The National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) has £10 million available to support small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) developing innovative technologies for the aerospace industry.

The funding is from the £3.9 billion UK Aerospace Technology Institute programme, a partnership between the Government and industry managed by Innovate UK, the Aerospace Technology Institute and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

NATEP says the UK aerospace industry has a turnover of £35 billion and directly employs 123,000 people.

“It needs to keep innovating to stay ahead in global markets, and up to £2.5 million is available in a first round of funding being managed by Innovate UK, which is part of UK Research and Innovation.”

The competition for funding aims to help SMEs to develop technologies that win new business in the civil aerospace sector, and projects should be in line with one of the ‘technology streams’ in the UK aerospace technology strategy ‘Raising Ambition’, namely: aircraft of the future; smart, connected and more-electric aircraft; aerostructures of the future; and propulsion of the future.

The strategy is being revised, and new categories could be added before the competition closes. Further details can be found at the Web site (www.ati.org.uk/resources/publications).