We are challenge-led, not technology driven. We will listen to your needs and work with you to develop an appropriate project given your requirements, timescales and capacity.

To make an initial enquiry please register your interest, and one of the team will be in touch to discuss opportunities. Following this, interested enterprises are asked to register using the Initial Contact Form and outline a project idea. This process ensures you are eligible to receive support, and enables you to submit project ideas and benefit from online resources and networking groups.

We work to various academic and funding deadlines. We may advertise ‘calls’ for projects at key points and businesses are advised to contact us at business@cgeinnovation.org for information on upcoming opportunities.

The centre supports enterprises from all sectors with a base in either Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside or Cumbria. For large companies, we would want you to involve SME partners in your supply or distribution chain. All of the projects must seek to innovate to help a transition towards a low-carbon economy in some way. This may be through the reduction of energy or water use, reduced waste and better resource efficiency, or by working towards advancements in food security and natural capital.

The support provided by the centre is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund with match funding provided by project delivery partners. Many support streams have no associated cost for beneficiary enterprises; however, some longer-term engagement does require a small investment to be made. Please don't hesitate to contact us at business@cgeinnovation.org with any questions.

Yes. The value of any assistance delivered through the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation constitutes State Aid as defined under Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty of Rome. It is given a value and will be granted as State Aid under the General Block Exemption Regulation or de minimis regulations. European Commission rules limit any undertaking beneficiary from receiving more than €200,000 of aid under de minimis regulation over a rolling three-year period. It is important therefore to be clear regarding State Aid you have received in the previous and current years to ensure that you do not breach the regulations.

Yes.

The regulations associated with the funding require the participating university to take ownership of any intellectual property (IP) arising out of collaborative projects. Access to this IP will be provided via a sole, royalty-free licence to the participating company. This sole and royalty-free license will apply for as long as the rights are in existence, provided the university partner is satisfied that the company is exploiting the intellectual property. After an initial period of four years, the company will be asked to demonstrate continuing use of the IP in the development of a new product or service in order to extend this term. The background intellectual property of any collaborating party will remain the property of that party. Its use in collaborative projects will be provided on a royalty-free basis. No project will be developed using background IP already licensed exclusively to a party outside the project. The terms and conditions of the use of IP will form the basis of a contractual agreement between the graduate, the participating company and the participating university. The agreement will be made when a graduate has been recruited to the project and confirmed their intention to take up an offer to become a centre graduate.

Yes. All project ideas submitted will be treated as confidential. Information supplied will be viewed by project delivery partners (universities of; Lancaster, Central Lancashire, Cumbria, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester Met) so that the most appropriate support route can be identified for your particular idea. Only a summary of the project on the full application form will be made publically available. The delivery partners will not, however, sign non-disclosure agreements with partner companies prior to research commencing.

Your business information will be used to demonstrate eligibility. All handling of data complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will be shared with project partners and the Managing Authority.

Yes, but individuals with such interests must declare these on the full application and take no part in the consideration of projects proposed including a company in which they have an interest.

Yes, but the full project proposal application must clearly articulate how the proposed collaborative research project will result in clear additionality and not be possible without project funding.

Yes, and we welcome this. One company must take the lead role in the project proposal and make arrangements with the partner company with respect to the exploitation of the project's results.