Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) in UK

Teknoloji politikalari calısmalari icerisinde Sirin Elcinin 515 dersi icin hazılamis oldugum dokuman, İngiltere'de uygulanan bir inovasyon politikasinin derlenmesi. Draft durumunda denilebilir duzenlemelerden sonra dokumanin word halini de ekleyecegim.

STPS-515

Innovatin Policy and Governance:Trends and Challenges

1. Overview of the policy measure
   1. Country
      
   United Kingdom
   
   1. Name of the measure
      Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)
      
   2. Name and type of the implementing organization
      Technology Strategy Board via Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
      
   3. Aim and rationale of the measure
      To open up to small firms government research and development procurement.
      
      The rationale of the measure resides on the observation that the public sector, spending around £160b (€181b) a year on goods and services have a leverage that can be used to foster innovation and influence the innovation potential of SMEs.
      
      SBRI is an effective way of connecting innovative new companies with Government Departments to explore new ideas and bring forward technologies and services.
      
   4. Method of implementation
      Although it is aknowledged that fostering innovation through procurement is difficult and risky, the mechanisms on which SBRI is based provides some room to manage risks more effectively.
      
      In fact Government Departments run a competition for ideas based on the potential of such ideas to meet departmental needs. Subsequently, successful ideas, reaching the "proof of concept" phase are put through the development phase in order to pilot new technologies and services and validate the outcome against specific Department's needs.
      
2. Policy Framework
   1. Brief definition of the innovation policy framework in the country
      
   The Technology Strategy Board:
   
   Shares its vision with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This can be summarised as the aspiration of making the UK "a global leader in innovation and a magnet for technology-intensive companies, where new technology is applied rapidly and effectively to create wealth".
   
   Status Government: agencies
   
   Activities Research funder;Research policy advisory body;Intermediary
   
   TSB is investing in and managing research and technology programmes and projects supporting business R&D and innovation. It also provides policy advice, supports the networking of different stakeholders to overcome problems or create new opportunities, diffuses useful knowledge and specifies technology areas of high potential for the UK.
   
   It constitutes a bridge between BIS and bussiness sector, eases the diffusion of valuable knowledge, accelerates the problem and failure definitions.
   
   Strategic areas:
   
   1. Challenge-led innovation.
      
   2. Technology-inspired innovation.
      
   3. The innovation climate.
      
   Characteristics of operation
   
   TSB's operation is sponsored and funded by BIS. However, as an executive non-Departmental public body (NDPB), TSB operates independently. The exact control of BIS over TSB is specified in a Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.
   
   Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS):
   
   Main responsibility is "to build Britain's capabilities to compete in the global economy". BIS encompasses the remit of the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and that of the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). BIS is therefore concentrating on innovation, regulation, entrepreneurship, business, higher and further education, skills, science, research and innovation. The rationale behind the establishment of BIS is that the Government can, under a single governmental department, intervene on fighting the recession and building UK's future economic strengths and general prosperity in order to compete in a global economy.
   
   Status Government: ministries
   
   Activities Research Policymaker;Research funder;Regulator
   
   Research policymaker
   
   The BIS is the policy making body responsible for designing policies related to business, entrepreneurship, business and consumer law, higher and further education, skills, science and research, and innovation.
   
   Specifically, amongst its main activities is the design of policies to foster those sectors of the UK economy that have the potential to add to the growing capacity of the country and / or to the dynamics of the market. The remit of BIS is also to design policies to foster the changing skills need of the UK economy through public and privately funded life long training. Additionally, the department encourages innovation in the UK, advocates the needs of business – especially SMEs - across government, promotes an enterprise-friendly environment that is considerate of the need of both consumers and businesses; supports regional economic growth through collaboration with RDAs; supports UK exports and inward investment and more.
   
   Source of funds (%) Government: National 100%
   
   1. Systemic failure(s) addressed by the measure
      
      
3. Geographic coverage of the measure
   1. National or regional
      1. National
         
   2. Whether or not open to third countries (cross border programs, etc.)
      1. Not open
         
4. Target groups
   1. Targets or beneficiaries of the measure
      1. SBRI is not a grant scheme, but a procurement measure which aims to: - strengthen existing research intensive small firms - by increasing the size of the market, - encourage SMEs to increase their R&D capabilities and capacity - to exploit the new market opportunities, and - create opportunities for start-ups, new technology-based or knowledge-based businesses.
         
   2. Groups eligible for funding
      1. All companies;Consultancies and other private service providers (non-profit);New technology based firms/new knowledge intensive service firms
         
5. Project Selection
   1. Strategic targets in selection (whether or not targeting certain sectors/technologies)
      1. Not sector specific
         
      2. No specific thematic focus
         
   2. Main selection criteria (eligibility and selection criteria for participating in the measure)
      
   Small Businesses
   
   1. Main elements of the selection process (open calls for proposal, etc.)
      Open competitions are launched by the Government Departments and SMEs pitch their ideas to the clients. Selected projects are then fully funded to the prof-of concept stage, and those who meet the expectations of the Department are then funded to the next stage (pilot).
      
      The projects are usually assessed on the basis of how and to what extent the outcome meets the needs of the Department. the IP generated through the project is retained by the company, however the sponsor Department retains the right of use.
      
6. Types of support
   1. Mode of funding(grants, soft loans, fiscal incentives, etc)
      1. Other: Funding Through Procurement
         
   2. Eligible costs
      1. Labour costs (including overheads);Infrastructure (buildings);Equipment
         
   3. Sources of co-financing
      1. Not applicable
         
   4. Other supports(indirect supports-trainings etc.)
      1. Not applicable
         
7. Duration of support and upper limits for finance per project
   1. Max. Period of support per project
      1. Not applicable
         
   2. Max. Level of funding both as a percentage of the project budget and ceiling of the funding per project
      1. £100,000 (€113,000)
         
   3. Conditions for funding(phasing out, etc)
      1. Term and conditions are described in the Public Service Agreement and allocations to each competition are made accordingly.
         
8. Duration and budget of the measure
   1. Start and end dates of the measure
      1. Start date:2001 End date: No end date planned yet.
         
   2. Budget (total budget of the measure as well as the budget per year)
      1. SBRI programme has assigned £47.7million in R&D contracts (for Civil research only) to SMEs in the financial year 2007/2008. This is equivalent to 11% of the Government's research budget.
         
   3. Sources of finance.
      1. Government budget
         
9. Governance of the measure
   1. Description of the governance system for the measure, including roles and coordination between various actors
      
   
   
   
   1. The process starts with a government department or other public body identifying a specific challenge.
      
   2. This is then turned into an open competition for new technologies and ideas that is open to the broad business community.
      
   3. The Technology Strategy Board supports all competition and helps with the outreach to business.
      
   4. Companies with potentially interesting technologies and ideas submit an application, either through the Technology Strategy Board or direct to the department, depending on the competition.
      
   5. The ideas are all received and then subjected to an assessment process. The most successful applications will be awarded contracts to develop the product ideas.
      
   6. This first feasibility phase is generally limited to 6 months and a maximum contract of £100k.
      
   7. Following a second assessment stage, the most promising companies will be awarded a second phase contract for up to 2 years and £1m. This is for more detailed product development.
      
   8. This leads to a commercial product or service which is taken to market and open to competitive procurement.
      
   
   
   1. Level of centralization/decentralization of the measure design and implementadion (including the stakeholders, whether or not there is a
      overseeing body at the national and regional level)
      
      
      Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
      
   2. Information on the management body and its basic structure
      The Technology Strategy Board is the launching agency, while the Measure is under reform, the TSB is monitoring closely all aspects of funding, management, and administration.
      
   3. The legal framework of the measure
      2000 White Paper "Excellence and Opportunity"
      

• Evaluation framework (for whom by whom, ex-antee, mid-term, ex-post, including indicators set, if exists)
  • Ex-ante: No
    
  • On-going / Mid-term: No
    
  • Final / Ex-post: No
    

1. Results of evaluations / Indication of outcome and impact of the measure reviewed (If formally valuated main findings, if not evaluated formally, brief information on the outcome and impact(if available))
   No evaluations yet.
   
2. Views and comments (Your own comments and views on the interesting and useful features of the measures as well as your critics about weak elements and design/implementation issues)
   1. Interesting and Useful features
      1. It gives small sized firms a change to construct their R&D base.
         
      2. Accelerates the problem definition process of government departments.
         
      3. It is an import saver measure.
         
      4. Causes diffusion of knowlege and newly created technologies to nation wide which results in an strengthen nation competitiveness of UK among the world.
         
      5. İncrease the employment opportunities nation wide.
         
   2. Critics
      1. It's a question that to what extend a small firm can produce a running product via this measure, if it has no product development experience before?
         
      2. Can a small firm really identify a goverment's need?
         
      3. Will proof of concept of a solution be enough for selection?
         

References:

Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)

http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch/index.cfm?fuseaction=prog.document&UUID=60F05CE9-C224-6B85-4516D87B7C3B32E1&hwd=

Technology Strategy Board
http://www.innovateuk.org/publications.ashx

http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch/index.cfm?fuseaction=org.document&uuid=6C765DFF-D111-9C07-B2F2D6317E4EDAD6

Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch/index.cfm?fuseaction=org.document&uuid=6634C8C6-D27D-6859-C5D9285B54BF5779