The Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) at 老司机福利社 is enabled by a generous donation from Green Future Investments Ltd (GFIL).

The fund supports start-ups with technical development or validation of an innovative technology/product that directly addresses the challenges raised by the climate emergency and/or reduces human impacts on the natural environment.

It provides an award of up to £50,000 to use to access Cranfield’s wide range of applied science and engineering expertise and pilot-scale facilities, with critical technical and market support in the following areas:

  • Independent performance testing.
  • Reducing product development costs.
  • Rapid prototyping.
  • Design for use/manufacture.
  • Systems engineering.
  • Prototype demonstration in an operational environment.
  • Field trials.
  • Scale-up.
  • Operating environment and sector intelligence.
  • Compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements.

Whilst the primary focus of the TAF is on advancing the technological maturity of solutions through the mid-range Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), it also offers optional training in business and entrepreneurial skills. The University does not seek any IP from, or equity stake in companies participating in the TAF.

The programme is open to:

  • SMEs, start-ups and spinouts.
  • those with a technology that is currently at TRL 4 to 5.
  • those with a technical challenge to overcome that can be addressed during a four-month project.

Applicants do not need to be based in the UK but must commit to regular visits to the campus and close communication with academics during the project. No matched funding is required.

Applications are currently open with a deadline of 11 November 2024 (17:30).

How can the Technology Accelerator benefit your business?

  • Short, intense, focused projects that solve clear technical challenges that are constraining commercial exploitation.
  • Access to specialist facilities:
    • Digital and modelling competencies.
    • Laboratory/analytical services.
    • Product design resources.
    • Test facilities for near-industrial or industrial scale technologies.
    • Live testing environments.
  • Dedicated regular time with academics from different disciplines across the University, who will help you to:
    • Improve experimental designs.
    • Challenge assumptions – leading to new discovery.
    • Enable rapid fast fail of unproductive ideas.
    • Benefit from their practical industrial experiences, networks and knowledge of end user markets.
  • Stronger case for investors and end users with robust scientific evidence to back technology performance characteristics.
  • Access to master’s-level technical and business students for short-term projects.

Our TAF awardees, one year on...

Over the past 12 months, our six Cohort 1 awardees have:

  • Collectively added 21 new hires to their teams.
  • Collectively secured £4.5 million in grants over the past year, empowering them to accelerate their R&D efforts and invest in new technologies.
  • Attracted over £5.55 million in investment from various sources.
  • Secured four seed fund awards from GFIL, collectively totalling £110,000.