SBRI – Transport Priorities Review for UKRI

About this Project

Project name: SBRI – Transport Priorities Review for UKRI

ITEN Project team: Trevor Bradbury, Vijay Ramdas, Martin Lamb, Helen Viner

The issue identified: The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) is a flexible funding mechanism available to the public sector for procurement of R&D where there is an identified need that is not being met by current market solutions.  However, despite its successful application within many organisations, it is not being used to its full potential.  The client wished to address this and to identify challenge areas suitable for innovation funding.

The work undertaken: A series of interviews was combined with desk-based research and subsequent validation through workshops.  This identified a wide range of challenges across transport modes, which were visualised through a ‘mind map’ and assessed under the relevant sector headings (road, rail, marine, aviation, plus cross-cutting themes).  Awareness of and experience with SBRI as a procurement mechanism was assessed in parallel.

 The outcome: The review makes recommendations for raising awareness and supporting effective use of SBRI.  It identifies potential transport challenges where SBRI could help deliver solutions and provides best practice, advice and guidance on developing challenge statements against which R&D can be procured.  The review has been published here on the gov.uk website. 

The benefit to the client: The work will help the client in raising awareness of SBRI amongst public sector bodies and in identifying areas for potential research funding.  It will facilitate effective use of SBRI (hence, of the innovation funding provided through this route), by identifying areas where support is needed, collaboration beneficial, specific barriers can be overcome, and best practice applied.