Follow-on Fund

The closing date for the second round of the 2010 Follow-on Fund, for proposals falling within NERC's remit, will be 16:00 on Wednesday 1 February 2012.

Additions since last round

New case study: The new green revolution - Developing a fungus into an environmentally friendly pesticide.

Guidance for writing supporting letters.

Introduction

This is a 'proof of concept' fund to support the commercialisation of ideas arising from research funded by:

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

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. Examples of projects funded through the Follow-on Fund are given in the 'Other business applications' section of Case Studies.

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.

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.

Many applicants will use the results of a preliminary pathfinder application to shape a 'full' proposal.

Examples 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 must follow 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 make your applications to the NERC Follow-on Fund 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: Closing dates for 2012 are 1 February, 6 June and 3 October.
Follow-on Fund Pathfinder: there is no closing date for this scheme; applications can be submitted at any time.