Farming Innovation Programme: Research Starter Pilot: Application Advice and FAQs
This page has been updated on 23 May 2022.
Here's some guidance on how to film and upload your videos for the Research Starter Pilot competition as well as insight from two farmers on the kind of challenges could be included in your application.
Perspectives from farmers
Hear from two farmers who submitted strong applications for Round 1. They talk about the application process and share useful advice.
Hear from farmers on topics that would make a good application for this funding competition.
Guidance on how to film and upload your videos
Disclaimer: The advice on how to produce your videos has been produced by KTN at the request of Innovate UK as guide to those submitting to the Research Starter competition. It is presented strictly as guidance only. Use of this advice does not guarantee securing grant funding and/or investment. It is your responsibility to determine what information to include when representing your application and idea. We hope you will find this guide helpful, but ultimately it remains your responsibility to complete your application correctly.
To apply for the Research Start Projects funding competition, you’ll need to film six short videos.
Read the Research Starter Pilot competition details here.
Here are the steps that you will need to go through to film and upload your videos:
- Film your 6 videos separately using your phone or your computer
- Create a YouTube account, or sign in if you already have one
- Upload each video onto YouTube, setting them to “unlisted”
- Copy the link for each video onto the application form here (click on “Start new application” and create an account if necessary).
Here are some short videos to walk you through the process of uploading your video answers.
How to create a YouTube account
How to upload your videos to YouTube
How to share the link for your videos in the application form on IFS (Innovation Funding Service)
- Navigate to YouTube and go to your ‘Channel Content’.
- Click on the three dots by the title of the video you want to share.
- Click ‘Get shareable link’.
- The link to this video will copy directly onto your clipboard.
- Copy this link into the relevant question box on the IFS form.
Tips for filming your answers
- If you’re filming inside, make sure there is good lighting. You’ll get the best natural light by facing a window.
- Prepare some bullet points of what you’re going to say before you start filming.
- If you’re filming outside, make sure it’s not windy or noisy.
- Don’t worry about your videos being perfect. The most important thing is that the sound is clear and what you’re saying is easy to understand.
FAQs about submitting your video application
Who will be able to view my videos?
Only those who have access to the link that you generate for each video, as long as you ensure that the videos are ‘unlisted’ once you have uploaded them to YouTube.
Can I use an alternative platform, other than YouTube?
No. For this particular competition, in order to ensure the assessors can watch your video, Innovate UK will only be able to accept links to YouTube videos.
Can I record the videos on my mobile or tablet?
Yes. You can record your videos on any device that you are comfortable with as long as you are then able to upload the video to YouTube either on the same device or by transferring it to a laptop or computer.
Can I upload a single video which includes all the questions?
No. For this call each question needs to be recorded separately, meaning that you will have five separate videos each with a unique link. The links can then be loaded onto IFS for each of the corresponding questions.