A variety of support and funding is available to help businesses of all sizes in the Highlands and Islands region engage in research and development. See below for useful resources:
Regional Selective Assistance (RSA)
RSA is the main investment grant scheme for businesses in designated areas of Scotland (the 'assisted' areas). Find out more by contacting your local HIE office.
SMART:SCOTLAND
SMART:SCOTLAND provides financial assistance to SMEs to help support projects, which represent a significant technological advance for the UK sector or industry concerned. Grant assistance can be provided to support technical and commercial feasibility studies and/or research and development projects. For more information visit the SMART:SCOTLAND website
Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7)
FP7 is the short name for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. This is the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe and it will run from 2007 to 2013.
The EC budget for the next seven years is € 50.5 billion and the Euratom budget for the next five years is € 2.7 billion. FP7 supports research in selected priority areas - the aim being to make, or keep, the EU as a world leader in those sectors.
FP7 is also designed to respond to Europe's employment needs and competitiveness. Go to the Technology Strategy Board's website for further information.
Research and development tax credits were introduced to increase investment in innovation. Find out more about research and development tax credits on the HM Revenue and Customs website
The Technology Strategy Board currently manages a range of programmes and delivery mechanisms to drive innovation including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, the Collaborative research and development programme and the Small Business Research and Initiative (SBRI) programme.
The HIE research and development funding scheme supports small, medium and large enterprises undertaking research and development, even if the innovation is new only to your business. The scheme can provide grant assistance to support:
- Fundamental research - experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any direct practical application or use in view.
- Industrial research - planned research or critical investigation aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services or for bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes or services.
- Experimental development - acquiring, combining, shaping and using of existing scientific, technological, business and other relevant knowledge and skills for the purpose of producing plans and arrangements or designs for new, altered or improved products, processes or services. The development of commercially usable prototypes and pilot projects is also included where the prototype is necessarily the final commercial product and where it is too expensive to produce for it to be used only for demonstration and validation purposes.
Find out more by contacting your local HIE office.
Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) provides SME's with greater access to Research and Development opportunities supporting the future procurement needs of Government departments.
The SBRI aims to create opportunities for businesses to engage with a specific department need and to prove their technology or idea. Successful companies will gain a lead customer for development and will receive a contract for the full cost of demonstrating the feasibility of their technology, leading to subsequent prototype development. This provides a route to market and establishes credibility for further investment.
Find out more about how SBRI can benefit your business or register for regular updates here.
