Analysis for Innovators (A4I) – what people are saying about it
Round 4 of the A4I programme was launched recently: here are some of the comments from those at the event.
KTN recently ran a series of events at locations across the UK to promote the Analysis for Innovators (A4I) programme.  This culminated in running the competition briefing event as Round 4 opened for applications.  Round 4 will close on 20 March so if the comments inspire you to submit an application, find out more at A4I’s newly launched website here.
A4I is a programme that gives UK businesses of any size access to cutting-edge R&D expertise and facilities to help solve problems that they have been unable to tackle using standard technologies and techniques.
A4I is an investment from Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, alongside funding partners the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the National Measurement Laboratory at LGC , the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Delegates at the launch event, some already funded by A4I during previous rounds and some new to the competition, had the following comments:
“Our work with NPL feels more like a peer-to-peer collaboration, rather than a customer-service provider relationship.¬† They‚Äôre as invested in this project as we are.”
“The brokerage stage was interesting.”
“We‚Äôre working with LGC and it‚Äôs amazing to get access to these scientists and to state-of-the-art technology.”
“The event showed what‚Äôs available, what‚Äôs good and what‚Äôs out there.”
“To succeed in our funding bid has given us confidence in what we‚Äôre doing.”
“The funding gave us a sense of credibility to find out how our process does what it does.”
“First impressions [of A4I] are that the process is nice and simple for the first round.”
“We now employ 28 people from where we started with eight staff.”
“The team at NPL understands what our future users need.”
“NPL knows what‚Äôs relevant and irrelevant as we move forward. ¬†They also give us extra bandwidth and a level of industry horizon scanning.”
“The gated process of the application was really helpful. ¬†It meant that our potential partners could help us with our application.”
“To get funding and to work with world-renowned technologies? ¬†That‚Äôs given us a huge confidence boost.”
“It‚Äôs given us the confidence to bid for contracts and projects ‚Äì we‚Äôre now working with a large water company: the funding has given us access to high value markets.”
“We‚Äôre literally at a roadblock and we‚Äôre now developing a method to show that what we‚Äôre doing is safe to use with our partner at LGC.”
“The funding has given us credibility and shown that what we‚Äôre doing is worth investing in.”
Together the A4I funding partners run some of the most advanced facilities, techniques and technologies available in the world.  A4I matches the best UK scientists and facilities with companies that have existing, possibly long-running issues, taking a different approach from other Innovate UK funding competitions.
To find out if A4I could be beneficial to your company, visit the A4I website.