Monday, January 11, 2021
Kent’s Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (KEI) department has launched its Recovery Innovation Fund which aims to support businesses to innovate and grow following the Covid-19 pandemic, by facilitating knowledge exchange via academic collaborations.
The Recovery Innovation Fund proposes to support small or medium-sized businesses with grants of up to £7,500 and the opportunity to engage with the University’s expertise and build a long-term partnership. The grants awarded will be equivalent to 50% of the total value of the businesses’ projects ex VAT. Businesses will be partnered with academic experts to receive tailored advice and support.
KEI will be able to support businesses with:
- Exploring ways to inspire business evolution
- Allowing employees to improve and grow
- Discovering or cultivating new products
- Cultivating business efficiency
- Solving problems
- Engaging with viability studies
- Exploring new business initiatives
Carole Barron, Director of Knowledge Exchange and Innovation, said: ‘The University is committed to helping businesses innovate and grow, and there has never been a more important time to support our business community. Our Recovery Innovation Fund is an opportunity for businesses to gain access to the wealth of expertise, high-quality research, and knowledge that resides within the University.’
To apply for the Recovery Innovation Fund, businesses are encouraged to contact KEI to book an appointment with a Business and Industry Officer. KEI will support the application process and act as a business and innovation gateway into the University. As an open-entry process, applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The deadline for submission is 23:59 on Sunday 2 May 2021, with projects to be completed by Wednesday 30 June 2021. All outputs are to be completed by Saturday 31 July 2021.
Contact the KEI team at Businessrelationships@kent.ac.uk to book an appointment to find out more. Full terms and conditions can be found on KEI’s Covid-19 Support page along with an application form.