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Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries

Open date: Monday 23 January 2023   Close date: Monday 13 March 2023

Overview

Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries
A MyWorld Challenge Call delivered in partnership with Digital Catapult, funded by UKRI Strength In Places

Up to £50,000 funding for companies in the creative industries to develop new or existing digital tools to catalyse and connect production processes.

Digital Catapult is partnering with the MyWorld programme to deliver innovation-led regional growth in the West of England.

Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries is a 16-week acceleration programme targeted at developers, creative studios, startups, and scaleups. Successful applicants will explore innovative tooling solutions addressing industry challenges relating to the creation, delivery and assessment of experiences.

We are looking for projects which aim to develop new products, processes, services or innovative experimental prototypes which demonstrate clear advancements in technology – this could be early stage prototyping of an idea, acceleration or progression of an existing solution, or a novel application of existing tools. [see blog on the theme of digital tools]

Whilst the programme covers the entire breadth of tooling in the creative industries, we have also highlighted specific challenges developed in partnership with industry partner, NVIDIA, and an Open Challenge for businesses to apply with areas of research and development (R&D) that are relevant for your roadmap.

Benefits and support

The programme provides participants real world use case challenges that pave the way for new revenue streams; access to support from Digital Catapult, Industry Partners, and wider MyWorld Network; and the opportunity to drive innovation and R&D for your business.

Up to £50,000 to develop a challenge focused proof-of-concept prototype or innovation to extend an existing project and supporting material.

Regular meetings with industry partners to help companies develop their solutions and define a route to market with commercial opportunities.

Focused workshops and masterclasses to support companies on a variety of topics such as value proposition, pitching, product and business development, investment readiness.

Regular interactions with the Digital Catapult team to assess the commercial and strategic needs.

Be part of a cohort of up to 9 companies made up of talented entrepreneurs from the Creative sector, and the wider MyWorld cohorts, sharing learnings and insights gained from the programme as well as previous expertise.

Access to the MyWorld network of industry, academia and mentors with technical and business expertise, based on the needs of the participants and the specific call challenge.

For the duration of the programme, the cohort will get the opportunity to make use of existing MyWorld facilities, expertise and kit (labs, expertise, testbeds, kit and resources) to facilitate experimentation and growth.

Opportunity to demonstrate, test and showcase your work in progress and final prototypes, products or processes through the various public engagement channels. in the MyWorld programme.

Upon successful completion of the Project, the opportunity to join the Digital Catapult Alumni Network, which provides additional opportunities to engage with Digital Catapult and other Alumni.

Who should apply

The programme is inviting applications from startups, scaleups, creative studios and developers who meet all the requirements below:

  • Work in the creative sectors, areas include but are not limited to:

– Broadcast, film, TV, video and audio
– Gaming
– Live events, music, performing and visual arts
– Advertising and marketing
– Design: product, graphic and fashion
– Sports and esports

  • UK businesses based in the West of England region (see map); the four counties of the West of England region: Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

See minimum requirements in the FAQs below 

What challenges is the programme looking to solve?

NVIDIA Challenge

NVIDIA believes that interconnected virtual worlds and operational digital twins will revolutionise many industries. In order to achieve the ambitious goals and visions being set out in relation to metaverse experiences, new approaches to creation, collaboration, and delivery will need to be adopted. Novel technologies will be required to underpin these platforms, many of which are being developed by NVIDIA today as part of their Omniverse platform, associated technologies and cutting edge AI research.

For this challenge, the focus is on exploring the tooling opportunities for this new future, particularly around

  • New forms of reality capture
  • Real-time collaboration for creation
  • Multi-platform delivery

The projects could explore some of the following questions, this list is illustrative not exhaustive:

  • How can we leverage state of the art AI approaches to capture to create 3D worlds – for example digitising famous venues or landmarks, people or performances?
  • How can we ensure they are stored in formats that enable openness and interoperability, real-time collaboration and deployed in ways that facilitate multi-platform access?
  • What additional tools might be required to enhance these assets with interactivity or rich content?

This could be achieved by using existing tools and technologies, including but not limited to:

  • NVIDIA Omniverse
  • Pixar USD
  • NVIDIA Instant NeRF
  • Epic Unreal Engine
  • NVIDIA Audio2Face
  • Reallusion iClone

In addition to the general benefits of the Catalysts and Connectors call, participants could be eligible for specific support from NVIDIA, for example:

  • NVIDIA tech support to applicants
  • Enrolment on the NVIDIA Inception programme and it’s associated benefits (subject to eligibility criteria)
  • Discounted NVIDIA hardware
  • Co-marketing and support for project launch and completion

 

Open Challenge

We encourage businesses to apply to this call with areas of research and development (R&D) that are relevant for your roadmap. If the Industry Partner led challenges from Nvidia and do not address your sector or current R&D priorities please apply to the Open Challenge option of this call.

The following are examples of challenges you may wish to develop a tooling solution for but this list is not intended to be exhaustive:

  • Connect existing platforms and tools together
  • Improve accessibility for audiences
  • Address questions of sustainability and netzero in the production process
  • Assist in the capturing of volumetric content
  • Facilitate the encoding of new types of content over delivery networks
  • Assess quality metrics of delivering novel experiences using new coding techniques
  • Explore the challenges of creating novel content in a non-linear manner within a workshop
  • Configure dynamic delivery networks (e.g: live experiences)

The funding could be used to create a new prototype, accelerate development of a product or service, or explore the viability and commercialisation of existing tools. The projects do not necessarily have to be software – it could be a hardware solution to an on-set problem or a physical workshop pack for ideating new content forms.

Key Dates

How to apply

Application process

  1. Applicants submit their registration of interest on the website.
  2. Applicants will receive a follow-up email with a link to the application form through the application platform Submittable.
  3. Applicant teams will need to complete the application form by 23:59 on 13 March 2023 to be considered for the programme.

Selection Process

  1. Applications judged and longlisted
    Once applications close, completed applications are assessed by a panel of judges from the programme and industry partners, based on the selection criteria. At this stage applications will be selected for the longlist.
  2. Shortlisting
    An internal review will take place with the judging panel to select a shortlist from the longlisted applications.
  3. Interview day and final selection
    The shortlisted project team is invited to an interview with Digital Catapult and partners. This interview stage is intended to provide an opportunity for project teams to present their idea and to answer any questions the judges may have. The panel will then deliberate and select the final cohort of 9 projects.

Selection Criteria

Applications to the open call will be assessed and selected based on all the following criteria:

  • Strength and Originality
    The idea presents an innovative solution to the challenge.
  • Relevance and Feasibility
    The idea addresses one of the challenges, is relevant to the programme theme and is feasible within the budget and timescale of the call.
  • Value for Money
    The idea’s combination of cost, quality and sustainability is well balanced. The scale of the solution is reasonable with respect to the effort proposed.
  • Team Experience
    The team is equipped with the appropriate technology and business skills, and has a good track record to deliver the proposed solution within 16 weeks.
  • Impact and Development Plan
    The proposal can demonstrate an ambition for positive impact in the West of England region and is likely to be suitable for further development after the programme.

Apply now

Before you apply make sure to read the programme terms and conditions.

Read the T&Cs











Contact us

If you have any questions about the programme, you can check the Frequently Asked Questions or you can contact [email protected].

 

Catalysts and Connectors_Call image_03_LR

FAQs

Programme

What is MyWorld?

Funded by the UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund, MyWorld is a 5 year programme designed to catalyse the growing creative economy of the West of England, creating new jobs, driving inward investment and supporting sustainable and inclusive business growth for the Creative  Industries. Led by the University of Bristol, the £30 million programme is made up of 13 partners from the region’s creative technologiessector and world-leading academic institutions to create a unique cross-sector consortium.

How does Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries sit within MyWorld?
The Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries is an accelerator programme delivered by Digital Catapult, funded by UKRI through the Strength in Places Fund, as part of the open innovation activities in the MyWorld’s programme.

Application Process

What is the application process?

The application process consists of a submitted application which will be assessed by a judging panel against the selection criteria. All qualifying applications will be reviewed and scored by the panel and shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview to present their projects.
Successful applicants will be then notified and contracted with a Grant Funding Agreement from the University of Bristol.
The programme will begin on Monday 5 June and run for 16 weeks until 22 September and is provisional on the completion of the Grant Funding Agreement.

  1. Register your interest in applying on this page
  2.  Interested parties will receive an email with a link to the full application form
  3. Select and apply for either the NVIDIA or Open challenge
  4. Applicants must complete the submittable form by 23:59 on 13 March 2023
  5. Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their projects at an interview on one of two dates: 19 & 20 April
  6. Participants will be selected and contracts signed

What are the key dates to be aware of for the programme?
23 January – Call opens for applications
26 January – Briefing Event (in person)
27 January – Online briefing webinar
9 / 10 February & 20 / 21 February – Bookable surgeries to discuss applications
13 March – Call closes at 23:59
31 March – Shortlisted projects notified and invited to interview
(project presentation required)
19/20 – April Interview dates
21 April – Successful projects notified
5 June – 22 September 16 week programme
Spring 2024 Showcase

Who can apply?

The programme is inviting applications from startups, scaleups, creative studios and developers who meet all of the requirements:

  • Work in the creative sectors, areas include but are not limited to:

–  Broadcast, film, TV, video and audio
– Gaming
– Live events, music, performing and visual arts
– Advertising and marketing
– Design: product, graphic and fashion
– Sports and esports

  • UK businesses based in the West of England region (see map)

What are the minimum requirements to participate in the programme?

  • Applicants must be a UK based registered business operating in the West of England region.
  • Applicants must have a UK business bank account.
  • Applicants must be eligible to receive up to £315,000 in Minimum Financial Assistance under the subsidy control rules (see T&Cs for further details).
  • The team has to have one or more team members with expertise in the area they are applying for.
  • Applicants must have two or more team members.
  • Applicants must develop prototypes, processes or products which deliver technical solutions addressing the theme of the challenge.

Can academics apply?

  • Applications from academics are welcomed if they meet all the eligibility criteria and minimum requirements.

What is the definition of ‘operating’ in the West of England region?

‘Operating in the region’ is understood as a business with a postcode based in the WoE area (see map), where the project work will have an impact and take place.

What information will be required by the application form?

  • Business information (business name, full name, email address, founder details)
  • Idea (strength, originality, relevance, scalability)
  • Team background (team experience and skill set)
  • Challenge application and delivery proposed (relevance, suitability of proposed technical delivery, budget of the idea)
  • Programme participation (ability to commit to attending our workshops and events)

Who will my application data be shared with?

The application information will only be used for the purposes of the Programme and its evaluation, and will only be retained for the duration of the Programme (one year), and for participants on the Programme for the evaluation period (maximum five years) and otherwise to comply with legal requirements.

This application information is only shared with Digital Catapult, University of Bristol and its programme partners NVIDIA) and funder (UKRI), where information is shared outside of Digital Catapult this will be made clear in the application form/programme agreements.

Can I save my progress on the application form as I go?

Yes, the Submittable application form can be saved to allow you to come back to your answer, it does not need to be submitted all in one go. Applicants must submit the application forms in full to be considered for the programmes, Digital Catapult is not able to review draft forms. Once the form has been submitted you are not able to revise or edit your application.

Do I need to select a challenge on application or is there a generic open call?

This is a challenge focused programme, all applicants must select one of the challenges or can apply to the open challenge.

Can I apply to more than one challenge or with more than one idea?

We strongly recommend that interested parties only apply to one of the two challenges. If you wish to present a concept for more than one challenge you can do so by completing one application form per challenge. Please keep in mind that ultimately you will only be selected to develop one of these challenge concepts.

What are the selection criteria?

The selection criteria to assess and select the applicants are the following and each of them has the same weight.

  • Strength and Originality
    The idea presents an innovative solution to the challenge.
  • Relevance and Feasibility
    The idea addresses one of the challenges, is relevant to the programme theme and is feasible within the budget and timescale of the call.
  • Value for Money
    The idea’s combination of cost, quality and sustainability is well balanced. The scale of the solution is reasonable with respect to the effort proposed.
  • Team Experience
    The team is equipped with the appropriate technology and business skills, and has a good track record to deliver the proposed solution within 16 weeks.
  • Impact and Development Plan
    The proposal can demonstrate an ambition for positive impact in the West of England region and is likely to be suitable for further development after the programme.

What level of technological maturity should the project have?
Proposals could be early stage prototyping of an idea, acceleration of an existing solution, or a novel application of existing tools. A project can be at any stage of maturity, but your proposal will need to outline the technological development and progression being proposed.

What is the application deadline?
Applicants will need to complete the application form by 23:59 on 13 March 2023 to be considered for the programme.

Will I receive feedback on my application?
Unfortunately, because of the high volume of applications, we can’t provide feedback on all applications but we will provide feedback to shortlisted applicants. We will notify everyone that applies of the outcome of their application via email.

If my application is not successful – can I reapply for a programme in the future?
You are welcome to apply to future opportunities.

Funding and Legal

Does the programme offer funding?

Those selected to take part in the programme will receive up to £50,000 to support the concept and development.

Is match funding required?

No, not required.

Are match contributions welcomed?

Match funding is not required for this call but we do welcome cash or in kind match contributions. Please let us know in your proposal and budget if you already have confirmed income or are expecting it. We also know that you will bring your own time, money, resources and networks to the work – this is of huge value and we will work with you to capture and recognise this as match.

How and when will the applicants receive the funding?

Up to £50,000 worth funding will be allocated to each successful onboarded applicant as follows:
50% upon signing of contract (deliverables verified at start of programme)

40% halfway milestone (dependent on deliverables)
10% upon completion of programme and sign off of final deliverables.
The aim is that projects will be delivered by the end of the 16 week programme period. We do recognise that due to unforeseen circumstances some participants may require longer, by exception, and where justified we can negotiate a period of up to 6 months for delivery for prototype development.

For University of Bristol to grant this funding applicants have to complete the Minimum Financial Assistance declaration showing their  awards over the last 3 fiscal years does not exceed £315,000. Please reference the Minimum Financial Assistance declaration form for more information on regulations.

What if my resources run over budget?

The funding is up to £50,000 for 9 winning applicants who will participate in the creation of the prototypes. Further expenditure produced by the companies will have to come from their own budget.

What can the funding be used for?

The funding must be used to develop tools and technologies as outlined in the brief. We anticipate the bulk of the funding will be used for staffing costs and materials but if you have any further costs you would like to discuss, please contact the team [email protected]

Who will own the intellectual property of any solution developed?

The participants will have full ownership of all new intellectual property created on the programme. For full details, please refer to the programme terms and conditions.

Programme Participation

Is the programme expected to be in-person, or remote?

Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries’ activities are planned to be delivered as a mix of in person and remotely/online. We expect to organise a small number of in-person events, such activities may include programme kick-off, peer-to-peer sessions, industry roundtables and showcase events. Participants will be informed with plenty of notice and will be subject to updated COVID-19 -related guidance on restrictions and best practices.

What if I am involved in another external or Digital Catapult programme?

Unless otherwise stated in programme specific requirements or terms and conditions, participating or having participated in accelerator or other programmes does not preclude you from taking part in the Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries, so long as the timings do not cause a conflict of interest as outlined in the T&Cs.

If you have been part of any previous Digital Catapult programme you are welcome to join. For other programmes, your participation will be dependent on the terms of the programme itself and what you have agreed to in the terms and conditions.

 

FAQ’s which have been asked by prospective applicants

Can I submit my application in an alternative format?

Yes, we are offering video applications for accessibility to those who need it, if that is your preferred method of application please email [email protected] for further information.

My business is registered outside of the West of England region but I have staff based in the region, can I still apply?

Please refer to the definition of ‘operating’ in the West of England region in these FAQs.

I am a business with only 1FTE but registered as a business not as a sole trader, am I eligible to apply?

Please refer to the minimum requirements in the T&Cs, noting in particular:

  • The team must have one or more team members with expertise in the area they are applying for
  • Applicants must have two or more team members

This is to ensure a team has capacity to deliver over a 16 week period. You can subcontract additional staff for your team.

My business is registered as a CIC? Am I eligible to apply?

Yes.

My proposal is to explore catalysts and connectors but not within the creative industries, can I apply?

Novel application of a tooling solution is included in the call brief but it would need to explore applications in the Creative Industries.

My business is not within the creative industries but I want to explore creative tooling in the creative industries, a new business area, can I apply?

Yes.

Can I employ freelancers or non payroll staff on my project using the £50k grant funding?

Yes.

When will the grant payments be awarded during the project?

50% upon signing of contract (deliverables verified at start of programme)
40% halfway milestone (dependent on deliverables)
10% upon completion of programme and sign off of final deliverables.

Can I buy kit and equipment with the grant money?

The grant does not permit capital expenditure.

What are pros and cons of working with NVIDIA challenge or Open challenge?

Both challenges provide funding as well as technical, business and product support through the Digital Catapult accelerator.

Projects that are chosen for the NVIDIA challenge could potentially receive engineering support from NVIDIA experts, and develop their relationship with NVIDIA as an organisation. Please see the NVIDIA section of the call brief for more information.

The IP for any ideas selected for the NVIDIA Challenge remains with the project team and future exploitation is not limited to NVIDIA.

Do each use different judges and does Nvidia do the judging for the Nvidia challenge?

MyWorld has a panel of judges including a representative from the competition
industry sponsor who will help to select the competition winners from the eligible
applicant pool. The Nvidia challenge will be judged by Nvidia representatives.

How many available funding places are there for NVIDIA projects and for Open Challenge?

We will fund up to 9 projects. Projects will be selected based on the selection criteria, not a predetermined number allocated to each challenge call.

What differences can we expect if we go with NVIDIA or Open Challenge in terms of access to technical support, business support, further funding, etc?

All projects will receive the same level of access to technical and business support from Digital Catapult. There will be some additional NVIDIA relevant support for projects on the NVIDIA Challenge as outlined in the benefits section of the call brief.
There is no further funding available for this call – MyWorld will be running future funding calls.

If we chose the NVIDIA challenge does that effect our chances during the CR&D funding later in the year? Will NVIDIA also be offering a challenge as part of the CR&D?

Success or otherwise in the Challenge Call will not be factored into future funding scoring criteria. The scope of future funding calls has not yet been finalised.

 

Can DC facilitate, provide access to audiences/groups for testing purposes?

As part of the accelerator we will support grant awardees as much as possible but would advise that audience reach and engagement is planned at the application stage to ensure you are able to meet your deliverables.

Can testing be costed into the grant?

Testing can be part of a work plan and costed accordingly.

Can we cost Nvidia hardware into grant expenditure?

Capital expenditure is not a permitted expenditure as part of this grant.

What is the Nvidia discount as mentioned in Challenge Call guidelines?

This is to be confirmed with successful challenge call award recipients, should they be eligible to receive it.

Will applications with West of England partners score higher than those with out of region partners?

The lead applicant must be ‘operating’ in the West of England and able to demonstrate ongoing impact for the region and development of the idea (section 5 of the application form). While we encourage collaboration with regional partners as far as possible the application is not scored against whether subcontracted partners are in or out of region. If their involvement contributes to the criteria stated above, the application will be assessed on that basis.

Can you provide us with what the accelerator activity will look like? What is our commitment per week to accelerator activity? We want to align our workplan with accelerator activities:

High level programme activity is outlined below (please note this may be subject to change):

June: Onboarding & Concept Validation:
Onboarding event and workshop (7 June)
Value Proposition Workshop (date tbc)
1:1s: Scope of Work & Tech Roadmap
Demo Review
Office Hours

July & Aug: Product Development:
Founders event/workshop (date tbc)
1:1s: Demo Review
Office Hours
Mentoring and Business support

Sept: Product Development & Testing:
Pitching Workshop (date tbc)
1:1s Demo Review
Office Hours
PoC Exploitation Planning

Spring 2024 Final showcasing event
Venue and date tbc

 

Can we use the grant to research or establish how the tool could be used i.e markets/users?

The focus of the grant needs to explore innovative tooling solutions addressing industry challenges relating to the creation, delivery and assessment of experiences. All proposed activities need to sit within this scope of work.

We have a number of collaborators in mind to work with on the challenge. Can we assign/employ/confirm who they are once we have been awarded and not provide specific details in the application?

Subcontractors and collaborators need to be identified and costed into the grant proposal.

Can we change our proposal once we have been awarded the grant?

The funding will be awarded based on the project proposed at application. Any substantial changes to the scope of work agreed on award of the funding will not be permitted. We understand that there may be exceptional circumstances which require minor changes to the scope of work and these will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

How do we determine the scope of the project, we have so much we want to do!

We would advise that you map the work you would like to do against the timeframe of 16 weeks and frame the scope of works against your budget and resource costs which should give you a good idea of what your proposed project could realistically achieve.

If we select the NVIDIA Challenge call, who owns the IP during and after the accelerator?

The Intellectual Property remains with the project team applying to the call. Project teams are not obliged to work with NVIDIA following delivery of the project.