Cyber Local

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to invest up to £1.3 million in innovation projects.

The aim of this competition is to develop impactful regional activities and events that focus on supporting the growth of the cyber security sector and the development of cyber security skills.

These will be to resolve geographical disparities in the development and growth of the cyber security sector and to reduce the skills gap in the sector.

Scope

Your project must:

• be delivered in one of the seven specified areas
• demonstrate clear impact in the cyber security sector of the region through the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems or increasing opportunities for activities to reduce the skills gap in the sector
• have the endorsement of your area steering group

The seven specified areas are:

• Northern Ireland
• North-West England
• South-West England
• Yorkshire & Humber
• Northeast England
• East Midlands
• West Midlands

Your project can:

• consider self-sustaining mechanisms to continue after the funding period
• consider scalability and how the idea could expand within the area or be replicated elsewhere
• demonstrate collaboration with other local organisations or government bodies to boost reach and impact

They welcome applications that support women into the cyber workforce and initiatives that are aimed at inspiring young girls to consider a technology career.

They also welcome applications that encourage the adoption of Government products, such as Cyber Essentials or the professional titles introduced by the UK Cyber Security Council.

They want to fund a variety of projects across different locations. They call this a portfolio approach

Specific themes

Your project must focus on one or more of the following:

• cyber security skills for local people and communities to reduce the skills gap
• upskilling underrepresented demographics in the cyber security sector
• strengthening the local cyber security sector through area partnerships and forging links between industry, public sector and academia
• supporting the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems
• increasing opportunities for local people to pursue a career in cyber security, paying particular attention to underrepresented communities

Eligibility

Your project must:

• have a grant funding request between £25,000 and £150,000
• last between one month and three months
• carry out its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• not start before 1 January 2025
• end by 31 March 2025
• have the endorsement of your area steering group

To obtain an endorsement please submit an Expression of Interest to the local steering group contact by email before the 27th of September.

Projects must always start on the first of the month. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a completed declaration as part of your application.

Lead organisation

To lead a project or work alone your organisation must be a UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• research and technology organisation (RTO)
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in their Funding rules.

Project team

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation
• research and technology organisation (RTO)

Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs in the application.

To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding when entering their costs into the application.

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

A business of any size, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO) can lead in any number of applications and can also be included as a collaborator in any number of applications.

If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

Organisations that are leading or collaborating in multiple applications must be able to prove they can deliver on all applications. The funding required for the total number of applications must be not exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) limit.

Financial Notes

Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period.

In your application, you will be asked to declare previous funding received by you. This will form part of the financial checks ahead of Innovate UK making a formal grant offer.

Funding

They have allocated up to £1.3 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.

Your total project costs will be up to 100% funded, up to the maximum grant of £150,000 Your grant funding request detailed within your application must not exceed £150,000. If your grant funding request exceeds £150,000 then your application will be made ineligible. Your project costs can be higher than your grant funding request.

You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution in your application answers. It must not be detailed in the finance section.