Knowledge Connect
You’ve got ideas on the drawing board, exciting concepts in development…but you need resources and expertise to make your ideas become a reality. That’s where Knowledge Connect innovation vouchers come in!
What is Knowledge Connect?
Knowledge Connect is a pan-London, LDA-funded support programme to assist small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to undertake collaborative projects with a University. You can use your innovation voucher to pay University of Westminster experts to deliver a solution to your problem, allowing you to concentrate on the day-to-day running of your business.
What funding is available?
You can apply for two types of innovation voucher to be redeemed against work carried out by experts from the University:
- £3,000 Mini Voucher - typically to help with proof of concept, strategic or technical development or market investigation
- £10,000 Maxi Voucher* - supports more in-depth work, such as research and development of new products, services or markets, prototyping, software development, testing and validation. (*50% match funding required from beneficiary enterprise)
What types of project are possible?
Innovation vouchers can be used for any kind of innovation. Examples of projects include:
- Creative industries (art, design & fashion): using new materials, developing new designs and applications, finding export opportunities
- Engineering: developing and testing prototypes, finding environmental solutions, improving maching and manufacturing efficiencies
- Sport & Health: proving health benefits, developing equipment
- Multimedia: software, systems and web design and development, distribution systems
- Leisure & Tourism: branding, marketing and product development
- Business services: product development, marketing, strategic planning
Who can apply?
Businesses from all sectors can apply as long as they demonstrate innovation in their approach to new opportunities or challenges. The qualifying criteria is as follows:
- trading business employing between 4 and 250 people in London
- businesses that have not collaborated with the university before
- looking to develop new products, services, processes or markets
- have already or can develop a commercially viable proposition that would benefit significantly from university expertise
- commitment to invest time and resources to see the collaboration through to a successful conclusion