The SME Programme, which sits alongside the ATI’s existing Strategic Programme, offers grants of up to £1.5m. The competitive funding programme is designed to maximise benefits to SMEs and support and encourage industrial investment into the aerospace sector and its supply chain, through the funding of innovative and high impact projects.
The project level funding cap (60% of the total overall eligible costs of the project) applied to the ATI Strategic Programme will not apply to the ATI SME Programme. This is to incentivise smaller businesses to lead and participate in collaborative R&D.
The maximum funding rates individual organisations can claim will depend on the size and type of your organisation as defined by the UK government here.
UK registered large businesses in the consortium can share up to 30% of the total project costs. If your consortium contains more than one large business, this maximum will be shared between them.
Detailed guidance can be found in the competition brief for the programme.
Please note the funding rates are a maximum rate, the funding the projects request should be the minimum amount to make the project viable. This is something DBT will review as part of their value for money assessment.
The planning assumption is that the ATI SME Programme will have a budget of up to £10 million a year. However, this will depend on the number and the quality of applications received.
Funding will come from the existing allocation of £685 million for the ATI Programme from the government for the years 2022/23 – 2024/25.
Support for applicants is available from the ATI Hub, through sessions such as technology clinics, SME Programme Clinics and briefing opportunities. Applicants also have the opportunity to submit a draft Outline Stage and draft Full Stage Application (if successful at Outline Stage) to receive feedback from the ATI technologists.
SMEs will have the opportunity to discuss the feedback to their application, with the ATI assessor(s) following the outcome notification for the Outline Stage. Details of how this can be arranged will be available in the outcome notification document. Applicants who submit a Full Stage Application will be provided with feedback from the ATI assessor, Innovate UK and DBT following the outcome notification.
The NATEP 3 contract has now been delivered and the last funding round closed to applicants in Spring 2023. Aerospace supply chain organisations are invited to apply to the ATI SME Programme for funding to deliver aerospace R&D technology.
No – the SME Programme replaces the previous Smaller Business Competition, bringing additional funding and a simplified application process
No. The ATI SME Programme is exempt from paying industrial contributions.
To apply to the SME Programme, you must be a UK registered SME or, a business of any size with at least one SME in the consortium. To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be either, a business of any size, an academic institution, charity, not for profit, public-sector organisation, research and technology organisation (RTO).
Please see the competition brief on the SME Programme page for detailed guidance about eligibility and project consortiums.
Collaborative or individual applications are accepted for this competition. Collaborative projects are encouraged.
UK based organisations can claim grant funding as part of the consortium. If the project includes international partners, they can collaborate with the project but will not be eligible to receive grant funding.
Yes. Although there may be some restrictions. Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.
Yes. However, we will require evidence to ensure that the organisation has the capability to deliver commitments in all projects that they are involved.
Yes. However, if you are successful in both, you can only accept one of the funding awards.
We encourage academic organisations to engage with SMEs and other industrial organisations to discuss collaborative projects and technology development. Applicants can refer to the ATI Hub or Innovate UK to find businesses to collaborate with.
This will depend on the project scope aligning with ATI’s Technology Strategy and the competition scope. The consortium must include at least one SME. We recommend you contact us to discuss to discuss the make up of your consortia application.
Yes, however all subcontractors must be based in the UK. In exceptional circumstances, if this is not possible, applicants must discuss and obtain approval on related costs from Innovate UK.
All enquiries on subsidy control and the eligibility of enterprises and their proposed costs should be directed to Innovate UK Customer Support Services
Email: support@iuk.ukri.org.
Telephone: 0300 321 4357 to speak to an advisor.
This is a two stage-competition. The Outline Stage opens three times per calendar year and is assessed by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) only. ATI will make recommendations to Department for Business and Trade (DBT). Based on ATI’s recommendation the DBT decides which projects proceed to the Full Stage Application. There is no funding in Stage One. All funding will be awarded in Stage Two.
Only successful applicants from the Outline Stage will be invited to proceed to the Full Stage Application, which is assessed separately by Innovate UK (IUK), the ATI, and DBT. More details can be found on the SME Programme page and the Programme Guidance.
Published competition dates can be found on the SME Programme page.
No. If you have already signed the ATI Framework Agreement as part of a project in the Strategic Programme, you are not required to sign the ATI SME Programme Agreement.
FSA submissions are by invitation only. You will receive a submission link from IUK prior to the opening date of the upcoming FSA competition, following notification of a successful Outline Stage application from ATI.
Applicants can only start the project once they have received the Grant Offer Letter from Innovate UK. Any costs incurred for the project, prior to this will be deemed ineligible.
If you are successful at the Outline Stage, you must submit to one of the two upcoming Full Stage Applications. Otherwise, you will need to resubmit to the Outline Stage.
No. Videos and animations are considered additional materials and cannot form part of your presentation.
We invite applications from organisations with technologies which could have applications in aerospace including if your organisation has not operated in the sector before. Your application will be assessed on the following criteria by the ATI assessors:
For more support on entering the aerospace sector, engage with the ATI Hub.
No, the funding rules for the programme are the same regardless of the area of technologies within funding applications.
Applicants should identify the key strategic alignment for their proposed technology and provide justification for the strongest alignment but indicate that other strategic areas may also be addressed.
Yes. Avionics technologies for flight deck communications and passenger connectivity systems are included in our Destination Zero roadmaps.
No. The UK technology strategy Destination Zero focuses on commercial aircraft as these are the areas with the greatest economic and sustainability impacts.
Yes. Next generation cabin interiors and systems are included in our Destination Zero roadmaps.
No. The ATI technology strategy Destination Zero focuses on commercial aircraft as these are the areas with the greatest economic and sustainability impacts.
Capital testing infrastructure is not in scope for the SME Programme, but novel industrial research for test methodologies for new materials and components may be considered. Please engage via one of the ATI Hub Tech Clinics for further advice.
Generally this includes flight controls, landing systems, cabin systems, etc. Engage with the ATI Hub Tech Clinics to discuss your technology and obtain guidance.
The aircraft segments within scope of the UK technology strategy Destination Zero include eVTOL, sub-regional, regional, narrowbody and widebody. This provides multiple OEM opportunities as well as supply chain exploitation routes via Tier 1/2 organisations.
A typical industrial research project could take a novel component from outline concept stage through design and testing to demonstrate suitability for end user requirements. Another example would be for manufacturing process development where the objective would be to demonstrate a pilot line process readiness.
No. As part of the, applicants should demonstrate that each technology is at a minimum of TRL3 and identifying the end TRL goal. If in doubt, please engage via one of the ATI Hub Tech Clinics.
If the environment that the technologies are deployed in is different, or the technologies have previously been developed for another industry then the TRL is considered to be lowered.