Transport Knowledge Transfer Network enquires@transportktn.org www.transportktn.org

Transport KTN’s Guideto

Technology Strategy Board’sCompetition process

Tessa DarleyTransport KTN

enquires@transportktn.org www.transportktn.org

Applicants’ Journey

Launch Expression of Interest

Review Period Full stage Assessment Project

initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks 7 weeks 4 weeks

Timeline of a Technology Strategy Board Competition

19 weeks

Today’s Presentation

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Launch Expression of Interest

Review Period Full stage Assessment Project

initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks 7 weeks 4 weeks

The Launch

Transport KTN information and

Consortia Building

14th Jan 2013

• Technology Strategy Board formal announcement• Competition Scope released• Transport KTN Supporting activities• Vessel efficiency interest group • Think of projects – talk to existing contacts, network

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Fast Track

• Single stage application• Fast-Track to account for up to 10% of the budget• Projects will last 6 to 12 months• Total costs for each project will be between £200K to

£500K• Each project to include a small or micro business• Business led consortia of at least two partners• Applicants submit a full-stage application form at EOI

stage

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Collaborative R&D

• Two stage application• Projects expected to last between 12 and 36 months• Project costs typically range from £250K to £3m• Business-led consortia of at least two partners• Funding levels

– Small and micro business can expect to be 60% funded– Large companies expected at 50%– At least 70% of the total eligible project costs to be

commercial organisations, max 30% to research participants– No one partner to receive more than 70% of the eligible costs

• Evidence of effective collaboration

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Launch Review Period Full stage Assessment Project

initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks 7 weeks 4 weeks

The Expression of Interest

Expression of Interest

Register your

interest

Information Day

Optional EOI review deadline

• Short 6 week period • Applicants need to register their interest by 20th Feb noon

– On the TSB competition page for this competition– To enable the downloading of the application form– To upload completed EOI form– Download the full guidance to applicants – definitive guide

• Technology Strategy Board information day 22nd January• Decide if fast track or full stage project submission – form to complete

14th Jan 2013 27th Feb 2013 noon

enquires@transportktn.org www.transportktn.org

Expression of Interest Full stage Assessment Project

initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks

7 weeks 4 weeks

The Review Period

Launch Review Period

• Independent reviewers– The Technology Strategy Board preserves reviewers

anonymity, and the Transport KTN do not know who the reviews are.

• Reviewers sign confidentiality agreements• Gateway Question - If the review panel consider that the

answer to this question is not adequate – then your application will not pass the EOI stage.

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Expression of Interest Full stage Assessment

Project initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks

6 weeks 2 weeks

7 weeks 4 weeks

Launch Review Period

• Submissions assessed by several reviewers– The business proposition– Project details– Funding and added value

• Independent panel meeting held to– Discuss all EOI applications– Agree Ranked list for Fast Track and EOI submissions

EOI Review stage

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• Fast track– The TSB will allocate their fast track funding to the highest

ranked project, then the next project, and so on.– This process is continued until all of the funding is allocated to

projects. – Once the funding is allocated, subsequent projects will not be

funded.

Expression of Interest

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks

EOI Decision

Launch Review Period Invitation to full stage

Unsuccessful

Fast Track

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• Invitation to Full stage– TSB will invite the highest ranking applications to submit a full

stage application, in strict order. – Usually this would be in the region of 200% of the indicative

funding allocation.

• Unsuccessful applications– Once indicative 200% is reached, subsequent projects will inform

the project that the submission has not been successful.– Contact the Transport KTN

Expression of Interest

Fast Tract

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks

EOI Decision

Launch Review Period

Unsuccessful

Invitation to full stage

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• Consortia invited back to submit a full submission• TSB will run a compulsory briefing day, to which at least one delegate

from the consortia must attend• Applications can only be on the forms provided online• Annexes can be submitted & Illustrations and graphics can be included• Submitted before the deadline, normally noon

Expression of Interest Assessment Project

initiation

Competition Opens

EOIDeadline

FullStage

CompetitionCloses

Applicantsinformed

Minimum 4 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks 7 weeks 4 weeks

Full Stage

Launch Review Period Full stage

Register your

interest

Compulsory information

Day

14th Jan 2013 1st May 2013

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Fundamentals• Read the ‘Competition scope’.• Read the ‘Guidance for applicants’.• Read the questions and understand them!• Answer the question!

– Each question has a purpose – providing the same information in response to several questions does not help the assessor assess your proposal!

• Put yourself in the assessor’s position.• Each field has only a certain space allocated to it

– Use wisely, but as comprehensive as possible

• If the question has “Quantify” – the answer is a number.

• If in doubt, contact the competition hotline.

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Consider• The importance of the gateway question

Need to show that a clear majority of the project’s objectives and activities are aligned with the specific competition.

– If the review panel consider that the answer is not adequate then your application will not pass the EOI stage.

• What is innovative about your project ?– both commercially and scientifically?

• Commercialisation and exploitation at the end of the grant.

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The business proposition

• Clearly state from the outset "WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO!” 

• Don't think the idea is so commercially confidential that the idea can't be discussed in detail.• Market is clearly understood and the ROI is clearly

stated, quantified and realistic.• Evidence and quantification – solid data sources.• Sufficient resolution to be relevant to the project.• Route to market & the funding gap to

commercialisation explained.• Be clear on what is being delivered.• Arguably ‘route to market’ is the most important aspect

of all the questions – without one how will the innovation bear fruit.

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Important questions - Risk

• All questions are important because they all present an opportunity for you to distinguish your proposals from the rest. However, thinking of the risk question:• Innovation is about risk – not the avoidance of risk.• Projects need to understand the risks and how they

will be mitigated. Strong risk management strategies need to be shown.

• This understanding of risk needs to be conveyed to the assessor through your proposal.

• Technical, Commercial, Environmental, Managerial – make sure all are addressed.

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Important questions - Impact

• All questions are important because they all present an opportunity for you to distinguish your proposals from the rest. However, thinking of the impact question (environmental, social and economic):• Usually the worst answered.• Possibly why some borderline projects missed funding

– a more detailed response would have lifted them into the funding zone.

• Simple things like cradle to grave impacts, end of life/reuse, direct and indirect job creation, security of supply, social impact on third world economies.

• In other words – show that at least some time has been spent thinking about the wider, longer term consequences of the technology development.

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Important questions - Funding

• All questions are important because they all present an opportunity for you to distinguish your proposals from the rest. However, on the subject of funding and added value:• Demonstrate that the project costs are entirely

appropriate.• Demonstrate that the project will significantly increase

the industrial partners’ R&D spend during the project and afterwards.

• Accuracy is important.

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Language

• Most industries use their own jargon which is impenetrable to those from outside it.

• There will be multiple assessors for each proposal – mainly from within the sector but also from outside it.

• Don’t assume prior detailed knowledge for the assessor and avoid industry specific ACRONYMS, especially where there is significant innovation.

• If you must use them, define ACRONYMS – it’s very difficult to read and understand sentences where the majority of the words are not words!

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Get the TRL right!

• Vessel Efficiency is looking for a range of projects focusing on TRL 4 to 6, but extending TRL 3 to 7 if justified.

• Your proposal needs to sit within the right range for this competition.

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Attention to Detail

• The assessors need to understand what the consortium is doing.

• The only way they can do that is through the answers you give to the questions.

• Be clear in your answers.• Bad grammar and spelling does not present a

professional image and diverts the assessor’s attention away from your key messages.

• Check your submission thoroughly. Once complete – get somebody else to read it...preferably somebody outside the business and listen to their comments.

• Make sure the correct document is uploaded...in the past someone submitted a mother’s letter to the school excusing her daughter’s absence!

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Other pointers on content

• Number your answers so the assessors can see where one questions ends and the next begins.

• Use all of the main sheet, don’t leave big blank spaces – the impression is that you don’t know too much about the subject.

• Use diagrams, pictures and charts in the annexes – lots of plain text is depressing; make it clear, easy to read and interesting.

• Reference the annexes at the appropriate point in the main application document – don’t leave the assessor to search for info in the attachments.

• Reference sources including the publishing date.

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Submission of application• Submitted before the deadline, normally noon

– 12:01 submission will automatically be rejected without exception

– We strongly advise to submit your EOI before the EOI deadline

• At Expression of Interest stage– A missing consortia partner – still submit an EOI !

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Finally

• Attending events like these will help.• Check out the official group on _Connect.• Even if consortia didn’t get funding though AIR, it got

their innovation on the radar and, in some cases, doors were opened.

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In conclusion...

• Read the question & the supporting information available.

• Your answers to the questions are the only way of distinguishing your proposal from the rest of the field.

• Attention to detail.• Participate – it’s get your innovation on the

radar. • Address specific requirements of the

competition

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Transport KTN – here to assist

http://bit.ly/VesselEfficiency link