Calling all Northamptonshire businesses – £5,000 grants and expert support available from the University of Northampton

Northamptonshire businesses are being given the opportunity to receive up to £5,000 funding from the University of Northampton to boost growth and develop ideas.

The University of Northampton Business Innovation Grant 2019 enables organisations in the county to work with the institution’s academics and facilities, with the aim of developing new products, processes, services, gaining new insights or generally developing business.

Charlotte Patrick, Key Sector and Knowledge Transfer Manager at the University, said: “Applications are welcomed from all businesses in Northamptonshire. You could be looking to improve productivity processes as a manufacturing or logistics company or perhaps enhance a technical function in your family owned business or manage waste created by your food manufacturing processes.

“We have a huge breadth of expertise here at the University, from lifts to footwear, tourism to apps, waste to polymers – and we want to use our knowledge to better businesses in the county.”

There’s a raft of expertise at the University in the following areas, which could be tapped by businesses via the fund:

• Health & wellbeing
• Ageing society
• Dementia
• Heritage
• Special educational needs
• Social enterprise
• Laboratory space
• Cyber security
• Polymers & coatings
• Supply chains
• Entrepreneurship
• China & emerging economics
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• User-centred design
• Management of wastes & resources
• Lift technology
• High performance engineering
• Internet of Things
• AI & robotics

The University is also home to four institutes:

• Institute for Public Safety, Crime & Justice
• Institute for Social Innovation and Impact
• Institute of Logistics, Infrastructure, Supply and Transport
• Institute of Creative Leather Technology

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 14 May, with all funds to be spent by Wednesday 31 July.

For more information, or if you require support outside of the areas of expertise above, please email charlotte.patrick@northampton.ac.uk.