£20m on offer for IT entrepreneurs
Aspiring IT entrepreneurs in the UK are in line to receive a share of a £20m fund set up by the UK government to encourage the next generation of business leaders to forge links with industry and commercialise their research and development.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will make up to £1.5m available for each project through the LINK Basic Technologies for Industrial Applications (BTIA) programme.
The government is providing £10m over the next three years in support of the scheme. Equal funding for the projects will be provided by industry.
Bids are invited from people working in new technology areas such as superconductivity, nanotechnology, data storage, photonics and power electronics.
The DTI is particularly keen to hear from budding Terry Matthews figures currently employed by SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), and those who are based in universities and other R&D organisations. Outline proposals must be submitted before 7 November.
An information day will be held on 5 September at the DTI Conference Centre, London, where potential applicants can get advice on how to submit their bid.
Interested parties should register at the programme Web site.
The scheme was first unveiled by Science Minister Lord Sainsbury on 26 July.
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