Sustainable Innovation is not currently recruiting. Please complete the expression of interest form below to be notified when applications open later in the year.
Interested SMEs should complete the below form, it allows us to capture your contact details, check eligibility, and understand your technical requirements and challenges.
Applications will be assessed as they are received. SMEs will be invited for scoping meetings on a first come, first served basis.
To get access to all that Sustainable Innovation has to offer you must:
Sustainable Innovation connects London SMEs with University academics and expert consultants to bring new clean tech products, processes, and services to market.
Our cohort structure provides sustainable businesses the access to the expertise, facilities and support required to succeed.
As part of the application process, we ask SMEs to identify the key technical challenges they face, and their goals for the coming 6-12 months.
Each successful applicant is assigned a team of experts from the schools of Engineering and the Built Environment. Together, we develop a bespoke project for every businesses.
Applications are due before 11.59PM on Sunday 19th December. They will then be processed by our Sustainable Innovation Working Group, made up of project staff, academic experts, and Researchers.
By this point all applicants will be informed whether they have been successful or not. If unsuccessful they will be given advice on how to prepare their business for the next round of applications.
SMEs will be contacted by a lead academic to begin scoping their project.
Members will receive their welcome pack. Meetings, events and academic collaborations will commence.
As part of the application process, businesses can propose projects with experts from the schools of Engineering and the Built Environment. This project should help them to further develop their product, conduct an independent evaluation, and support their progress towards launching to market.
If you have a design prototype and would like support to develop a MVP, or you already have a MVP and are ready to start independent testing, then we are able to assist.
We offer a wage subsidy for a new R&D hire to help accelerate your product/process development goals.
Without the support of Ben and LSBU numerous opportunities to display our prototype to industry experts would have been missed, which would have had a negative effect on the securing of the IP.
Our involvement has helped If.Vehicles receive investment of £750,000, and to secure collaboration meetings with Royal Mail and the Department for Transport (DfT).
A good leader is as valuable to a business as a good product or idea. Throughout participation you will have opportunity to meet with subject matter experts and gain the benefit of their experience.
Throughout the programme you will meet with the Sustainable Innovation Team to discuss your progress through the programme.
The cohort culminates in a showcase event in which members will have the opportunity to present their business, as if to a panel of investors.
It enables participants to expand their network as they graduate from the programme and generate momentum towards their business goals.
Members will be able to join the cohort Slack Channel, providing them the opportunity to connect with each other and seek out collaboration and feedback where appropriate.
Kyle's experience of bio-electrochemical systems has enabled WASE to redevelop existing designs and build new and more efficient systems.
WASE utilised our 40% staff subsidy offer to hire Kyle Bowman, a bio-electrochemical engineer. With Kyle's expertise and the company's increased capacity, they have significantly accelerated development.
Companies can be at a variety of stages in product development and benefit from the wide range of expertise and support available through the programme.
Companies that have a product or solution that is well-defined, i.e. MVP, and are ready to start user testing or building their evidence base are likely to benefit the most from collaborative research and development with LSBU academics as part of the programme.
If you apply and are unsuccessful in joining the cohort we will provide feedback to support you in future application, as well as signposting to potential areas of support to help you develop.
We expect you to actively engage with all of the support available through the cohort. This will typically equate to around 6 hours per month and applicants will need to dedicate additional time to work on any actions set to them via one-to-one support.
A2i and LCLDN are part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and London South Bank University (LSBU). All support is provided under Article 28 Innovation Aid to SMEs, and does not affect your de minimis allowance.