By Nick Sheppard

The funding competition, which opens on 14 March 2011, will seek proposals for projects that increase return on investment and the value of media assets by building new metadata tools or reducing costs by making workflows already in place yield richer, more persistent and therefore more valuable metadata. Projects will be expected to deliver a prototype, demonstrator or similar solution built around a specific content-based service or application which has the potential to enter the market within two years of project completion.

There will be two rounds of fast-track competitions for collaborative research and development projects with a total value of less than £100,000, each targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There will also be one mainstream collaborative research and development competition for projects with a total value more than £100,000.

For full information please visit: http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/competition-documents/metadataproductiontoolscompetition.pdf

Companies and other organisations seeking further information about Technology Strategy Board research and development funding opportunities should visit the Competitions page of the Technology Strategy Board website – www.innovateuk.org, email competitions@tsb.gov.uk or phone the Competitions Helpline on 0300 321 4357.

About the author and Technology Strategy Board

Nick Sheppard is Media Relations Consultant at Technology Strategy Board, a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its role is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org.