The programme seeks applications for technology innovators from the startup and scaleup community who will be interested in developing technology prototypes to some of the UK’s core industrial challenges.

Designed for startups and scaleups, here are the requirements for applications to the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator:

• The lead company* has to be registered with Companies House in the UK (or equivalent, for example establishment in the UK and the majority of work must be carried out in the UK. In the case of international co-productions, the work carried out outside the UK must be proportionate to the amount of funding brought in by the international company)
• The lead company* must have a business bank account
• The team must have one or more team members with expertise with at least one of the advanced digital technology stack (future networks, artificial intelligence, distributed systems and immersive).
• Experience within the manufacturing sector is not essential, however knowledge of how to apply this to industry and relevance to the challenge is required.
• The team must be able to attend all the activities (for example, the workshops, final Showcase for the duration of the programme). Please note dates are subject to change:
  • Workshops and prototyping: March 2021 – June 2021
  • Industry Prototype Presentation event: June 2021
  • Workshops and minimum viable product development (*if successful) July 2021 – November 2021
  • Final Showcase: December 2021
    *Lead company
• You may enter as a collaborative team, but there must be a lead company that will contract with us and get paid.
• All other collaborators involved must be named in the application process. It is the responsibility of the lead company to arrange any collaboration agreements or subcontracts as necessary and to comply with the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator terms and conditions.
• Your collaborators may be with international companies.
• You can be named as a collaborator on more than one application, but can only be a ‘lead’ company once.
• We may carry out due diligence on the lead and any collaboration companies so they must be willing to submit documentation upon request (including but not limited to, bank account statements for the business and personal references).