Knowledge Hub: Securing Grant Funding

Whether you’re looking to grow and scale or feeling the pinch from the rise in inflation, grant funding is a fantastic way to secure extra funding for your business. With debt and equity funding harder to come by in the current economic climate, grant funding is an increasingly attractive option for technology and knowledge-based businesses. However, for many small and micro-business owners, it can be a confusing space to navigate.

It might seem like grant funding is only an option for larger and more established SMEs, but there are plenty of opportunities if you know how to position yourself to capitalise on them. There are many different types of grant funding available to SMEs with the government providing £172 billion for grants in the last two years alone.

This Knowledge Hub session will provide you with a bitesize introduction into the DOs and DON’Ts of successfully securing grant funding for your business. You will have the opportunity to hear first hand what the journey of applying for grant funding is like from an Innovate UK recipient. In addition to getting the top tips from Innovate UK expert advisor, Strategy Consultant Les Gill.

The session will cover:

• What funding is available to SMES and researchers through Innovate UK
• The DOs and DON’Ts for writing a successful grant application
• What support is available to SMEs when applying for grant funding
• Hear first hand experience from Innovate UK recipient
• Q&A

About The Speakers

Les Gill – Growth & Innovation Specialist

Les is an executive coach and business mentor specialising in growth and innovation. He acts as a consultant and non-executive director for a variety of technology start-ups, and is an advisor for Innovate UK’s EDGE programme. He’s passionate about helping small businesses find the value proposition for their innovations and secure the appropriate funding pathway to help them succeed.

Gary Kendall – Director, CDO2 (Innovate UK Recipient)

Gary is director of CDO2, a Sussex Innovation tenant and leader in current density imaging. Working alongside the University of Sussex Quantum Technologies Lab, they are developing this new technology for applications in electric vehicle batteries, improving range, health and safety. CDO2 and its partners’ work has been partially funded through the Innovate UK Faraday Battery Challenge and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, and Gary will share his experience of preparing, applying for and winning that funding.