UCLAN INNOVATION VOUCHER

Knowledge Transfer / Internships / placements /work-experience Your opportunity to access Academic and student or graduate expertise

Scope/Activity

Aims The aim of the innovation voucher programme is to pump prime commercial activity and enable more academics to become engaged in knowledge transfer for the schools. Innovation vouchers are not designed as an alternative to other income generating activity and neither are they intended to subsidise work which is already in the pipeline, rather the intention is to enable engagement with external organisations (typically SMEs) in situations where it would not otherwise happen and where there is a good expectation that further engagement, funded by the third party, is a likely outcome.

What it involves;

Types of Voucher Following extensive feedback from the first round of internally funded vouchers, we will be offering three distinct values of voucher this time, each with a slightly different focus and with increasing expectations of further funded work: • £1,000 The £1,000 vouchers are intended to enable market research, scoping studies, customer surveys, feasibility studies and suchlike.

  • £2,500 The £2,500 vouchers are aimed at evaluation of business processes, innovation/technology audits, efficiency audits, CPD/workshop development, academic skills enhancement, identification and delivery of consultancy opportunities and/or joint/collaborative grant applications.
  • £5,000 The £5,000 vouchers are aimed at projects including proof of concept modelling, product testing/analysis, product development and prototyping exercises.

Eligibility

Assessment Criteria The success of each Voucher application will be measured against the following criteria:-

  • Potential for future income /engagement activities for £1,000/£2,500 projects.
  • Strong likelihood of future income (KTP, consultancy, etc) for £5,000 projects.
  • Preference for projects with an organisation not previously involved with.
  • Preference for projects which require cross-school collaboration.
  • Strong Preference for projects where organisation is willing to match fund.
  • Generation of UCLan/Company IPR.
  • Quality of fit with UCLan medium term strategic objectives.
  • Strategic importance of research/project area.
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