The Marches Forward Partnership is submitting an Expression of Interest to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund — a competitive process that could unlock up to £20m of innovation investment into our region over the next five years. The fund’s aim is to empower innovation leadership through local ‘triple helix’ partnerships between civic institutions, businesses and universities.

In designing our EOI we are evidencing the internationally competitive clusters and activity across the Marches alongside focussing on how additional funding is needed to grow our established and emergent clusters around the region such as our

  • Agri-tech cluster – Agri‑tech cluster – that mobilises key capabilities in the application of technology, data and innovation to agriculture and land‑based activities.Resilient landscapes cluster – build on the success of the
  • River Severn Innovation region and our Marches Green Growth Programme.

We are adamant about the untapped potential of our region to unlock significant economic growth through innovation scaling, of both industries, products and system-wide innovation where market failures have meant commercialisation of technologies have not delivered their potential.

Why we are asking Businesses for a letter of support

We are asking businesses across the region to support our Marches Forward UKRI LIPF bid through a letter of support. The benefits to businesses locally in the event our bid is successful would be:

  • Direct funding opportunities and partnerships for your innovation, research, and development that can unlock growth, adoption, and ultimately commercialisation of best novel product ideas.
  • Strengthened capacity across the ecosystem for innovation including physical sites, simulation, and testing arenas, and more expert capacity in the network for you to access capabilities that can take your innovations to the next level.
  • Ensure the LIPF spending is shaped around real commercial needs, with industry provided better access and visibility to the intellectual and physical research across the academic sector too.
  • Access into adjacent businesses, sectors, and industries to allow the circulation and recombination of ideas across different industry verticals so fundamental to how innovation works.

We are therefore inviting local businesses to provide a light touch letter of support, confirming willingness in principle to join the partnership and participate in the next round of objectives and spending design should our initial bid be successful.  Please note this letter is provided as an expression of support and intent only and does not constitute a binding financial or contractual commitment.

Please share your expression of interest with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the 10th of February, copying your local representative for visibility.  Do reach out if you have any clarifications, we look forward to receiving your letter and working with you should our bid be successful