A summary of funding opportunities, support programmes, networks and events available to UK digital businesses.

1. Creative, Digital and Design
Business Briefing
February 2019

2. Content
• Funding competitions
• Support programmes
• Upcoming events
• Investment
• Networks
• Register for updates

3. Funding
Audience of the Future: the Investor Accelerator launches 4th March
Monday 4th March sees the launch of the next phase of the ISCF Audience of the Future (AotF) Challenge with a new
Investor Accelerator fund.
Up to £2m of funding is available for industrial R&D, which will support the commercial development of significant
innovation in the UK immersive tech sector through simultaneous grant funding and venture capital investment in UK
creative and tech businesses. The Investor Accelerator opens to investors on 4th March and to businesses on 20th
May.
A series of information & networking events for investors are scheduled around the UK in February and March. Dates
have been confirmed for Bristol (20th Feb), Belfast (15th Mar) and Gateshead (4th Apr), with more dates and locations
to be added. Briefing events for businesses will be announced in April 2019, meanwhile please share the opportunity
with investors you know who are interested in investing in the immersive sector.
READ MORE

4. Funding
Global Business Innovation Programme with India
Applications deadline: Thursday, 7th February 2019
This fully-funded programme for the creative and media sectors, consisting of a preparation phase in
the UK, a 5-day visit to India and subsequent follow-up support, will help your business develop
relationships with partners in the region, allowing you to gain a foothold in a market set for explosive
growth.
READ MORE AND APPLY

5. Funding
Business Basics 2: Boosting SME Productivity
Applications deadline: 17th April 2019
A share of up to £2 million is available for to run proof of concept or build evidence on how to
encourage SMEs to adopt productivity boosting technology or management practices.
Proof of Concept – you can apply for up to £60,000
Business Led Trials – you can apply for up to £400,000
Non-business Led Trials – you can apply for up to £400,000
READ MORE AND APPLY

6. Funding
VocTech Seed 2019
Applications deadline: Friday, 8th February 2019, 5pm
If you've got a creative and imaginative project which uses digital technology to improve access to
adult learning, or to improve how learning is delivered, then we'd like to hear from you. We are
looking for innovative digital projects which will help us deliver our vision of increasing the number of
people in the UK accessing learning and gaining vocational skills. Successful applicants can receive
support and grant funding of up to £50,000 for projects lasting up to a year. Projects must be
vocational, focusing on the skills that adults (post 16) need for work, and aim to raise the skill levels of
the UK workforce.
READ MORE AND APPLY

7. Funding
UK Israel open collaborative competition
Registration closes: Wednesday, 27th February 2019, 12:00pm
UK and Israel are announcing a joint funding competition under the EUREKA framework
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 million to develop innovative technologies targeting
global markets in partnership with Israeli companies.
READ MORE AND APPLY

8. Funding
Defense and Security Accelerator: open call for innovation
Call Closes: 1 March 2019
The open call is looking for innovative ideas to improve the defense and security of the UK. These
could be a concept, technology, product or service. The aim is to find novel opportunities to be
exploited across the defense and security sectors.
READ MORE AND APPLY

9. Funding
European Space Agency (ESA) funding for business applications
Virtual and Augmented Reality Kick-Start - closing date: 25th February
Blockchain Kick-Start - closing date: 26th March
ESA Business Applications offers funding and support to businesses from any sector who intend to use
space (satellite navigation, earth observation, satellite telecommunication, space weather, space
technologies) to develop new commercial services.
Applications are open all year: businesses can either apply to a thematic opportunity (see below) or
submit an open application.
READ MORE AND APPLY

10. Funding
Ocean Plastic Solutions Investment Accelerator: Reducing Plastic Pollution
Call closes: 13th March 2019
This investment accelerator competition provides £1 million grant funding from Innovate UK and £1
million private investment from Sky Ocean Ventures for early stage projects. The competition is open
to single UK small and micro companies who are looking for grant funding and who want to establish
an equity relationship with Sky Ocean Ventures.
READ MORE AND APPLY

11. Support programmes
Cyber Security Academic Startups Accelerator Programme
• Helps academics in UK universities commercialise their cyber security ideas
• Covers value proposition, market validation and development of minimum viable product
• Grants of up to £132,000 available per academic team over ten months
• UK academics should register their interest in Year 3. Applications are expected to open in February
2019 for an April start.
• Industrialists and investors interested in supporting the programme in 2019 should register their
interest here
READ MORE AT cyberasap.co.uk

12. Support programmes
LORCA
Applications for the 3rd cohort will open in March 2019
LORCA is a joint collaboration between Plexal, CSIT and Deloitte. It’s funded by the Department for Digital,
Culture, Media & Sport as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy.
LORCA’s mission is to support the most promising cybersecurity innovators in scaling and growing solutions
to meet industry’s biggest challenges, while building the UK’s international cybersecurity profile.
By 2021, LORCA’ll have stimulated the growth of at least 72 high-potential companies, grown up to 2,000
jobs, and secured £40 Million in investment.
READ MORE

13. Support programmes
NCSC Cyber Accelerator
The NCSC Cyber Accelerator supports the growth of start-up cyber companies aiming to bring better, faster
and low-cost security products to market.
The NCSC is looking for companies who are using novel techniques to solve real problems, and whose
products could be applied in a cyber security context – for any customers, from individuals at home to the
world’s biggest companies.
READ MORE

14. Support programmes
TechStars London Accelerator Programme
Application deadline: 7th April 2019
Techstars provides Accelerator portfolio companies with access to financial, human and intellectual
capital to fuel the success of their business.
Upon acceptance to a Techstars Accelerator, every company is offered a $100,000 convertible note.
Techstars contributes $20,000, which is commonly used as a stipend to support living expenses during
the program, and in return receives 6% common stock from each company.
READ MORE

15. Support programmes
IoT Tribe North 2019
Application deadline: 4th March 2019
On March 4th IoT Tribe North will open its doors once again. We are now accepting applications and on
the lookout for exceptional startups in the IoT, AI, VR and Data fields.
Our accelerator is equity-free and specialises on connecting companies with startups to run pilots and
improve their value proposition.
Every year we select a handful of startups who will participate in our hands on 12-week programme
in the North of the UK.
READ MORE

16. Support programmes
Cyber 101
Running nationally until March 2021, Cyber 101 is part of DCMS funded activity to grow the UK’s cyber
security industry and the capability of cyber security startups and scaleups. This programme is linked to
the Develop strand of the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy, a series of activities that
will be supported by £1.9bn in public investment over the next five years. It is delivered in partnership
with Digital Catapult, The Accelerator Network, CSIT and Inogesis.
The Cyber 101 programme offers intensive one day Bootcamps, Deep Dive sessions and Demo Days that
will enable you to pitch your businesses to potential customers and investors.
READ MORE

17. Support programmes
Develop your AI solutions with The Alan Turing Institute
Open call
New collaboration between The Alan Turing Institute and Digital Catapult provides funding for London
startups and scaleups to open their data challenges to researchers.
This collaboration will provide financial support for nine separate startup or scaleup companies to
participate as a Challenge Owner in any one of the Data Study Groups held between December 2018 and
March 2020.
READ MORE

18. Support programmes
Founders Factory Accelerator and Incubator
Open call
Our incubator creates 13 new startups every year. We validate ideas, build founding teams and find first
customers. We provide 6 months of support and invest £150k in each startup.
Our accelerator invests in 35 existing startups every year. We provide oportunities to scale with our
partners. 6 months of bespoke support & £30k cash.
READ MORE

19. Support programmes
HutZero
HutZero is the leading early-stage entrepreneur bootcamp which helps you gain all the tools you need to
get your idea off the ground.
HutZero has run four programmes in London so far. Seven cyber security startups have been created by
the participants.
Run by CyLon and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), HutZero’s FREE two-stage
programme connects 20 budding UK entrepreneurs with potential co-founders and a broad network of
cyber and innovation experts.
READ MORE AND APPLY

20. Other support
Springwise
Springwise is the global source for innovation intelligence. Every day, powered by their unique and
trusted community of over 20,000 global Springspotters, alongside over 400,000 newsletter subscribers,
social followers and premium members, Springwise finds, curates and analyses the hottest innovations
from around the globe. Their mission is to deliver you the most cutting edge insight to help you drive
positive and sustainable change.Springwise is the antidote to trend reports that are out of date the
minute they are published. For full access to their database of over 10,000 innovations plus member only
content and personalised alerts - become a member of their global community.
READ MORE

21. Other support
Briffa
We are lawyers but we are also business strategists and creative thinkers. We love working with all types of businesses,
our clients range from start ups to large multinational companies – we enjoy working with both equally.
There are 3 main ways we add value for clients:
We help you identify, protect, develop, make money from and enforce your intellectual property – we are expert in brand
strategy and trade mark portfolio management, innovation and invention, designs, copyright, image rights.
Strategy – giving you a competitive edge which increases the value of your business to you and to others. We stop others
taking what you have created without paying.
We work with you to help grow your business and increase your market share– this may include our experts in negotiating
and concluding licensing, franchising and joint venture deals and many other contractual arrangements that are right for
your business.
READ MORE

22. Other support
Digital Impact Awards
Open for entries: 4th February 2019
Final deadline: 21st July 2019
Awards Ceremony: October 2019
The Digital Impact Awards sets the industry-wide benchmark in digital stakeholder engagement. The event honours the
best corporate digital communications work in Europe.
The Digital Impact Awards has a long-standing reputation in the digital community as the leading event honouring the best
corporate digital work. Winning a Digital Impact Award helps set organisations apart from their competitors and provides
the opportunity to sustain their current clients, gain new business and engage internal teams.
READ MORE

23. Upcoming events
London Blockchain Week 2019
8th – 14th February, London
Eureka Celtic Proposers Day
5th February, London
Transforming Mental Health and Social Services
Through Immersive Technology
5th February, London
AI, Blockchain in Connected Medical Devices 7th
February, London
Smarter innovation to drive growth: a business
support workshop for SMEs
19th February, Sheffield
Grant Writing Breakfast Briefing
20th February, Cardiff
Realising the Opportunities of Blockchain Technology
for the Space Sector
28th February, Harwell
Robotics and AI Industry showcase
12th March, Manchester
Digital Business Meet-Up
14th March, London
Immersive and Digital Business Meet-Up
20th March, Bath
Women in Innovation: Building Success
20th March, Belfast
Keep up-to-date with KTN events here

24. Investment
Private Investment Directory – Digital Refer
Digital Refer now includes more than 250 organisations that provide private investment to
digital and creative businesses in the UK including:
• Accelerator programmes
• Business incubators
• Start-up studios
• Venture Capital funds
• Angel investor networks
• Corporate Venture Capital firm
LINK

25. Networks: Immerse UK
• Augmented and Virtual Reality Independent Network
• Bringing together businesses, public sector & research
• Free to Join
• Learn more about Immersive Tech developments
• Help shape UK funding & research policy
• Showcase your ideas & identify funding opportunities
• Make business connections & form collaborative partnerships
http://www.immerseuk.org/

26. Networks: UK5G
https://uk5g.org/
• Promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of 5G in the UK
• Share the knowledge and lessons of 5G Testbeds & Trials projects
• Enable new partnerships between technologists, potential new entrants and major industrial
adopters
• Support local (and international) investment opportunities

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