UKRI has opened the funding opportunities for the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF).
The LIPF provides up to £500m investment to unlock the growth of high potential innovation clusters across the UK. We expect this significant new investment to generate over £1 billion of co-investment and an additional £700 million of value to local economies, including through new jobs, products and services.
The LIPF places co-creation and locally empowered decision making at its heart; giving places a strong role in determining the support they need through locally led partnerships of local government, businesses, and research and innovation organisations - the triple helix.
UKRI will work with places, bringing our unique expertise to support them in identifying a portfolio of investments aligned to regional strengths and national priorities.
The LIPF earmarks at least £30 million for each of the 7 Established Mayoral Strategic Authority regions in England - Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, North East, and Greater London - as well as to Glasgow City Region, Cardiff Capital Region and an innovation corridor spanning Belfast-Derry/Londonderry.
More information can be found in the Funding Finder opportunity for earmarked regions
The LIPF also includes a ‘competed strand’ which is open to all other parts of the UK. This will similarly support high potential innovation clusters to grow and be based on a principle of co-creation with UKRI. This will allow us to build on the strengths that we know exist right across the UK.
More information can be found in the Funding Finder opportunity for the competed strand.
To support both earmarked regions and applicants to the competed strand, we have published further guidance which builds on the initial guidance we shared at the end of July.
The guidance covers UKRI’s co-creation offer, the funding delivery model and governance, detail on the readiness criteria applicants must meet to engage with the fund, guidance on the project portfolio, timescales and detailed information on the submission process.
If you have any questions, please contact Place@ukri.org