TSB competition encourages biotech-chemicals collaboration

According to the TSB, the competition aims to stimulate collaboration between industrial biotechnology developers, higher-education institutions and, in particular, the chemicals sector.  

Up to £2.5m will be invested and applications are invited for feasibility and collaborative research and development (R&D) projects.

The chemicals and chemistry-using sectors are encouraged to use this initiative to pilot industrial biotechnological routes to replace existing thermo-chemical processes or to address new challenges.

Following the signing of an agreement between the UK and Norway that encourages UK-Norwegian projects incorporating industrial biotechnology and/or bio-refining, Innovation Norway intends to provide the public-funding element for any Norwegian SMEs engaged in successful projects meeting their normal criteria for eligibility.  

Innovation Norway’s main funding instrument is the Industrial Research and Development Contracts (IFU), which supports SMEs to work with an end user and their programme on upscaling and the demonstration of new processes.

Up to £1m will be available for UK parties in feasibility projects, which must be led by a UK SME and be collaborative.