By Nick Sheppard

The purpose of the Feasibility Studies in Digital Services funding competition is to help companies to harness emerging growth opportunities and overcome initial hurdles to development. Open only to small or micro companies (50 employees or fewer), the competition opens on 10 January 2011 and closes on 10 February 2011. Successful applicants will be informed at the end of February 2011.

Projects may be collaborative or carried out by a single company and can cost up to £33,000; funding of up to 75% of costs (£25,000) may be available. Each funded project, which will last up to three months, will culminate in a short report and, where relevant, a demonstrator.

Project proposals must relate to new and emerging business opportunities for digital services in one of the following areas: using data sources in the public domain; complementing public sector provision of services to citizens; emergence of the ‘Internet of Things’; challenges to adoption of cloud-based computing.

The Technology Strategy Board has also published a Digital Strategic Update, which outlines how the Board will help businesses unlock the economic potential of digital technology, by identifying and addressing digital challenges and resolving tensions between people, processes and technology. The focus will be on tackling digital challenges that are systemic and could hold back whole or multiple sectors due to factors such as misaligned incentives, conflicting interests, incomplete or disjointed value chains, or industry fragmentation.

For further information about the Feasibility Studies in Digital Services competition please visit: http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/competition-documents/briefs/tsb_feasibilitystudiesdigitalservices_final%20web.pdf

To see the Digital Strategic Update please visit: http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/corporate-publications/tsb_digitalstrategicupdatev2final.pdf

About the author

Nick Sheppard is Media Relations Consultant for Technology Strategy Board which is 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.

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.