Government to invest £2million in UK's small businesses

The Technology Strategy Board aims to stimulate innovation across a range of core technology areas to help ensure that small and micro businesses in the UK are well equipped to respond to society's current and future challenges. Up to £2m will be invested in feasibility studies through grants of up to £25,000. The funding competition will focus on feasibility studies in four technology areas: Advanced materials and nanoscale technologies; biosciences; electronics, photonics and electrical systems; and information and communications technology. The competition, which is open only to small and micro sized companies, opens on 12 March 2012 and applications must be submitted by 11 April 2012. Further information about the competition is available here, while companies looking for partners for their proposed project are encouraged to go to http://www.innovateuk.org/connect to find collaborators and networks.