DBT will likely make periodic requests for data linked to project exploitation plans and the information provided through the value for money assessment.
ATI may participate in project close out reviews to assess strategic impact. The ATI will also require case studies to be prepared for completed projects.
Contact us
A variety of help is available to competition applicants.
Innovate UK
Contact IUK for queries relating to eligibility criteria or the Innovation Funding Service.
Email support@iuk.ukri.org
Telephone 0300 321 4357
Calls are free from landlines and most mobile numbers. Find out more about call charges and freephone numbers.
Aerospace Technology (ATI)
Contact ATI for queries relating to:
-
the value for money and policy assessment
-
requesting a meeting with DBT
-
the strategic and technology suitability of your application
Email competitions@ati.org.uk
Make a complaint
If you have a complaint about an ATI programme, send us your complaint or comments to: