Did you know that Innovate UK supported Northern Ireland businesses with funding worth over £20 million last year? Take a short survey to help DfE understand why more NI businesses don’t bid for Innovate UK funding and you could win £100 of Amazon vouchers!

Innovate UK is the UK’s Innovation Agency and is responsible for around £1 billion per annum in funding for Research and Development (R&D) developments in UK companies. Those Northern Ireland companies which have bid for Innovate UK funding have a success rate comparable with their GB comparators – but the number of businesses actually bidding from NI are much lower than would be expected.

The Department for the Economy (DfE) is keen to find out why – it wants to measure the level of awareness of Innovate UK,  what the reasons are for the relatively low levels of engagement and what can be done to support more NI companies to bid for and win Innovate UK funding.

DfE has therefore launched a short survey aimed at businesses who invest in R&D (or who want to do so) to find out more about what additional support is needed. The survey is live until the 25th October.

 

The feedback DfE gets from R&D companies through this survey will be really important in helping them tailor support according to companies’ needs. So take this opportunity to tell the Department for the Economy how best they can help your company work with Innovate UK.

The Matrix panel also understands that R&D is vital in helping to grow a strong economy and is keen to support the work of Innovate UK and promote the funding opportunities it offers to businesses. Matrix is therefore offering a prize of £100 worth of Amazon vouchers for one lucky entrant who will be chosen at random. Good luck!