Innovate UK, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Medical Research Council (MRC) aim to support projects that will improve the discovery (early stages when active substances and their potential uses are identified) of new human and veterinary medicines, agrochemicals and chemicals and their assurance for effectiveness and safety as they are developed.

Proposals must be collaborative and led by a business. We expect to fund mainly industrial research projects in which a large business partner can claim up to 50% public funding for their project costs (60% for SMEs).

We expect projects to range in size from total costs of £500,000 to £1 million although we may consider projects outside this range.

This is a two-stage competition that opens for applicants on 23 March 2015. The deadline for registration is noon on 29 April 2015 and the deadline for expressions of interest is noon on 6 May 2015.

There will be a briefing event and webinar for potential applicants in London on 26 March 2015.

 

Further details can be found on the Innovate UK website under Forthcoming competitions.