Businesses looking to establish longer-term partnerships with academics can apply for a share of £200,000 funding, as a new round of Advanced Innovation Voucher funding was launched yesterday.
The funding is provided by Scottish Enterprise and managed by Interface to support and encourage collaborative projects to create new products, processes and services.
The Advanced Innovation Vouchers are aimed at building relationships between business and academia, and are open to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland. The funds are awarded on a sliding scale with the business match-funding the award up to £20k.
Since 2011, the Advanced Innovation Voucher programme has awarded £1.94million for 159 business-academic projects.
Paul Cross, Innovation Team Leader at Scottish Enterprise, said: “The Advanced Innovation Voucher funding helps unlock deeper collaboration between ambitious businesses and academia, converting cutting-edge research into globally competitive products and services. These businesses have the potential to scale, attract investment, create high quality jobs across Scotland, and lead their industries in the future. Our funding and support is part of our long-term strategy and missions approach to scale innovation in growth sectors where Scotland excels.”
Laura Goodfellow, Associate Director, Innovation Engagement, at Interface, said: “This funding provides a fantastic opportunity for businesses aiming to scale innovative projects - whether building on a successful partnership or launching a new venture. Interface is here to help businesses connect with the academic expertise that can drive their ideas forward and support them with funding to achieve their research and development ambitions.”
East Kilbride-based business Airglove Medical Ltd, accessed the Advanced Innovation Voucher funding after Interface brokered a partnership with Edinburgh Napier University to further develop their medical products. The potential for Airglove Medical’s innovative patient wellbeing products is also recognised by Scottish Enterprise through its equity investment into the company.
Sheena Jack, Marketing and Design Director at Airglove Medical Ltd, said: “We were delighted to work with Edinburgh Napier University and access funding for the project through the Advanced Innovation Voucher. Their knowledge and expertise, along with their enthusiasm for Airglove, has enabled us to develop prototypes and given us a strong industry/academic relationship. We are looking forward to working with Professor Chan See and his team on the next phase of Airglove.”
Professor Chan Hwang See, from the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University, added: “The Standard and Advanced Innovation Voucher scheme enabled us to bring together a multidisciplinary research team with expertise in product design, electronics, electrical engineering, and biomedical devices. The project has engaged several students, enhancing their experience and skills of working with industry. In addition, the knowledge gained through this project will support future funding applications, inform several final-year and MSc student projects, and contribute to teaching materials—helping to equip the next generation of engineers with industry-relevant expertise.”
The deadlines for applications for Advanced Innovation Vouchers are: 30th September; 31st October; and 28th November, 2025.
Further information on application criteria can be found here:
Advanced Innovation Vouchers | Interface Online (interface-online.org.uk)