News: £24.4m of research grants available for Yorkshire companies

Yorkshire Forward have launched a scheme which encourages large companies in Yorkshire and Humber to carry out new research and development. The Industrial Research and Development (IRD) scheme includes grants for research and development that are intended to encourage companies to drive forward the development of innovative new products, which will help them to grow and become more competitive, by mitigating some of the financial risk associated with new product development. The IRD scheme encourages collaborative working as qualifying large companies, which have to be based or will soon be based in the region; need to collaborate with another company and/or knowledge base, such as a university. The proposed research and development project must have a total project value of between £650k and £2.5m and must last between one to two years. Alex McWhirter, Assistant Director of Business at Yorkshire Forward commented: "In a climate when companies of all sizes are struggling to access finance for new developments, these grants should help our regional businesses retain their competitive edge. "The purpose of the IRD scheme is to provide an injection of finance for a project that will accelerate its progression to market, allowing the company to expand or access new markets." The IRD scheme is now open for outline proposals until 21st November 2008 and a breakfast briefing is being held at Tankersley Manor tomorrow.

IRD scheme website

Rotherham