New Index Voucher Scheme In West Midlands

You may be interested to hear that the latest call for Innovation Vouchers has just been announced. If successful, these will provide you with £3,000 of assistance from a university in the West Midlands.

Further information is available at http://www.innovationvouchers-wm.com/

However to give you an idea, The Innovation Voucher Scheme awards West Midland SMEs a £3,000 voucher to purchase academic support for an innovation at any of the region's 13 universities. Here are some examples of the type of activity you could use the support to undertake:

• innovation / technology audit; new service delivery and customer interface; new business model development; tailored training in innovation management efficiency audits; process change; supply chain management and logistics; product and service testing and economic impact assessment; product development; business and leadership school; feasibility studies.

Priority will be given to businesses in the following sectors
Health and Medical Technologies; Environmental/Energy; New Materials; Digital Media; Transport; Construction.

All small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands area are eligible to apply for an Innovation Voucher. Ineligible activities include:

• Achieving compliance with statutory regulations or legislation
  Intellectual property protection
  Standard training courses
  Software purchases
  Equipment purchases
  Aid that would promote / subsidise the cost of exports
  Internships for students of knowledge providers
  Design and production of advertising materials
  Sales and marketing activities this includes standard website design, development and search optimisation (the only exception would be the exploitation of new web technology for the region and/ or industry)
  Advertising and promotional activities e.g. design of posters, leaflets etc.
  Accreditations
  Capital items
  Travel costs
  Continuation and existing projects with the knowledge providers
  Legal advice
  Business Link Consultation

All voucher winners are required to have a free consultation with Business Link under the requirements of Solutions for Business. So if you think this might be something that you might like to apply for – and why not, drop me an email to martin.parry@mgba.co.uk

Sc: http://www.mgba.co.uk/ http://www.ukba.co.uk/