Coronavirus business innovation support package: continuity grants, loans for existing Innovate UK award holders

From 15 May a grants package and a loans package are available for existing award holders.

 

Innovate UK has announced a package of support for existing award holders. Grants, loans and business advice are available and details are below.

 

Continuity grants

Up to £90m is available in continuity grants, paid upfront, to SMEs and third sector organisations who are existing Innovate UK award holders and who are at risk of abandoning their project due to a sudden shortage or even unavailability of funds directly related to Covid-19.

 

These grants are for eligible organisations that expect to have a funding gap (between £25,000 and £250,000) in the remaining period of their project because they are facing loss or damages, such as reduced access to capital, cancelled orders or increases to costs, and are therefore seeing cashflow disrupted as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

The grants are available until 29 May.

 

Continuity loans

Up to £210m is available in continuity loans to SMEs and third sector organisations that have a challenge in continuing a live project for which they are have an award from Innovate UK.

Loans are for organisations that that find themselves facing a sudden shortage or even unavailability of funds resulting directly from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This innovation continuity loan may be suitable if you need funding of between £250,000 and £1,600,000.

 

Continuity loans will be open for applications until all the money is allocated or 31 December 2020 – whichever is earlier.

 

Business advice and support

Business advisory support services are available to around 6,000 innovative high-growth-potential, high-growth and scaling SMEs over the next two years managed through the Enterprise Europe Network.

 

For details of all three packages, click here.