Follow-on Fund

NERC is running the Follow-on Fund and Innovation B schemes in parallel with the KE Call. All are designed to enable researchers to further develop the output from NERC funded research in order to deliver impact.

Follow-on Fund and Innovation B funding is aimed at supporting activity focused upon the commercialisation of research outputs. KE Call funding is aimed at supporting activity focused upon increasing the uptake of research output by the users with little or no commercial return, but which delivers impact.

Expressions of Interest

An 'Expression of Interest' (EoI) stage has been introduced in an attempt to eliminate unsuitable proposals before applicants spend a lot of time on a submission; and to help applicants with potentially good ideas put in the strongest possible 'full' proposal. (Brief) feedback will be provided on both successful and unsuccessful EoIs.

The closing date for Expressions of Interest for the next round of NERC's Follow-on Fund, for proposals falling within NERC's remit, will be Tuesday 26 March 2013. It is anticipated that applicants will know the outcome of the EoI stage by the end of April. The deadline for subsequent full proposals is 16:00 on 5 June 2013. NERC's intention is that projects will start in autumn 2013.

Send expressions of interest to knowledge@nerc.ac.uk. Subsequent full proposals should be through Je-S.

Introduction

This is a 'proof of concept' fund to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. Some other councils also run their own Follow-on Fund schemes:

Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Science & Technology Facilities Council

Proposals to NERC's Follow-on Fund must fall within NERC's science remit.

The Follow-on Fund is designed to help researchers maximise the societal and economic benefit of their research by extending its impact through commercial means.

Some NERC-funded work has led to considerable commercial success. See the case study below.

The New Green Revolution (36KB)

The NERC fund is open to researchers with current or past NERC funding. Applications for follow-on support must build on the outputs of previous NERC-funded research activity. Potential applicants from NERC's research centres should apply to the internal Innovation A and Innovation B schemes.

These web pages are intended to help you:

Decide whether the Follow-On Fund is right for you and, if so, which of the two forms of grant is more appropriate at this stage of your project.
Produce a high quality application.

There are two schemes to apply for:

Follow-on Fund Pathfinder

Pathfinder awards are available to carry out work that will help you develop a greater understanding of the commercial aspects and possibilities of your research, and hence a more robust, better informed application for a full Follow-on Fund grant. Specific guidance is available below. Pathfinder awards are not subject to an Expression of Interest stage.

Follow-on Fund

This is the main scheme. Applications must demonstrate a sound understanding of the market opportunity, as described above, and a clear and robust linkage between the proposed technology development plan and the strategy proposed for commercialising the project's outputs. Specific guidance is available below.

The maximum amount that can be bid for is £125k (£100k NERC contribution). The maximum length of a grant is twelve months.

Many applicants will use the results of a preliminary pathfinder application to shape a 'full' proposal. A preliminary pathfinder will become compulsory after the June 2013 round.

Examples of activities funded include technology licensing, launching technology-based products or services, selling know-how based consultancy services, and the commercialisation of NERC-funded datasets. Applications are invited for projects pursuing any of these approaches or, indeed, others.

As the name suggests, the Follow-on Fund picks up where research programme and responsive mode grants leave off. It enables research programme and responsive mode grant research outputs to be further developed so their commercial potential can be realised.

The fund is therefore only suitable for projects that have clear commercial endpoints and objectives.

The commercial outputs and objectives of some projects may be relatively clear from the outset. In many projects, however, they will be less so, given the relatively early stage of the technology and its lack of proximity to the market. For example, the technology may have various potential applications, there may be uncertainties regarding the strength of the intellectual property position, the nature and size of the market may be unknown, and there may be barriers to adoption - such as market inertia - that are likely to hinder commercial uptake of the project's outputs.

In order to secure a Follow-on Fund grant, applicants must satisfy NERC on three counts. First, that their project is based on a sound understanding of the market need and opportunity that their proposed product, service or technology aims to satisfy. Secondly, that their proposed work programme is robust and designed to optimise the commercial and societal benefit derived from the grant, and thirdly, that the proposal follows on from previous NERC funding.

Eligibility/requirements

The fund is open to researchers with current or past NERC funding. Applications for follow-on support must build on the outputs of recent or previous NERC-funded research activity. Potential applicants from NERC's research centres should apply to the internal Innovation A and Innovation B schemes.

How to apply

Please send Expressions of Interest to knowledge@nerc.ac.uk by Tuesday 26 March 2013. It is anticipated that applicants will know the outcome of the EoI stage by the end of April.

Subsequent 'full' applications to the NERC Follow-on Fund should be made through the Je-S system, which can be accessed through the links to the right.

Applicants' Technology Transfer Offices are invited to contact NERC to discuss possible applications before a proposal is put together.

An Impact Summary must be included in an application. This is a mandatory section of the Je-S form.

Closing dates

Follow-on Fund: the next closing date for Expressions of Interest is 26 March 2013. The deadline for subsequent full proposals 5 June 2013.
Follow-on Fund Pathfinder: there is no closing date for this scheme; applications can be submitted at any time.