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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, 'Facility access funding for bioscience partnerships (invite only)', aims to support UK business and bioscience academic partnerships in accessing and leveraging the specialized skills, capabilities, and world-class facilities of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The core objective is to drive collaborative research and development (R&D) that addresses industrially-relevant bioscience challenges and accelerates the development of new products or services at the proof-of-concept stage. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focusing exclusively on bioscience and biotechnology within the BBSRC's remit. Target Recipients

Academic partners: UK Higher Education Institutions, Research Council Institutes, UKRI approved independent research organisations, Public Sector Research Establishments, and NHS bodies with research capacity.
Business partners: UK-based businesses (micro, small, medium, and large enterprises).

Geographic Scope

Applicants must be UK-based, and the results must be intended for exploitation within the UK.

Key Filtering Criteria

Invitation-Only: Only organisations invited after a successful 'expression of interest' application can apply.
Mandatory Partnership: Applications must be submitted by a partnership comprising a UK academic institution and a UK business.
Focus on STFC Facilities: Projects must involve accessing and utilising specific STFC skills, capabilities, and world-class facilities.
Industrial Relevance: Research and development must be focused on solving industrially-relevant challenges.

Program Context

This is a joint-funded program by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Mentions of 'previous rounds' suggest this is a recurring funding opportunity.

Financial Structure

This grant supports projects with a full economic cost (FEC) of up to £200,000. Funding Allocation

The funding bodies (BBSRC and STFC) will cover:
- 80% of the FEC for the academic component of the project.
- 100% of the facility costs for accessing STFC facilities.

Matching Fund Requirements (Business Contribution) Companies are expected to provide a contribution, which can be in-kind or direct, based on a percentage of the STFC facility cost. This percentage varies based on the company's size, as defined by the Companies House Act 2006: - Micro companies: 30% contribution. - Small companies: 30% contribution. - Medium companies: 40% contribution. - Large companies: 50% contribution. - If multiple businesses collaborate, the contribution will be determined by the largest company in the consortium. Total Funding Available

The total fund for this opportunity is £2,100,000.

Eligible and Ineligible Costs

Eligible Costs: Academic costs (at 80% FEC), STFC facility costs (at 100% FEC), reasonable adjustments related to disabilities, project staff, significant travel for fieldwork/collaboration, equipment costing over £25,000, and consumables beyond typical requirements.
Ineligible Costs: Market analysis, fundamental research not industrially relevant, and standard testing and measurement services readily available commercially or via academic partners.

Financial Guarantees

Formal collaboration agreements are required between the business and academic partners if an award is made.
A user agreement outlining STFC standard terms and conditions for facility access must be signed by the business-academic partnership.

Indirect Cost Policies

Academic costs are funded at 80% of FEC, implying indirect costs are included within this calculation as per standard UKRI policies.
STFC facility costs are covered at 100%.

Eligibility Requirements

This funding opportunity is by invitation only; you must have been invited after a successful expression of interest to apply. Organizational Eligibility

Lead Applicant: The application must be led by an academic partner and submitted by a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding. This includes:
- UK Higher Education Institutions
- Research Council Institutes
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) approved independent research organisations
- Public Sector Research Establishments
- NHS bodies with research capacity
Mandatory Partnership: A suitable academic-business partnership is required for funding at the full proposal stage. Multiple businesses can collaborate, but a lead business must be named.

Business Partner Eligibility To be eligible as the UK business partner, an organization must: - Be a UK-based business registered at Companies House. - Have a manufacturing base for the relevant product in the UK, or provide the relevant service in the UK. - Intend to exploit the results in the UK. Ineligibility

STFC facility staff are not eligible to act as academic partners.
Projects relating to market analysis will not be funded.
Fundamental research that is not industrially relevant will not be funded.
Standard testing and measurement services readily available commercially or via academic partners will not be funded.

Organizational Size (for Business Partners)

The grant categorizes businesses by size based on the Companies House Act 2006, which affects their required financial contribution (see Financial Structure).
- Micro companies: Staff headcount less than 10, turnover less than or equal to £632,000, or balance sheet total less than or equal to £316,000.
- Small companies: Staff headcount less than 50, turnover less than or equal to £10.2 million, or balance sheet total less than or equal to £5.1 million.
- Medium companies: Staff headcount less than 250, turnover less than or equal to £36 million, or balance sheet total less than or equal to £18 million.
- Large companies: Staff headcount equal to or more than 250, turnover more than £36 million, or balance sheet total more than £18 million.

Application Process

Application Process This is an invitation-only funding opportunity. You must have been invited to apply following a successful 'expression of interest' (EOI) application. The application will be completed and submitted by the academic partner via the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. Key Dates and Deadlines

Publication Date: 22 July 2025
Opening Date: 22 July 2025, 9:00 AM UK time
Closing Date: 4 December 2025, 4:00 PM UK time
Assessment Period: UKRI aims to complete the assessment process within three months of receiving the full proposal.

Project Timeline

Project Duration: Projects can last up to 18 months.
Project Implementation Period: Projects can be undertaken anytime between 1 April 2026 and 30 September 2027.
STFC Facility Access Period: Facilities must be accessed between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, subject to scheduling.

Required Documentation and Materials Applicants must complete several sections within the UKRI Funding Service, which act as the application materials: - Summary: Up to 550 words, public-facing, in plain English, describing context, challenge, aims, objectives, applications, and benefits. - Core Team: List key academic team members and assign roles (Project Lead, Project Co-Lead (UK), Specialist, etc.). Business partners are listed in the 'Project partner' section. - Vision: Up to 1,000 words, outlining project quality, importance, potential for advancement, timeliness, and impact. - Approach: Up to 1,250 words, detailing methodology, feasibility, risk management (including risk assessment matrix), project plan, milestones, and timelines. - Partnership: Up to 750 words, justifying the industry-academia partnership, expertise utilization, collaboration mechanisms, knowledge exchange, and potential for longer-term collaboration. - Applicant and Team Capability to Deliver: Up to 1,650 words (1,150 for R4RI modules + 500 optional additions), using the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase skills and past contributions. - Facilities: Up to 750 words, explaining how the project utilizes and leverages specific STFC expertise and facilities. - Potential for Impact: Up to 1,000 words, discussing anticipated benefits for the company and wider community, economic return on investment, and value for money. - Resources and Cost Justification: Up to 1,000 words, justifying all requested resources, especially higher-cost items. - Project Partners: Details of contributing organizations, their contact, type of contribution (direct/indirect), and monetary value. - Letters (or emails) of Support: A single PDF containing letters/emails from each project partner and STFC facility, confirming commitment, value to them, and any additional value they bring. Must be signed by departmental director for STFC facilities. - Your Organisation's Support: Up to 10 words, with a detailed Statement of Support from the academic research organisation, including any matched funding. - Data Management and Sharing: Up to 500 words, detailing compliance with UKRI's data sharing policy. - Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Up to 500 words, addressing ethical implications and management. - Genetic and Biological Risk: Up to 700 words, if applicable, identifying risks, implications, and mitigation. - Research involving the use of animals: Submission of a template if applicable. - Conducting research with animals overseas: Up to 700 words, if applicable, confirming compliance with UK welfare standards. - Research involving human participation: Up to 700 words, if applicable, detailing approving bodies and justification for participants/procedures. - Research involving human tissues or biological samples: Up to 700 words, if applicable, detailing approving bodies and justification for materials. Submission Format

Most answers are entered directly into text boxes within the Funding Service. Images (JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WEBP, <5MB) can be included with descriptive captions.
References should be included within word limits. Hyperlinks are only for reference information, not to extend content.
The use of generative AI tools for application preparation is permitted, with caution.

Application Assistance

Research Office: Contact your research office for costing and application writing advice.
Specific Funding Opportunity Queries: Email [email protected] (BBSRC) or [email protected]/[email protected] (STFC).
Funding Service System Support: Email support@funding-service.ukri.org or call 01793 547490.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are assessed by a panel of experts. The core assessment areas are: Vision

Quality and Importance: How the proposed work demonstrates excellent quality and importance within or beyond its field.
Advancement: Potential to advance current understanding, generate new knowledge, thinking, or discovery.
Timeliness: Relevance given current trends, context, and needs.
Impact: Expected impact on world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment.
Problem Description: Clear explanation of the challenge and identification of direct and indirect academic beneficiaries.

Approach

Effectiveness and Appropriateness: How well the approach is designed to achieve objectives.
Feasibility and Risk Management: Comprehensive identification of risks to delivery and proposed management strategies (including a risk assessment matrix).
Methodology: Use of a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable).
Building on Previous Work: How previous work will be built upon and progressed (if applicable).
Translation of Outputs: Maximizing the translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts.
Research Environment: Contribution of the research environment to the success of the work.
Deliverables and Plan: Clearly defined goals, project deliverables, and a detailed project plan with milestones and timelines (e.g., Gantt chart).

Partnership

Justification: How the industry-academia partnership is well-suited to solve the challenge.
Expertise Utilisation: How expertise from both partners will be maximally utilized to generate meaningful benefits.
Collaboration Facilitation: Effectiveness of collaboration throughout the project.
Knowledge Exchange: Clear potential for knowledge exchange.
Shared Interests: Substantive shared interests indicating potential for longer-term collaboration.
Partner Expertise: Description of partners' expertise relative to the challenge.

Applicant and Team Capability to Deliver

Experience: Relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work.
Skills and Expertise: Right balance of skills and expertise within the team.
Leadership and Management: Appropriate leadership and management skills, and approach to developing others.
Positive Research Environment: Contributions to developing a positive research environment and wider community.
R4RI Format: Use of the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase skills and contributions (e.g., generation of new ideas, development of others, contributions to community/society).

Facilities

Utilisation: How the proposed work utilizes the relevant STFC expertise and facilities on offer.
Uniqueness: How the project leverages unique or uncommon facilities, skillsets, and expertise not readily available commercially or academically.

Potential for Impact

Anticipated Benefits: Discussion of potential and mechanism for achieving realistic, well-understood, and clearly described benefits for the company and wider community.
Economic Return: Evidence of high economic return on investment (ROI) within a reasonable timeframe (e.g., ROI >10.0 for upper end, timescale of 2 years or less for benefits).
Company Benefits: Estimated value (£) of benefits for the partner company (e.g., increased revenue, improved quality, employment, productivity, market acceleration).
Wider Community Benefits: Discussion of wider industry benefits, regional strengthening, investment increase, environmental benefits, and workforce upskilling.
Value for Money: Evidence that the proposal represents good value for money if successfully completed.

Ethical and Responsible Research and Innovation Considerations

Identification and Evaluation: Demonstration of identified and evaluated ethical or RRI implications.
Management: How these considerations will be managed.

Resources and Cost Justification

Justification: Justification of more costly resources, especially project staff, significant travel for fieldwork/collaboration, equipment >£25,000, and unusual consumables.
Appropriateness: Demonstration that resources are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified.
Optimal Use: Showing optimal use of resources to achieve intended outcomes and maximize potential impacts.

Cross-cutting Themes

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): UKRI encourages applications from diverse researchers and supports flexible working, career breaks, and caring responsibilities. While not a direct scoring criterion, this is a stated principle.
Ethical Standards: Strong emphasis on ethical considerations throughout the project lifecycle.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): Applicants may be asked to demonstrate compliance with UKRI's TR&I principles, identifying risks and mitigation controls for international collaboration.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

UK Subsidy Control Act 2022: This funding opportunity is provided in line with the UK's obligations and commitments to subsidy control. Applicants are wholly responsible for declaring and managing all potential subsidy control matters.

Data Protection and Privacy

Personal data collected will be handled in line with UK data protection legislation.
A data management plan is required, detailing compliance with UKRI's published data sharing policy.

Ethical and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)

Applications must address and demonstrate how ethical or RRI implications and issues related to the proposed work will be managed.
Specific sections are dedicated to genetic/biological risk, research involving animals (including overseas), human participation, and human tissues/biological samples, requiring detailed plans and approvals where applicable.

Intellectual Property Policies

While not explicitly detailed, formal collaboration agreements are required if an award is made. These agreements will govern the dissemination of research findings and publication of information, implying IP arrangements will be covered within these agreements.

Risk Management

The 'Approach' section of the application requires a comprehensive identification of any risks to delivery and a plan for how they will be managed, including a risk assessment matrix.

Accessibility and Inclusion

UKRI is committed to equality of opportunity and encourages applications from a diverse range of researchers, supporting career breaks, caring responsibilities, and flexible working.
Disability and accessibility support is available for UKRI applicants and grant holders.
COVID-19 related disruptions to careers will be considered during assessment.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Invitation-Only: Access to this funding is restricted to those who have successfully passed an initial expression of interest stage, reducing the overall competition pool for the full proposal stage.
Specific Facility Access: The grant provides unique access to world-class STFC facilities (e.g., Boulby Underground Laboratory, Central Laser Facility, Diamond Light Source, Hartree Centre, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, National Quantum Computing Centre, Scientific Computing), skills, and expertise, which are not readily available elsewhere.
Industry-Academia Collaboration: Emphasizes and facilitates strong collaborative R&D partnerships between academic institutions and UK businesses, fostering knowledge exchange and potentially leading to long-term collaborations.
Focus on Industrial Relevance: Projects must address concrete, industrially-relevant challenges, accelerating the development of new products/services at the proof-of-concept stage with clear benefits for the partner company and wider community.

Grant Details