FOI release

FOI2020/00048: Energy R&D grants by Innovate UK

Some or all of the information requested was not provided because we determined that the cost to do so would exceed the appropriate limit.

Case reference FOI2020/00048

Published 8 July 2021

Request

Request Received: 21 February 2020

Based on the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request access to Innovate UK's dataset containing information about all energy companies that received R&D grants until today.

On 21 February 2020 you were directed to Innovate UK's transparency information which holds data on all organisations that Innovate UK has funded since 2004.

In response, on the 21 February 2020 you requested the following further information:

The dataset you pointed out is helpful, however, my research requires higher level of information. If and where possible, I would like to request the following additional data for my research:

1. Expanded list of all R&D grant recipients with segmentation by:

a. Technology type: solar PV, carbon capture and storage etc.

b. Product type: hardware vs. software

2. List of all applicants for the Innovate UK energy R&D grants in the period 2004-2020 with rankings for each competition

3. Information about each applicant at application date, including:

a. Revenue

b. Total funding (public and private)

c. Patents

d. Firm age

4. Results of a possible survey/interviews conducted with the winners of the R&D grant post-treatment

On 07 March 2020 the following information was sent in response to your further request on 21 February 2020

I have now found out what data we do and do not hold in regards to your request. I can confirm that we do not hold:

Expanded list of R&D grant recipient with segmentation by:

o Technology type

o Product type

Information about each applicant at application date including:

o Revenue

o Total funding (public and private)

o Patents

o Firm age

In terms of gathering a list of applicant for the Innovate energy R&D grants between 2004-2020 with ranking for each competition, although we hold this information, we would need you to specify the competitions you require the information for. However, disclosing rankings, especially as this will include data on unsuccessful applicants, is unlikely to be disclosed through Freedom of Information as this is confidential information. I can pursue this further if, as stated above you specify the competitions you are interested in, however, it is likely that I will not be able to disclose anything. Innovate UK publish all the information they are able to regarding applicants on the transparency data I originally linked you to.

In terms of results of possible surveys/interviews conducted with the winners of the R&D grant post treatment, I was asked to share the following:

Surveys to successful R&D grant applicants are performed as part of Innovate UK's evaluation activity.

Survey results form part of and are published (in the public domain) as part of evaluation reports assessing the impact Innovate UK's funding has had.

For more information on our approach to evaluation please see Innovate UK's Evaluation Framework, and our published evaluation reports:

Collaborative R&D

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130302042643/http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pacec_ev aluation_of_crandd_report_final260911%20(2).pdf

Feasibility Studies

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/626872/ TSB_Feasibilty_Studies_Programme_- _Evaluation_Findings_2013.pdf

Smart https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-funding-assessment-of-impact-and-evaluation-of-processes

SBRI https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-evaluation-of-the-small-business-research-initiative

ICURe https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/icure-evaluation-of-pilot-programme

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-knowledge-transfer-partnership-programme-an-impact-review

In response, on the 07 March 2020 you provided a list of Innovate UK competitions to be applied to Q2 of your follow up request on 21 February, which was as follows:

2. List of all applicants for the Innovate UK energy R&D grants in the period 2004-2020 with rankings for each competition

Response

Response Sent:

Full details of this response are provided in the attached document.

Documents

This is UK Research and Innovation's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.