Collaborative research & development

The Nuclear AMRC works with businesses through a variety of collaborative research and development projects, funded by UK and international programmes.

We lead and collaborate in externally-funded R&D projects which bring together the Nuclear AMRC, manufacturers along the supply chain, and other specialist research centres. They aim to tackle specific problems in high-value manufacturing, and deliver innovative technical solutions and sustainable economic benefits.

We always want to hear from potential project partners – businesses which have a challenge or opportunity that they want to address through innovation, and other R&D organisations who want to tap into our unique capabilities and areas of expertise.

We have extensive experience in forming project consortiums, preparing bids, winning funding, and successfully managing collaborative R&D projects. We aim to manage projects to the highest standards, and are a corporate partner of the Association of Project Management (APM).

We can also bring our unique capabilities and resources for innovative large-scale manufacturing to projects led by others.

Current funding sources for collaborative R&D at the Nuclear AMRC include:

• Innovate UK – the UK’s innovation agency, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supports R&D projects in a range of priority areas. Innovate UK holds regular funding competitions to help companies develop new ideas and tackle national challenges, through funding programmes including the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Small Business Research Initiative and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Innovate UK also funds the Catapult network.
• Net Zero Innovation Portfolio – a £1 billion fund led by BEIS to accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies, systems and business models across 10 priority areas including nuclear, hydrogen, energy storage and CCUS. It builds on the former Nuclear Innovation Programme, and includes the advanced modular reactor R&D programme.
• The Eureka Network and other international competitions, including (subject to eligibility) the Euratom Research and Training programme and Horizon Europe.

Find out more about our current and recent collaborative R&D projects.

To find out more about working with us through a collaborative R&D project, contact business@namrc.co.uk

How it works

The process for a collaborative R&D project will vary depending on the source of funding and the exact nature of the research, but a typical company journey is outlined below. Project schedules can vary from a few months to several years, but we will support you through every stage.

1. Talk to us.
Help us understand your current capabilities and what you want to achieve, the problem you want to solve or the innovation you want to develop.

2. Identify funding
We keep track of new funding calls and opportunities from all the major funding bodies. If any match your interests, we will provide details as soon as possible.

3. Consortium building
Many calls require a consortium of companies and research institutions. We can identify potential partners from our network to meet specific requirements.

4. Bid writing & submission
You will need to provide technical information, detailed costs and a business case. We can manage bid writing, even if we’re not leading the project itself.

5. Contract negotiation
If we are leading the project, we will manage the formal agreements between the funder and consortium members, including IP issues. If you are leading, we can advise as required.

6. Project kickoff
The consortium meets to discuss detailed work planning and management. We can host the kickoff meeting if appropriate.

7. Regular project updates
We will arrange regular meetings and updates to discuss progress, share ideas, and ensure that all partners are delivering to schedule.

8. Project close & follow-on activity
We can manage final reporting, and support dissemination through our established communications channels. We can also discuss continuing collaboration to take the innovations developed during the project to the next level of commercial development.