Entrepreneurs lack awareness of UK innovation funding, MPs hear

Chief executive highlights issues with accessing funding for commercialising research

Entrepreneurs in the UK need to be made more aware of the public innovation funding schemes that are available and could help them, MPs have heard.

Byron Dixon, chief executive at the UK-headquartered company Micro-Fresh, told a parliamentary session on research commercialisation, held on 22 May, that he used funding from Innovate UK to help develop his product, which blocks the growth of odour-causing microorganisms, but that he found out about the funder “by accident”.