Secure funding
Turn a strong idea into a fundable proposal.
Competitive funding rewards clarity: a well-defined need, a credible plan, the right partners and a convincing route to impact. We find the opportunities that fit your R&D strategy, shape the consortium and write proposals assessors can score.
Where the money is
The funding landscape
Public funding exists to take on the risk that private investors will not: early, ambitious work with a real chance of failure and a large benefit if it succeeds. Knowing which funder wants which risk is half the battle.
- Innovate UK runs competitions for grants, loans and investor partnerships, from feasibility studies to large collaborative projects.
- The research councils of UK Research and Innovation fund research in universities and research organisations, often with industry partners.
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships bring a graduate, a business and a university or research organisation together on a strategic project.
- Horizon Europe, which UK organisations have joined as full participants since 2024, and Eureka programmes fund international collaboration.
- Regional and national agencies, sector programmes and bilateral innovation programmes with other countries.
- Private investment from angels, venture capital and corporate partners, and R&D tax relief, which works alongside grants.
Calls open and close throughout the year, and the rules change. We keep track so you can focus on the work.
How we work
Six steps, from strategy to the first claim.
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Funding strategy
Your R&D roadmap matched to the funders, competitions and timing that suit each stage, including how match funding and cash flow will work.
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Opportunity selection
A frank view of fit before anyone writes a word: eligibility, scope, competition and the effort a strong bid will take.
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Consortium building
The right partners in the right roles, with clear responsibilities, budget shares and the principles of a collaboration agreement agreed early.
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Proposal development
The story and the substance: need, innovation, approach, work plan, budget, risks and the route to impact, written for the assessors who will score it.
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Review and submission
Independent review against the published assessment criteria, revisions, and a managed, on-time submission.
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After the decision
Project start-up, reporting and claims if you win; feedback and a stronger resubmission if you do not.
Funding support from strategy to the final claim
- 3 joined-up funding services: funding strategy and investment cases, bid management, and project management
- Public + private business cases for grant funders and for investors, built on the same evidence
- UK + Europe national and international consortia, including Horizon Europe, open to UK organisations since 2024
From Alta Semita’s own account of its services. Clients are not named.
Services
Services in this area
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Funding strategy and investment cases
Match your roadmap to the right funds
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Bid management
Build the consortium and the proposal
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Project management
Deliver funded projects to plan
What makes a proposal score well
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A need assessors recognise
A specific problem with evidence of its scale, and a clear account of why existing solutions fall short.
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Genuine innovation
What is new, why it is hard, and why now: technical ambition with the risks named rather than hidden.
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A credible team
Partners with the right skills and track record, each with a clear role, and nothing important left uncovered.
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A plan you can follow
Work packages, milestones, deliverables and decision points that join up with the budget.
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Value for money
Costs that are justified line by line and proportionate to what the project will achieve.
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A route to impact
Who will use the results, how they will reach them, and the economic and social benefits that follow.
Questions we often hear
What is match funding?
Most grants pay only part of a project’s eligible costs; you fund the rest, in cash or sometimes in kind. The share depends on the competition and on the size of your organisation and the type of research. A funding strategy plans for match funding and cash flow from the start, because grants are often paid in arrears.
How long does a proposal take?
It depends on the competition. A single-company application can come together in a few weeks; a large collaborative bid with several partners usually needs two to three months to build the consortium, agree the plan and budget, and write and review the proposal. Starting early is the single biggest advantage.
Can UK organisations still join European projects?
Yes. The UK has been associated to Horizon Europe since 1 January 2024, so UK organisations can take part and receive funding on the same terms as those in EU member states. The UK is also a member of Eureka.
We have been turned down before. Is it worth trying again?
Often, yes. Assessors’ feedback shows where a proposal lost marks, and many successful projects were funded at the second attempt. We review the feedback with you and decide honestly whether to resubmit, reshape the project or look elsewhere.
Looking for funding for your next project?
Tell us about it and we will tell you which routes fit, and what a strong bid would take.