Free Innovation Support for Agri-Food and Biotechnology businesses - KTN Innovation Canvas Competition
Agri-Food and Biotechnology businesses can apply for 3 days of free Innovation Support to bring their projects to market.
Are you an innovative high-growth business operating in the following market sectors: Livestock and Aquaculture, Food and Drink, Industrial Biotechnology and/or Plants and Crops? 
Do you have an exciting product, service or process idea but need strategic guidance to bring it to market?
The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) is pleased to announce a competition offering 3 days of innovation support for up to eight businesses. We want to hear from companies currently facing new challenges in these sectors and who would benefit from help with implementing their innovation strategy. This competition is now open and the deadline for applications is midnight 29th May 2020.
This package of support includes the following:
1. Facilitation of an Innovation Canvas Workshop
KTN’s Innovation Canvas is designed to help businesses create value from innovation and identify the changes needed to make your idea succeed. It provides a framework for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a specific project, identifying the most urgent challenges to overcome, and prioritising what action to take. KTN will facilitate this session to evaluate an existing project, develop an innovative new idea, or inform a funding application. Specifically, the KTN Innovation Canvas will help your business to:
- Accelerate the development of new products and services
- Make better informed decisions
- Create more focused pitches and funding applications
- Identify and mitigate risks within current projects
In light of the current situation, KTN has developed techniques to ensure this workshop can be delivered by webinar if face to face is not an option.
2. KTN Report and Support Plan
Further to delivery of the Innovation Canvas workshop, KTN will prepare a report on the findings, the areas of priority, the challenge areas and next steps for the business.
Next steps may highlight specific areas for improvement and KTN will provide a bespoke Clinic session to address this topic, for example how to prepare a strong application for funding or pitch training for investment.
The facilitation work KTN does across all the successful applicants may highlight common problems, and further bespoke events may be developed to address broader industry challenges.
Competition rules and assessment
Applicants must be an innovative high-growth business operating in the following market sectors: Livestock and Aquaculture, Food and Drink, Industrial Biotechnology and Plant and Crops.
Support will be provided for up to eight businesses. Depending on the number and quality of applications received, up to four businesses from livestock and aquaculture will be supported (this is related to the source of funding used to provide this support), with the remaining businesses supported from across Food and Drink, Industrial Biotechnology and Plant and Crops.
Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation panel comprised of KTN staff. They will be awarded on merit, according to the following criteria:
- Relevance to the objectives of this competition.
- The company’s innovation aspirations, the innovation idea and the potential benefits.
Applicants will be notified with the results of their application by June 26th, 2020.
Unsuccessful applicants will not be provided with feedback on their application.
Implementation for successful applicants
Successful applicants will be provided with a letter indicating value of support for them to take account for their de minimis allowance.
Delivery of this support package for successful applicants is planned to take place before 30th November 2020.
To apply for this Innovation Support, click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Tully, KTM Agri-Food.