PBIAA Second for Early-Stage Commercialisation Projects

Call Summary

Please note that you must read the full Call document and Guidance Notes before submitting your proposal

Call type: Invitation for proposals

Closing date: Friday 31^st January 2025

Funding Available:

PBIAA funding is available for up to 12 early-stage commercialisation projects that require support from expertise and facilities available at Cardiff University Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) or Swansea University Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Manufacture (CISM). PBIAA funding is limited to £35,000 per project of up to 6 months duration. Projects must be early-stage or feasibility studies for commercialisation and not research feasibility studies.

Successful applicants may apply for further Follow-on funding from the SWCS PBIAA, up to seven awards at £50,000 each for a further six months will be available.

Summary:

The South Wales Compound Semiconductor Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (SWCS PBIAA) is led by Cardiff University in collaboration with Swansea University, working closely with industry and public sector partners within the South Wales compound semiconductor cluster, branded as ‘CSconnected’. SWCS PBIAA leverages unique regional expertise, translational research infrastructure and critical manufacturing capabilities as innovation assets and aims to make a step-change in the expansion rate of the ‘CSconnected’ by attracting CS academics and researchers from across the UK to set-up and innovate in South Wales.

Early-Stage commercialisation funding can be used to fund costs associated with advancing the innovation concept (including staff time, travel and subsistence and consumables costs), and to access expertise and/or facilities time at the Institute for Compound Semiconductors at Cardiff University and / or the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials at Swansea. This includes design, epitaxial growth, fabrication and characterisation / analysis.

How to apply: Cardiff University is managing the administration and award of applications. Eligibility criteria is detailed below. Enquiries and applications should be submitted by email to Dr Rachel Morgan, PBIAA Programme Manager (MorganR60@Cardiff.ac.uk).

Assessment Process: a two-stage review process will be followed. Submissions will be considered and scored by at least two Assessors, with expertise in semiconductor translational research, commercialisation and regional place-based innovation support. The Assessors will select candidates to progress to the second round of the Call to present a short business case pitch (a pro-forma template will be provided) to the Panel, consisting of the SWCS PBIAA Management and Governance Boards. Funding allocations will be confirmed by the Panel.

Key Dates:

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to anyone who has an existing employment contract in an academic, research or technical role at a UK Higher Education Institution that will extend to include the duration of the project. If awarded, funding, employing institutions must confirm applicants will have an employment contract that covers the full duration of the project.

Applicants must make use of the CSconnected cluster capabilities at the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) in Swansea University and / or the Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) at Cardiff University, or any other cluster entities in South Wales to perform activity detailed in the proposal.

Please see full applicant Guidance Notes on application and assessment review process and consideration of:  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Responsible Research and Innovation; Trusted Research and Intellectual Property.

Applicants must ensure the following:

• All applications should be submitted on the application form provided.
• Proposed projects and activities must clearly align with SWCS PBIAA aims and objectives, and clearly demonstrate the need and intended workplan for engagement with a cluster entity and the use of South Wales based facilities.
• All projects must fall within the early-stage commercialisation/proof of concept category. SWCS PBIAA funding is not suitable for early-stage research.
• Development or research feasibility studies will not be considered by the assessment panel.
• If successful, all projects must be ready to start within three months of 1^st April 2025, with a maximum duration of six months.
• If successful, employing institutions must confirm the lead applicant will have an employment contract that covers the full duration of the project.

Applications must:

• Include descriptions of tangible deliverables from the project by each party that demonstrate progress towards full stage commercialisation.
• Include practical timeframes for key tasks and deliverables required of each party in Expected Outcomes and Pathways to Impact and Commercialisation.
•  Include a full justification of resources – costs for South Wales based facilities access must be supported by quotes from that entity.
• Adhere to the maximum word count provided for each section on the form.

Award-holders will be required to provide detailed mid-term (3 months) and end of project (6 months) reports summarising progress against key tasks, deliverables, main achievements, interaction with CSconnected cluster organisations, identified risks and challenges, and budget position.  

Award holders will also be expected to participate in networking events in person in South Wales and/or online, and to engage with the wider CSconnected community and SWCS PBIAA activities (including knowledge transfer, advanced skills training and public and school engagement) where aligned with their interests.  Further ED&I funding is available to support engagement with these activities if required – please see ED&I section in the Guidance Notes.

Assessment Process

First Stage

Submissions will be considered and scored by at least two Assessors, with expertise in semiconductor translational research, commercialisation and regional place-based innovation support. Assessors will be required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest with applicants, their employing institutions, or organisations named in the proposal – all identified conflicts will be managed by Cardiff University.

Second Stage

The Assessors will select candidates to progress to the second round of the Call to present a short business case pitch (a pro-forma template will be provided) to the Panel, consisting of the SWCS PBIAA Management and Governance Boards. Funding allocations will be confirmed by the Panel.

Applications will be assessed and scored against the following key criteria:

1. Summary of Concept and TRL* Status
2. Benefit to CSconnected cluster, Regional Partnership Opportunities and Alignment to Scope
3. Expected Outcomes and Pathways to Impact and Commercialisation

**Please refer to the Guidance Notes for further details**

Contacts

For more details, please contact the PBIAA Programme Manager, Dr Rachel Morgan (MorganR60@Cardiff.ac.uk), or ICS and CISM contacts given in the full call Guidance Notes.  Applicants are also advised to consult their university or departmental research office ahead of submitting a proposal to this Funding Call.

**Please note that this funding is discretionary and competing the first step application form does not guarantee that the applicant will progress to the next round of the Funding Call (business case pitch) and receive the amount of support requested from the SWCS PBIAA, unless agreed by the Panel Assessors and wider Management and Governance Boards**