A grounding in grant funding

Innovative UK aerospace manufacturing companies, many of which have a long history of collaboration with European and other companies, now have some degree of clarity on how Brexit has affected accessibility to EU-led grant programmes.

Joe Matusiak, grants manager at ABGI UK
As a firm which supports a number of innovative UK aerospace businesses, ABGI is aware of just how critical this matter is within the sector. The impact of both Brexit and the global pandemic appears to have now increased the appetite for further innovation and R&D funding.

Many British companies, not least those within our aerospace sector, will want to continue working in partnership with their European counterparts, accessing grant funding through the EU’s Horizon 2020 (H2020) scheme. Fortunately, UK entities, including innovative businesses, universities, and research centres, will have full rights to participate in the first calls for proposals of Horizon Europe once they are published on the European Commission’s website.

British firms are, however not eligible for some aspects of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. This was set up by the Commission last year to make direct equity and quasi-equity investments of up to €15 million in the capital of start-ups and SMEs, but the UK Government had taken the decision not to take part. UK companies can however apply for grants under the EIC Accelerator, but are not eligible for loans or equity. They can also participate in the in the EIC’s Pathfinder programme with counterparts from EU member states and other associated countries.

Article originally published on Aerospace Manufacturing

Read the full article here