Research Partnerships Encouraged with Grants for Firms Outside Scotland

Awards of up to £10,000 available to businesses working with Scottish research organisations

Interface, working with the Scottish Government, is inviting applications to the Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund, which supports collaborative research and development activity between businesses and Scottish academic institutions.

The initiative is designed for companies that are not currently based in Scotland but are interested in establishing a presence. Applicants are expected to show how the award, the intended outcomes and the academic partnership could contribute to a pathway towards setting up R&D or manufacturing operations in Scotland.

Awards of up to £10,000 are available. The funding is intended to support input from Scottish universities, colleges or research institutes and will be paid directly to the academic partner.

Projects must align with at least one of nine identified opportunity areas: energy transition, decarbonisation of transport, software and IT, digital financial services, digital business services, space, healthtech, transformation of chemical industries and food and drink innovation.

Eligible activity includes early-stage collaborations such as feasibility studies, for example assessing a joint R&D centre, developing a roadmap to leverage investment for joint R&D, early proof of concept work and support for talent and skills linked to R&D. The award can cover the academic institution’s project costs, including time, facilities and consumables, as well as dissemination of findings to the company and wider industry where appropriate.