The Knowledge Asset Grant Fund (KAGF) programme is run by the Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The programme has £13 million funding available over 3 years with £2.9 million allocated to this financial year.

Innovate UK are administering this competition using their online competition platform on behalf of GOTT.

The aim of this competition is to support the identification and development of public sector knowledge assets, including their repurposing, commercialisation or expanded use. These assets may include intellectual property, data, innovation, software and knowhow. This competition is split into 3 strands:

• Knowledge Assets Grant Fund: Explore – for projects with costs of up to £25,000 (this strand)
• Knowledge Assets Grant Fund: Expand – for projects with costs of between £25,001 to £100,000
• Knowledge Assets Grant Fund: Extend – for projects with costs of between £100,001 to £250,000

It is your responsibility to ensure you are applying to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application and it will not be sent for assessment if it does not meet the eligibility criteria.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. We strongly recommend watching our video explaining the eligibility and scope criteria, submitting your application, your finances, assessment and what happens if you are successful.

You can submit your application for assessment at any time before 11am UK time on the final submission date stated.

Submitted applications will be sent for assessment at 11am UK time on the following dates:

• 18 August 2022 - First submission
• 13 October 2022 – Second submission
• 15 December 2022 - Final submission date

Applications submitted after 11am on the first two dates will be sent for assessment on the next date.

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Eligibility
Your project

Your project must:

• have a grant funding request up to £25,000
• start after 1 October 2022
• last between 2 and 18 months
• end by 31 March 2024
• generate social, financial or economic benefits to the UK
• seek funding to develop a knowledge asset or assets that are majority owned by the UK government organisation applying for funding

All awards granted in 2022 must spend at least 50% of the funding awarded by 31 March 2023.

Awards granted in 2023, must spend at least 50% of the funding awarded by 30 June 2023.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian source.

The Knowledge Asset Grant Fund support is for the development of existing assets. Assets do not have to be potentially revenue-generating to attract funding.

If you are unsure if your project is eligible, email GrantFund.GOTT@beis.gov.uk and the team can advise.

Lead organisation

To lead a project your organisation must be:

• a UK public sector organisation
• headed by an Accounting Officer responsible for upholding Managing Public Money (MPM)
• the primary beneficiary of any revenue-generating potential created by the funded activities

This includes but is not limited to:

• central UK government departments,
• non-departmental public bodies (NDPB)
• arm’s length bodies
• public sector research establishments (PSREs)
• NHS trusts

Your organisation must have approval from a Senior Civil Servant or equivalent, with the appropriate budget delegation from their accounting officer, up to and including the value of the grant being sought.

Academic institutions, cannot lead.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

All subcontractor costs must be justified as to why external expertise is needed and is appropriate to the total eligible project costs. It is your organisation’s responsibility to ensure compliance with public law and usual procurement practices. Any spend of the grant fund must follow the existing commercial arrangements of your organisation, and Crown Commercial rules.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you could not use suppliers from the UK. You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unsuitable or unable to work with you..

Number of applications

A public sector organisation can lead on any number of applications for different projects.

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