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Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)

The SBRI programme is designed to help early stage, high-technology Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) gain greater access to Research and Development (R&D) opportunities supporting the future procurement needs of Government Departments. Please note that the opportunities do not offer grants or loans but are competitive R&D contracts.

The SBRI aims to:

  • provide opportunities to those existing small firms whose businesses are based upon providing R&D - by increasing the size of the market;
  • encourage other smaller businesses to increase their R&D capabilities and capacity - to exploit the new market opportunities;
  • create opportunities for starting new technology-based or knowledge-based businesses.

Who can apply?

The SBRI programme is open to all businesses, although it is likely to be particularly beneficial to SMEs.

SBRI funded opportunities

The figures for Government funded civil R&D contracts awarded to SMEs under SBRI for 2007/08 show that £47.7m were won by SMEs which equates to 11% of the baseline R&D budget.

Reforming the SBRI programme

The SBRI programme is currently being reformed to increase its future performance and impact. This will involve a more focused and robust programme with clearly defined competitions for technology and innovative product development. The Technology Strategy Board will administer, market and deliver the reformed SBRI programme. The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the Government. Its mission is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life.

The Technology Strategy Board is currently piloting the reformed SBRI model with the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health, prior to rolling out the fully reformed programme to other Government Departments from April 2009.

R&D procurement opportunities available under the SBRI pilot project are normally notified on the Technology Strategy Board web site at: http://www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovation/smallbusinessresearchinitiative.ashx

NB Both the competitions run under the pilot project are now closed, and the bids received are currently being evaluated. There are therefore no new opportunities currently available under SBRI

Other procurement opportunities

Other publicly funded opportunities for the procurement of goods and service are advertised at supply2.gov.uk - this website consolidates access to lower value contract opportunities (typically under £100,000) from across the UK public sector both central and local government.

Research Councils - Small Business Research (SBR) scheme

The Research Councils support the Government's aim to create R&D intensive SMEs. In doing so, the Research Councils work with the RDAs, Devolved Administrations, trade associations and Knowledge Transfer Networks and the Technology Strategy Board to raise awareness among SMEs of the benefits that the research base can offer. This includes organising joint events with RDAs to target regional businesses and using the RDAs to identify new business partners for collaborative research and training activities funded by the Research Councils.

The Research Councils, although not Government Departments, are supporting a specific Small Business Research (SBR) scheme that recognises the specific nature of Research Council funding. The Research Councils have committed to spending at least 2.5% of responsive and directed grant funding to university researchers collaborating with SMEs.

Collaborative research between a business and university funded through Research Councils' responsive mode can be particularly attractive to SMEs as companies are able to choose their level of support and engagement. Other opportunities enable SMEs to become part of consortia through supply chains or through clubs organised by intermediary approaches such as networks and trade associations. For further details see http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/innovation/fundingkt/smallbusiness.htm