Anglia Ruskin University

Low Carbon KEEP Innovation Vouchers

The Low Carbon KEEP Innovation Voucher scheme allows SMEs to purchase academic expertise from the region's Universities and Colleges to support innovation and business improvement.The Innovation Vouchers cover 40% of the costs of purchasing specialist support for a value from £1,000 up to £5,000, which will provide up to 12 days of bespoke assistance.

The Low Carbon KEEP Innovation voucher is designed to offer SMEs an opportunity to explore new ideas and innovations, bring new knowledge into the business and support innovative R&D ideas. When calculating the value of the assistance, Low Carbon KEEP Innovation Vouchers use the specific academics` hourly rate, rather than set consultancy rates, giving businesses an even better value for money proposition.

Innovation Voucher Capital Funding

In addition to being able to purchase specialist academic support, SMEs who apply for an Innovation Voucher have the opportunity to apply for the Low Carbon KEEP Capital Grant Scheme that allows businesses to recoup 40% of the cost of purchasing capital items, such as essential equipment or software, which are fundamental to the success of a Low Carbon KEEP project or Innovation Voucher. The capital grant funding can be used to purchase more than one item on more than one occasion. All capital items purchased utilising Low Carbon KEEP capital grant funding will remain in the ownership of the SME partner. Should the Low Carbon KEEP project or Innovation Voucher come to a premature conclusion, the amount of the capital grant awarded will be proportionally reduced. If you decide not to apply for capital funding at the beginning of your Low Carbon KEEP project or Innovation Voucher, but change your mind afterwards, you can still apply at a later date, provided your project has not come to an end.

Key Benefits

A Low Carbon KEEP Innovation Voucher can help you:

• Realize substantial cost savings
• Develop and build new products or services
• Increase profitability by identifying efficiencies and innovative business processes
• Identify product and service improvements
• Experience working with an academic institution

Are we eligible?

The SME Partner's eligibility under the programme is assessed prior to application by the completion of an SME Eligibility Questionnaire (EQ) which accompanies the application and can be found in our More information and guidance section. The programme operates to standard ERDF eligibility criteria. Most business sectors are eligible including charities and not for profit organisations, although the coal, agricultural and fisheries sectors are excluded due to European funding regulations. To be eligible the SME Partner must:

• be based in Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (this means their head office address OR that at least 75% of their economic activity is in the East of England i.e. operational activity, spend and staff);
• employ fewer than 249 people, or;
• is no more than 25% owned by a parent company, or;
• has received no more than 200,000 euro state aid in the last three fiscal years

How do I apply?

For an informal chat and a copy of the application form please contact a member of our delivery team. Alternatively please visit the Contact A University page. This is not a formal part of the application process, but provides us with the information that we can help to match your project with an appropriate academic partner.

• Carole Randall, Programme Manager carole.randall@anglia.ac.uk 0845 196 4310
• Georgi Mirazchiev, Programme Administrator georgi.mirazchiev@anglia.ac.uk 0845 196 2840