Only SMEs in Greater Manchester (GM) and West Yorkshire (WY) are eligible for funding, and project work must be carried out in this region. This is defined by a list of postcodes that will be included on the application portal. Projects must intend to exploit the results from or in the UK and must start within three months following approval. They must last between three to six months and finish by June 2026.
The lead organisation must be a UK registered SME in GM or WY. A business can only lead on one application however a university can collaborate on any number of applications but cannot lead or work alone. Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example businesses outside of the defined regions.
I4M is funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund (SIPF), administered by NPL. As part of NPL’s function to administer the scheme, you should expect contact from: AMPI.SIPF@npl.co.uk.
Start I4M applicationI4M encourages the development of new manufacturing technology within advanced machinery, robotics, automation, or associated industries. Projects must focus on delivering advancements in machinery for manufacturing, show clear benefit technically and demonstrate innovation at an industrially relevant scale.
Projects must also demonstrate clear market opportunity, a credible route to that market and show clear benefit in creating or safeguarding jobs.
Our target geography is the region encompassing Greater Manchester and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority areas. Please review the research partner briefing slides to determine if your postcode district is eligible. Please note these detail the expectations of the research partner as a deliverer.
Read our briefing slides