Innovation grant mentoring project

If you have a bold idea and are considering applying for innovation funding, our Innovation Business Support service is here to help you succeed.

Whether you're developing a new product or service for the UK our expert Innovation mentoring and bid coaching support can guide you through the process.

Securing innovation funding can be complex, especially for smaller businesses, but you don't have to navigate it alone. We'll work with you to craft a compelling application that boosts your chances of success.

Already applied but didn't get funded? Don't give up. We'll help you strengthen your next bid and move your project forward with confidence.

This free support is available to businesses located in Norfolk, Suffolk, or Essex.

How it works

We start by getting to know your business, your goals, ambitions, and innovative ideas. From there we match you with experienced an Innovation Mentor and Bid Coach who will support you every step of the way.

The service works with micro, small or medium-sized businesses, based in Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex. We're here to help you shape your proposal, select the right funding call and prepare a strong application for innovation funding.

We'll make the project work for you

Running or managing a business means a busy schedule. We'll work with you to make sure you get the support you need in the way that works best for you:

If you've never applied for innovation funding before, our mentors can walk you through every step of the way
If you've applied before but haven't been successful, we can offer focused support to improve future bids
Or you might want to work with a mentor with specific industry advice who can help to steer you in the right direction

You'll also get access to workshops with mentors and bid writing coaches that will be available to all our businesses signed up.

What's the catch?

You will need to put the time and effort in. Your mentor and bid writing coach offer advice and support, but they won't do your product research or application for you.

We might also ask you to do a bit of promo work for the project once you've taken part. When our project helps you win your funding, we'll want to shout about it.

Frequently asked questions

Who is running this service?

The programme is run by Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council and Essex County Council.

Our expert project steering group includes representatives from:

Connected Innovation
Hethel Innovation
Innovate UK Business Connect
Innovate UK Business Growth
MENTA
New Anglia Growth Hub
University of East Anglia
University of Suffolk

Why are you offering this free support?

Statistically, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex businesses receive significantly less funding for innovation projects than companies based in the rest of the East of England. Yet millions of pounds worth of innovation grants are available.

Who are the project mentors?

As part of the project, we have received funding to pay for professional mentors from a wide range of industries and sectors. Together they have huge amounts of expertise in writing grant applications and teaching business owners how to develop the skills needed. They're friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, business people. Many continue to run their own businesses.

I've tried applying for a grant before, but I wasn't successful

Completing grant forms is a specialist skill. It's not always obvious how to write a strong application or which funding stream to aim for. And if you've been unsuccessful, sometimes it's hard to understand the feedback explaining why.

This project will give you bespoke, flexible, tailored support to re-work your application or start from scratch. Project mentors will also help you work out who the best grant giving body is for your project.

I'm concerned about privacy and my intellectual property

The council, its partners and contractors will respect any rights asserted by the author/creator of work in respect of their work. We'll use non disclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect both business beneficiaries and the project's mentors, bid writing coaches and project partners. We will ask all parties to sign an NDA before bespoke mentoring or bid writing starts.

Read the Innovation Grant Mentoring privacy notice for information about how we will use your personal information.

Register your interest in Innovation Grant Mentoring

Before you begin:

Please check your business meets our eligibility criteria before applying:
You must either be looking to test the feasibility of an innovative idea and make sure it will work, OR be looking to a create or improve a product, process or service, through research and development
You must be looking to grow your business through an innovation project
Your business must be based in Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex
You must have fewer than 250 employees
Your annual turnover must be less or equal to £44M
You must have received less than £315,000 in public funding, under the UK Subsidy Control Act, in the last 3 years