IUK Launches Designing Sustainable Plastic Solutions Competition

According to Innovate UK (IUK), the environmental impact of goods and services can be reduced through better design, but the benefits will only be realised if these new designs are readily adopted by customers.

This competition provides grants to help businesses better understand relevant customer and user behaviours and use that knowledge to create designs for innovative goods, services or business models that will result in less persistent plastic waste entering the environment.

IUK is funding early-stage, human-centred design projects to reduce the harm that plastics have on the environment and to therefore increase productivity and growth of the UK economy. Ideas could include the radical re-design of existing goods, services or business models, or the design of entirely new ones which serve an existing need in a way that does not rely on single-use plastic.

IUK has allocated up to £800,000 to fund innovation projects in this competition. A project’s total eligible costs must be between £20,000 and £80,000.

The competition is open to single applicants and collaborations, with UK registered businesses of any size leading a project or working alone. To collaborate with the lead, by invitation, the organisation must be a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO).

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 16 September 2020 (12:00 BST).

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.