Relaxation of rules lets R&D Catapults bid for more funding

Government-funded engines for linking research with industry given more access to research councils

Catapults will be able to bid for funding from UK Research and Innovation on the same basis as other research organisations, the government has announced.

The UK’s nine R&D catapults are government-funded centres that sit between research institutions and industry to encourage the commercialisation of R&D on specific topics. Through leveraging private sector funding, the catapult network is expected to play a role in reaching the government’s target of raising investment in R&D to 2.4 per cent of gross domestic product.