The National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) has £10 million to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) developing innovative technologies for the aerospace industry.
The funding is from the £3.9 billion UK Aerospace Technology Institute programme, a partnership between government and industry managed by Innovate UK, the Aerospace Technology Institute and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The world-leading UK aerospace industry has a turnover of £35 billion and directly employs 123,000 people. It needs to keep innovating to stay ahead in global markets.
Up to £2.5 million is available from NATEP in a first round of funding managed by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Projects should be in line with UK aerospace strategy
The competition aims to help SMEs to develop technologies that win new business in the civil aerospace sector.
Projects should be in line with one of the technology streams in the UK aerospace technology strategy, Raising Ambition:
- aircraft of the future
- smart, connected and more electric aircraft
- aerostructures of the future
- propulsion of the future
The strategy is being revised, and new categories could be added before the competition closes.
Competition information
- the competition opens on 21 October 2019, and the closing date is 4 December 2019
- projects must be led by an SME
- projects could range in size between £100,000 and £300,000
- businesses could get up to 50% of their costs
- an online briefing event will be held on 29 October 2019
