The Technology Strategy Board proposes to stimulate innovation across its core technology areas to help ensure that UK businesses are well-equipped to respond to the challenges presented by the current downturn. We have allocated up to £1m to invest in feasibility studies lasting up to three months and each costing no more than £33,000 in total. We will fund 75% of the project cost (up to around £25,000).

This competition will focus on feasibility studies:

• in technology areas closely aligned with the prioritised pillars of our various technology strategies (see below)
• that contain an element of technology innovation
• that are both led and undertaken by small and micro companies individually or in partnership, and
• where the single company or collaborative partners spend most of the funding in-house.

The output of each study should comprise a short report and a presentation. This should describe, for example: the work undertaken, the challenges identified, the progress made, lessons learned, the next steps, and whether the project was successful. Where applicable, the output may also be in the form of a demonstration item - a practical demonstration of what has been achieved through the project. Each project will be required to provide a 10-minute presentation at a closing workshop, to be held in March 2010.

The feasibility studies need to match one or more of the technology areas below and must align closely with the Technology Strategy Board's strategies in the respective areas.

These areas currently include:

• High value manufacturing
• Advanced materials
• Nanotechnology
• Bioscience
• Electronics, photonics and electrical systems
• Information and communication technology.

A copy of the strategies currently published can be found under Related Documents on this page

Key dates

Competition opens 1st September 2009
Briefing (optional) 8th September 2009
Deadline for receipt of full applications 1st October 2009 (midday)
Decision and feedback to applicants by 16th October 2009
Offer letters posted by 30th October 2009
Feasibility studies completed by 26th February 2010