UK registered organisations can apply for grants for early-stage, people and planet centred design projects to influence their future R&D activity.

Through the Design Foundations Competition, Innovate UK aims to help businesses develop new ideas that will deliver benefits for people and the planet, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. These can be for new or significantly improved products, services, places or business models.

The competition is intended to help businesses gain experience of working with design processes and expertise. Projects must generate new ideas or test and improve the customer experience, social and environmental benefits of existing, early-stage ideas.

Up to £2 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant. Each project’s total costs must be between £40,000 and £80,000. Applicants can claim up to 100% grant funding for their eligible costs.

The competition is open to single applicants and collaborations. To lead a project an organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, public sector organisation, charity or not-for-profit organisation. To collaborate with the lead, the organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit organisation, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO).

Applications are encouraged from organisations that have not previously used people and planet centred design processes or expertise.

The deadline for applications to be submitted is 31 August 2022 (11:00 BST).

How To Apply

Competition dates:

• Open: 6 July 2022
• Competition closing date: 31 August 2022 (11:00 BST)

Applicants are encouraged to read the general guidance for applicants to help their chances of submitting a quality application.

Those requiring more information should contact the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 or email [email protected] 

More details can be accessed at the Innovate UK website.