Investor Partnerships – ACT and Semiconductors
This competition supports growth-oriented UK SMEs developing Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT), Semiconductors, or their convergence, requiring both an independent Innovate UK grant application and a mandatory aligned private equity investment from a registered investor partner.
Draft This Application with ZenGrants
Automatically enforce competition word limits, parse official guidance briefs, and run unsparing assessor simulations for Investor Partnerships – ACT and Semiconductors.
Competition Scope & Overview
Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) and Semiconductors (including AI Hardware)
Up to £15 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
This funding opportunity is a joint call, funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) to develop Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) and Semiconductor solutions. These are both frontier technologies in the Digital & Technologies Sector Plan of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
For Semiconductor solutions, this competition also contributes to the new UK AI Hardware Plan, supporting the development of Semiconductor technologies that underpin AI. This joint call recognises each technology individually, as well as their convergence and shared criticality to the growth of the modern digital economy. Projects and solutions that consider either or both technology domains in innovative ways are within scope.
Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) are emerging and advanced technologies that enable the transmission of data via communications networks and network infrastructure in an increasingly digitised economy and society, connecting both people and things. These include technologies that make up advanced wireless systems, such as 5G and the transition to 6G, non-terrestrial networks, and advanced optical networks.
Semiconductors are highly specialised components that provide the essential functionality for electronic devices to process, store and transmit data. Most of today’s semiconductors are integrated circuits, composed of active discrete devices (transistors, diodes), passive devices (capacitors, resistors, inductors, MEMS) and the interconnections between them, integrated on a wafer of semiconductor material.
AI Hardware are the semiconductor technologies that underpin AI required to enable capability across data centre, edge and embodied AI systems. This competition is targeted at growth oriented ACT and Semiconductor start-ups from seed to Series A, with the funding element delivered through our proven Investor Partnerships model. It supports each technology individually, alongside areas of overlap where specialised semiconductors support ACT.
Investor Partnerships
Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has selected investor partners with aligned investment interests and capacity to lead investments.
These investor partners have demonstrated that they have the credibility, capability, capacity and appetite to invest in innovative, technology-led businesses in areas that align with our with our strategic priority areas.
The Investor Partnerships programme brings together:
Innovate UK’s expertise in identifying innovation and using grant funding to change the risk profile of businesses investor partners aligned funding and expertise in identifying opportunities and teams that can best use extra investment finance
The aim of this competition is to provide support for research and development and access to the capital investment you need to develop and commercialise your innovations. This may be in combination with our Business Support (Innovate UK Business Growth, Innovate UK Business Connect, Catapults and the UK Semiconductor Centre.
This competition is for SMEs that can demonstrate the potential to grow and scale and must also have a project that is aligned to the scope provided in the scope section.
This approach aims to provide you with support for research and development and access to the capital investment you need to develop and commercialise your innovations. This programme is using Innovate UK Business Connect’s B2Match platform to support innovators and investors by facilitating introductions and enabling the matchmaking required for this call. For further information on B2Match, please watch the Applicant Briefing or get in touch with Innovate UK Business Connect. When registering for the Applicant Briefing, you will be given the option to join the B2Match platform, where you can set up a profile to showcase your organisation to interested investors. In the first instance, please contact Richard.Foggie@iukbc.org.uk for ACT related enquiries and Jessica.Dobson@iukbc.org.uk for Semiconductors related enquiries. The investor partner must have submitted an expression of interest directly to Innovate UK and confirmed with you that you are in a position to apply for grant funding as you will be asked to identify them in the application. Without an EOI submitted by your named Investor Partner, your application will be viewed as ineligible.
Examples of sufficient investment traction will depend on the approach taken by the investor partner and could include:
an indicative offer from an investor partner which could include an angel investor from an investor partner angel group or network going through due diligence with an investor partner receiving a term sheet from an interested investor partner
To be successful, your project must be independently assessed by Innovate UK as fundable and receive aligned investment directly, led or catalysed by the investor partner identified in your application.
In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.
We consider a range of factors when determining whether to provide funding to applicants. This includes an assessment of prior conduct, such as any outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI. Such factors may influence the funding decision, potentially resulting in a refusal of funding or an award subject to additional scrutiny.
We also reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions. This may be in response to changes in policy funding considerations or broader government funding decisions.
This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.
Official Applicant Guidance Documents
Investor Partnerships ACT and Semiconductors Applicant Briefing.pdf
These are the official applicant briefing slides for the Innovate UK Investor Partnerships ACT and Semiconductors competition. They outline the key dates, eligibility criteria, project themes, and application guidelines required for successful submission.
Download Official DocumentInvestor Partnerships ACT and Semiconductors Assessors Guidance.pdf
This official Innovate UK assessor guidance document outlines the 18 application questions for the Investor Partnerships competition. It provides applicants with the specific scoring criteria and reviewer expectations needed to successfully target high scores.
Download Official DocumentApplication Questions & Guidance Brief
Every question below carries specific word limits and guidance criteria.
Project summary
Official Guidance
Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign the right experts to assess your application.
Public description
Official Guidance
Describe your project in detail and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This could happen before you start your project.
Scope
Official Guidance
Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope, it will not be sent for assessment. We will tell you the reason why.
Themes (not scored)
Official Guidance
Select one main theme from the specific themes list in the Specific themes section of this competition. Themes: Theme 1 – Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT), Theme 2 – Semiconductors (including AI Hardware), Theme 3 – Convergence of ACT and Semiconductors technologies for use in connectivity networks
Applicant location (not scored)
Official Guidance
You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation, any partners and subcontractors working on your project. We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all applicants.
Animal testing (not scored)
Official Guidance
Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing? You must select one option: Yes, No. We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.
Permits and licences (not scored)
Official Guidance
Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project? We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date. You must select one option: Yes, No, In the process of being applied for, Not applicable.
International collaboration (not scored)
Official Guidance
Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement? You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement. You must include a list of the names and the countries, any international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in. You must also include details of any subcontractors or service providers. If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.
Export licence (not scored)
Official Guidance
You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance. You must select one option: Yes, No.
Trusted Research and Innovation (not scored)
Official Guidance
You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles, including: a list of any dual use (both military and non-military) applications to your research; a list of the areas where your project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act; whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance and the status of any applications; a list of any items or substances on the UK Strategic Export Control List. If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.
Investor partner (not scored)
Official Guidance
Provide the name of the investor partner who you are working with. We will contact the investor partner to confirm how the grant funding will impact the proposed investment, and the current stage of completion. This forms part of the decision of whether your application is successful.
Need or challenge
Official Guidance
What is the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity behind your innovation? Explain: the main motivation for the project; the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity; whether you have identified any similar innovation and its current limitations, including those close to market or in development; any work you have already done to respond to this need, for example if the project focuses on developing an existing capability or building a new one; the wider economic, social, environmental, cultural or political challenges which are influential in creating the opportunity, such as incoming regulations.
Approach and innovation
Official Guidance
What approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be? Explain: how you will respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identified; how will you improve on the similar innovation that you have identified; whether the innovation will focus on existing technologies in new areas, the development of new technologies for existing areas or a totally disruptive approach; the freedom you have to operate; how this project fits with your current product, service lines or offerings; how it will make you more competitive; the nature of the outputs you expect from the project (for example report, demonstrator, know how, new process, product or service design) and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified. You can submit one appendix to support your answer. It can include diagrams and charts. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.
Team and resources
Official Guidance
Who is in the project team and what are their roles? Explain: the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be taking; the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them; the details of any subcontractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the project; any roles you will need to recruit for. You can submit one appendix. This can include a short summary of the main people working on the project to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.
Market awareness
Official Guidance
What does the market you are targeting look like? Explain: the target markets for the project outcomes, any other potential markets (domestic, international or both); the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by references where available; the structure and dynamics of the target markets, including customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframes; the target markets’ main supply or value chains and business models, and any barriers to entry that exist; the current UK position in targeting these markets; the size and main features of any other markets not already listed. If your project is highly innovative, where the market may be unexplored, describe or explain: what the market’s size might be; how your project will try to explore the market’s potential.
Outcomes and route to market
Official Guidance
How are you going to grow your business and increase your productivity into the long term as a result of the project? Explain: your current position in the markets and supply or value chains outlined, and whether you will be extending or establishing your market position; your target customers or end users, and the value to them, for example why they would use or buy your product; your route to market; how you are going to profit from the innovation, including increased revenues or cost reduction; how the innovation will affect your productivity and growth, in both the short and the long term; how you will protect and exploit the outputs of the project, for example through know how, patenting, designs or changes to your business model; your strategy for targeting the other markets you have identified during or after the project. If there is any research organisation activity in the project, describe: your plans to spread the project’s research outputs over a reasonable timescale; how you expect to use the results generated from the project in further research activities.
Wider impacts
Official Guidance
What impact might this project have outside your organisation? Describe and, where possible, measure the economic benefits from the project such as productivity increases and import substitution, to: external parties, customers, others in the supply chain, broader industry, the UK economy. Describe and, where possible, measure: any expected impact on government priorities, any expected environmental impacts, either positive or negative, any expected regional impacts of the project. Describe any expected social impacts, either positive or negative on, for example: quality of life, social inclusion or exclusion, jobs, such as safeguarding, creating, changing or displacing them, education, public empowerment, health and safety, regulations, diversity.
Project management
Official Guidance
How will you manage your project effectively? Explain: the main work packages of your project, indicating the lead partner assigned to each and the total cost of each one; your approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms you will use to get a successful and innovative project outcome; the management reporting lines; your project plan in enough detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones. You must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.
Risks
Official Guidance
What are the main risks for this project? Explain: the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks, providing a risk register if appropriate; how you will mitigate these risks; any project inputs that are critical to completion, such as resources, expertise and data sets; any output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical issues and so on, and how you will manage this. You must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.
Added value
Official Guidance
How will this public funding help you to accelerate or enhance your approach to developing your project towards commercialisation? What impact would this award have on the organisations involved? Explain: what advantages would public funding offer your project, for example, appeal to investors, more partners, reduced risk or a faster route to market, (this list is not exhaustive); the likely impact of the project outcomes on the organisations involved; what other routes of investment have you already approached; what your project would look like without public funding; how this project would change the R&D activities of all the organisations involved.
Costs and value for money
Official Guidance
How much will the project cost and how does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer? In terms of your project goals, explain: your total eligible project costs; the grant you are requesting; how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer; how it compares to what you would spend your money on otherwise; any subcontractor costs and why they are critical to your project.