COLLABORATIVE
NETWORK PROGRAMME
Note: Before completing an application you should contact and discuss the application in detail with an Invest NI Collaborative Network Executive or Client Executive
If you are unsure of whom to contact, please ring Invest Northern Ireland’s Collaborative Network team at
Tel: 028 9069 8100.
These guidelines have been provided to assist in the completion of the application for Invest NI’s Collaborative Network funding.
Prompts are provided in each section and should be used as a guide to ensure all relevant information is captured. Please observe the guidelines regarding the level of detail required.
Should you wish to attach additional information, or require clarification regarding any of the questions or the amount of detail required in your submission, you should attach these in the form of an Annex, and details of the Annex listed within Section 3 table, Description of Annex. You may also wish to contact one of the Collaborative Network Executives for advice and further guidance.
Introduction: To assist in evaluating the collaborative network application, the client/proposers should make an attempt via the application process to demonstrate the following to Invest NI:
Document, in an appropriate level of detail, information in relation to the following areas: • Strategic importance of the proposed project;
• Market opportunity (including identifying if the market(s) is/are growing, static or in decline);
• Competitive positioning of the Network within marketplace, i.e. identification of competitors and the added value of the network proposition within the marketplace;
• Roles and responsibilities that would be undertaken by companies within the network; • Activity that would be undertaken to address the market need;
• Activity plan that would be taken forward;
• Benefits (quantifiable and non-quantifiable and monetary and non-monetary) to Network participants and the methods that would be employed to achieve these benefits;
• Contribution of the project to the NI economy; and
• Methods to be employed to monitor and evaluate the network project.
SECTION 1: DETAILS OF PROPOSER & COLLABORATIVE NETWORK PARTNERS
SECTION 2: DETAILS OF PROPOSER & COLLABORATIVE NETWORK PARTNERS
These questions capture general information relating to the lead company and network members, including information about any other public assistance received by the individual network members and/or the network. The lead company must be an Invest NI client company or have the ability to become an Invest NI client company. Grant support cannot be allocated until a lead company is registered with Invest NI.
1 Question 1 a-f If the network is established as a legal entity, please enter details of the entity in Table 1.
2 Name of Lead Organisation: Please provide the full name of the company leading the project. Where the company trading name is different please state both names. If applicable, company registration number should also be provided.
3 Name of Network Member Please provide the list of companies and other organisations in the
Companies & Organisations collaborative network at the time of application.
This section must be completed for each network partner and may be supplied as separate annexes
Please note each collaborative network partner in the collaborative network should complete Section 2. Network partners for Phase 2 are those members who have agreed to collaborate and participate with the network steering group or board.
Section 2 may be copied as required for each member of the network and attached to the application. The lead partner should coordinate the completion of application forms and submit one combined application to Invest NI. Invest NI recognises that as the network evolves more members will be brought on board and therefore it is not possible in some instances to have all the members in place from the outset.
4 Network Name Provide the name of the network.
A Organisation type
B Organisation status If applicable, company registration number should also be provided. LLP/Sole trader/LTD by Guarantee/Partnership.
5 Contact Name Including Title
Please provide the contact name of the person within the network who will be actively engaged with the collaborative network.
6 Position
Contact email address
What position is held within the organisation, e.g. MD, CEO, Executive. Please provide an email address of the contact person listed above.
7 Addresses (incl postcode)
Please provide an address of the lead company offices which must be within Northern Ireland.
8 Tel/Mobile No Please provide contact details for the industry lead nominated person as detailed above.
SECTION 2: DETAILS OF PROPOSER & COLLABORATIVE NETWORK PARTNERS (CONTD.)
10 If applicable - Name of Company’s Development Advisor & Agency
Provide details of the agency you are registered with and the client executive/advisor who looks after your account in the respective agency, e.g. Invest NI regional office Newry.
11 Please provide a brief history of the business, with a paragraph on each of the following to indicate the company’s:
- Capabilities/Core Competencies
- Technical Specialisation
You may wish to consider:
• Origins, technologies, growth, current position (financial & strategic), company and/or group structure;
• Any close links with other businesses, such as companies under the same ownership; institutes or trade bodies;
• Notable achievements; or
• Links to university or higher education research.
12 Describe your current market, products, key customers, number of patents and number of projects underway
Describe:
• Current company product portfolio, market share and target market/s;
• Any market segments/niches; • Current competitors;
• Target customers and Unique Selling Point;
• Any information on patents registered or pending that may be relevant to this project; and
• Outline any existing research projects that are currently underway and may be relevant to this proposal.
13 Please outline your company’s strategic objectives and how the proposed collaborative network project will support these objectives
Please provide brief details about your company's strategic plan, the period it covers and how this collaborative project fits within that strategy:
Indicate your plans for the future:
• growth plans for sales, markets and regions; and
• how does this project fit with your future strategy and how important is it to the achievement of these business targets? You may wish to consider how the collaboration may help: • increase level of expertise;
• provide your company with the ability to draw together
complementary skills in order to bid for large pieces of work that as individual units may not have been possible;
• reduce the levels of business risk;
• provide the potential for economies of scale to be realised by further specialising production within each company, by joint purchasing of common raw materials to attract bulk discounts or by joint marketing;
• strengthening social and other informal links, leading to the creation of new ideas and new businesses; and
• enabling the development of an infrastructure of professional, legal, financial and other specialist services.
SECTION 2: DETAILS OF PROPOSER & COLLABORATIVE NETWORK PARTNERS (CONTD.)
14 Please outline how you believe the proposed project outcomes may improve your capability and competitiveness?
Indicate how your company’s participation in the proposed collaborative network will enhance its capability and competitiveness.
15 Is the company currently in receipt of other forms of public assistance? If so, please give details
Detail any other sources and amounts of public or EU assistance the company has been offered in the last five years. How much has been drawn down?
You must provide details of any support you have applied for from the public sector, any financial support from other Public Agencies/ Government Departments etc.
16 Has your company participated in forms of Collaborative Networking previously? Yes/No (If yes, please specify)
If no, please provide details of the network you previously participated in, the role you and your organisation played and an indication as to the benefits derived to your business/organisation if any. If you learned lessons from a previous collaborative network experience, please share these with us in your application, such as hurdles you may have had to overcome.
17 Have you worked with any of the proposers before? (If yes, please specify)
If yes, please detail how you worked with some or all of the
collaborative network participants in the past and for how long. Was it collaborative tender, products development, supply-chain activity and/or other?
18 Are you aware of any other proposal with Invest NI, or other organisation, for support relating to this or a similar project?
If you and/or any of the network participants know of any other similar network in existence either locally, regionally and/ or internationally, please specify. If none is known and to your knowledge you believe it is unique to the region then please indicate uniqueness.
19 Do you have any registered bad debts/enforcement judgements against you?
If none, state none. If yes, please provide details.
20 No. of Employees You should provide:
- full time equivalent employee numbers (if any) in Northern Ireland; and
- annual turnover for the last financial year.
If you are part of a group please refer to EU guidelines for calculating these, accessible at: www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/ files/sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf
21 Annual Turnover (£) 22 Operating profit 23 Year used for turnover.
24 Parent Company Name (if part of a group)
Where the company is part of a group, please attach details of the group structure.
25 Group Employees & Annual Turnover
Where the company is part of a group, please provide: - full time equivalent employee numbers for the group; and - group annual turnover for the last financial year.
SECTION 3: DETAILS ON SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
26 Applicants may include separate Annexes with this Full Application Form
Please cross reference each annex you attach with the section body text in the application form. For example Section 2, information on project partner organisation/business- Brief history of business. Each annex must be detailed within Table 4.
27 Who should Invest NI contact to discuss this application?
You should provide full contact details for the person that Invest NI can contact to discuss the application.
28 Has the facilitator/network leader/project manager been identified? Yes/No
(If yes, please give details)
If the network facilitator has been appoined, has this selection/ appointment been approved/agreed by all network partners? Selection/appointment should only take place with approval of the network members.
29 Host organisation, Name of host organisation if different from lead company address
In some instances the network may wish to have the facilitator hosted within another organisation which is not the lead company, such as a Trade Association and/or other third party organisation. Please provide details of the proposed host company if different from the lead company and detail the rational for this being allocated as the host organisation.
30 Host organisations capability Please provide sufficient information to assure us that the host organisation will have the necessary resources and expertise to provide the relevant level of administrative and financial support.
31 Project title Please provide working title for the project which will be used in all future reference material until such times as the network decide to change the working title.
32 Abstract of Proposed Project (Max 400 words)
You should try and provide an overview of the proposed project which will capture the essence of the proposal.
33 Proposed Start Date State anticipated Start Date.
34 Proposed Duration (Months) State anticipated duration (typically 4 – 6 months).
35 Wider economic benefits Please indicate how the proposed project may benefit the Northern Ireland economy. Anticipated economic benefits could include, for example, some of the following: increase in sales; exports; jobs; R&D spend; sales from commercialised R&D; and university linkages with industry where they result from the project proposed. You should also note any supply-chain linkages.
SECTION 5: OUTLINE OF PROPOSED PROJECT
36 Details of Rationale for proposed project(s), including aims & objectives
A Project Description Please provide a detailed description of the collaborative network project/projects, products, process or service to be developed or other.
B Key Aims/ Objectives (Provide detail in project plan section)
Provide some background to the project and justification for undertaking the project.
You should provide a detailed description of the project, outlining objectives, including specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound (SMART) objectives. Smart Objectives table provided within application form.
C Key Milestones (Provide detail in project plan section)
Outline the key components processes to be developed. What are the key challenges to be addressed?
What if any are the key areas of development and experimentation to be undertaken?
Identify deliverables for different stages. A structured work
programme including milestones for completion at each stage of the proposed project/s.
The project plan should clearly identify: project timeframe, including estimated start and end date; tasks; resourcing; milestones and deliverables.
D Risks Financial Risks, Commercial Risks, Technical Risks. Indicate any perceived risks associated with the project and how the network propose to mitigate against the risks.
E What is new and/or innovative about the proposed collaborative project?
You should identify the extent to which the project is innovative both commercially and technically. In evaluating this section evaluating this section Assessors will consider: Does it push boundaries over and beyond current leading-edge world science and technology? Is it looking to apply existing technologies in new areas? You should describe the evidence you have to substantiate your belief that the intended work is innovative. This could include the results of patent searches, competitor analyses, literature surveys etc.
For highly innovative projects where the market may be
unexplored, you should explain: what the route to market could or might be; what its size might be; and how the project will seek to explore the market potential.
SECTION 5: OUTLINE OF PROPOSED PROJECT (CONTD.)
37 Please provide evidence of the need/demand for this project, clearly demonstrating market failure and specify activities to address. If the collaborative network previously undertook a scoping study, please provide evidence gathered during scoping study. Attach relevant documentation in Annex. Clearly define market(s) opportunity (incl. identify if the market(s) is growing, static or in decline)
You should describe how you identified the need for the project, include if necessary evidence, statements gathered from potential network members and customers. Explain how the intended outputs of the project will address the need.
Include summary of evidence that may have been gathered during scoping study, including conclusions and recommendations detailed within the scoping study.
You should describe, if possible, the size of the market
opportunities that this project might open up, including details of: • current nature of specific market(s) at which the project is
targeted (e.g. is it characterised by price competition amongst commoditised suppliers? Is it dominated by a single leading firm? Etc);
• the dynamics of this market, including quantifying its current size, actual and predicted growth rates;
• the projected market share for the project outcome, with justification in the light of any potential competitors; and • the potential to create value added for NI.
38 Please demonstrate how the collaborative project is additional to the current activities of the network/ participant companies
You should provide sufficient information to clarify the additional benefits that can only be achieved via this collaborative proposal, such as developing joint supply chain, joint marketing, joint research.
39 Please state why you require funding from Invest NI & whether the project (in terms of scale and timescale) would proceed without this support
Please provide evidence that financial assistance is necessary to enable the project to proceed in the way proposed.
Invest NI will not support projects which cannot demonstrate a need for public funding.
Invest NI will not support projects which would proceed without assistance. Therefore, you should outline:
- The reasons why Invest NI should support your application - Your degree of need for support from Invest NI
- The impact of not receiving financial support from Invest NI, e.g. the project will:
- not go ahead? - be postponed? - be reduced in scale? - be reduced in quality?
SECTION 6: SMART OBJECTIVES PROPOSED PROJECT WORK PLAN
40 Listed below are some guidance prompts in writing SMART Objectives. However many more details can be found on the internet and you should develop a set of SMART objectives that are relevant to your network and agreed by your network members
Acronym Element
Description Diagnostic Questions
Specific Specific means that the objective is concrete, detailed, focused and well defined.
The objective must be straightforward and emphasise action and the required outcome.
Specific also means that it’s results and action-orientated. Objectives need to be straightforward and to
communicate what you would like to see happen. To help set specific objectives it helps to ask:
• WHAT am I going to do? This is best written using strong, action verbs such as conduct, develop, build, plan, execute, etc. This helps your objective to be action-orientated and focuses on what’s most important.
• WHY is this important for me to do?
• WHO is going to do what? Who else need to be involved?
• WHEN do I want this to be completed? • HOW am I going to do this?
• What exactly are we going to do, with/or for whom?
• What strategies will be used? • Is the objective well understood? • Is the objective described with
action verbs?
• Is it clear who is involved? • Is it clear where this will happen? • Is it clear what needs to happen? • Is the outcome clear?
• Will this objective lead to the desired results?
Measurable If the objective is measurable, it means that the measurement source is identified and we are able to track the actions as we progress towards the objective. Measurement is the standard used for comparison. For example, what financial independence means to one person, may be totally different compared to what it means for another.
If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.
It’s important to have measures that will encourage and motivate you on the way as you see the change occurring, this may require interim measures.
Measurements (and the visible progress) go a long way to help us to know when we have achieved our objective.
• How will I know that the change has occurred?
• Can these measurements be obtained?
SECTION 6: SMART OBJECTIVES PROPOSED PROJECT WORK PLAN (CONTD.)
Acronym Element
Description Diagnostic Questions
Achievable Objectives need to be achievable. If the objective is too far in the future, you’ll find it difficult to keep motivated and to strive to attain it.
Objectives, unlike your aspirations and visions, need to be achievable to keep you motivated.
Objectives need to stretch you, but not so far that you become frustrated and lose motivation.
• Can we get it done in the proposed timeframe?
• Do I understand the limitations and constraints?
• Can we do this with the resources we have?
• Has anyone else done this successfully?
• Is this possible?
Realistic Objectives that are achievable, may not be realistic, however, realistic does not mean easy. Realistic means that you have the resources to get it done.
The achievement of an objective requires resources, such as, skills, money, equipment, etc. to the task required to achieve the objective. Whilst keeping objectives realistic, ensure that they stretch you.
Most objectives are achievable but may require a change in your priorities to make them happen.
• Do you have the resources available to achieve this objective?
• Do I need to revisit priorities in my life to make this happen? • Is it possible to achieve this
objective?
Time Time-bound means setting deadlines for the achievement of the objective. Deadlines need to be both achievable and realistic.
If you don’t set a timeframe you will reduce the motivation and urgency required to execute the tasks. Agreed time frames create the necessary urgency and prompt action.
• When will this objective be accomplished?
• Is there a stated deadline?
41 Project Organisation & Management: If possible please provide details of who will carry out the designated tasks and which collaborative partners will be engaged with the task
Please detail within the SMART objectives format who will be responsible for carrying out the tasks required to manage the delivery of the proposed project objectives.
SECTION 7: FINANCIAL DETAILS
42 Project Cost Tables – Company Costs
You should provide outline costs to be incurred by the network project in the tables provided. You should also indicate whether any cash or salaried contribution will be made by the network partners over the duration of the project.
If your project plan does not capture cost details, you should ensure that your responses to this question are consistent with the plan and sufficient for Invest NI to understand how all project costs have been derived.
The following guidance outlines “allowable” costs within the Collaborative Network programme:
• Labour Costs - Facilitation
- Support/Administration staff
Labour Costs
The wages/ salaries of those individuals who will be actively engaged in facilitating and or project managing the network.
Administration support costs will be based on actually salaried costs and rate will be negotiated depending on level of expertise.
Travel costs are primarily for facilitator and must be based on actual invoiced costs. All mileage and travel costs must be vouched and detailed within claim. Hotel costs may include breakfast and evening meal if incorporated into the final hotel bill. Only with prior consent with the Invest NI Executive will travel costs be considered eligible to other network support staff. All travel will only be paid at economy rates.
Invest NI will wish to be satisfied as regards the number of
individuals travelling, the location or organisation to be visited, the proposed duration of the visit and the aims of the visit.
Such costs may include a specialised commission of market research and commissioning an expert. Other costs can only be considered if detailed within the original submission.
Salaried contribution must be calculated based on actual annual salary rate of the network member and can only be included if the member agrees to submit/sign off time sheets to demonstrate salaried hourly contribution. In all instances there should be a clear audit trail created for staff costs from timesheet to payroll record to payment by employer.
**All network members wishing to have their time contribution included as ‘Salaried Personnel’ contribution must submit proof of salary, e.g. P60, bank statement etc. to Invest NI
• Travel & Subsistence Costs (details of anticipated trips)
• Consultancy Costs (details of consultancy activities) • Other costs: - these may include any other costs deemed appropriate to a given network on a case by case basis
• Industry Salaried Personnel or Cash contribution**
SECTION 7: FINANCIAL DETAILS (CONTD.)
42 Project Cost Tables –
Company Costs (CONTINUED)
Owner / Director’s remuneration
It is recognised that remuneration for owner directors of SME organisations may not always be made through traditional salaried PAYE employment. It is often the case that total remuneration includes regular payment of dividends to owner directors following advice from their financial advisors (usually the company’s
accountants). In cases where the substance of the dividend payment transactions is clearly that of a basic salary payment, albeit paid in the form of dividend, the de-facto salary payment can be used in the determination of the GROSS EQUIVALENT HOURLY RATE [GEHR] for the purpose of calculating costs eligible for drawdown of grant under the following conditions:
1. Recognition of dividends paid as de-facto salaries is restricted to owner directors of private companies in NI employing no more than 250 employees.
2. Confirmation from appropriate financial advisors that salary is substantially paid by way of regular anticipated dividend. 3. Actual PAYE salary is less than the BASIC TAX RATE upper
earnings threshold (£37,400).
4. Dividend payments are made on a regular frequency no less than four times per year.
5. Amount of dividend paid is regular and non fluctuating (within reasonable tolerance).
6. Total Recognised Salary (TRS = de-facto salary + PAYE salary) to be capped to the median salary for a Managing Director. The NI Salary Survey for 2009 [ PwC ] identifies £64,800 as the median salary for a managing director.
7. The de-facto salary will be determined by reference to qualifying dividend payments in the calendar year immediately preceding the start date of the claim period.
Other Costs
It is possible that the company will wish to include certain costs, not readily categorised under the above headings. These costs will be considered by the executive on a case by case basis hence they should be specified and described.
43 Proposed sources of funding Details of all proposed funding sources should be included, detailing any private investment that may be made by individual partners. Salaried contribution should be calculated as detailed in the guidelines, and other sources of public sector funding being sought if in addition to that being sought via Collaborative Network Programme.
SECTION 7: FINANCIAL DETAILS (CONTD.)
44 Total project costs Total project costs must be completed. The percentage of industry salaried contribution must be based on best estimate of contribution that each partner has agreed to make at the start of the collaborative network project proposal.
45 Are costs inclusive of VAT? Invest NI do not pay VAT on grant awarded.
46 Spend Profile Phase 2 - A detailed quarterly spend profile should be submitted with the application to indicate expenditure required over the duration of the project. This profile will form part of the quarterly review discussions.
47 VAT Registered Please declare if the lead company and/or network is VAT registered.
48 Funding application previously made to any other private/ public sector body
If the network has made an application for funding previously and/ or with any other private/public sector organisation and been unsuccessful, please provide reasons why it has been unsuccessful and what changes if any have since been made.
49 How does the collaborative network plan to become self financing and/or sustainable after the duration of the funding period has ended
Provide an indication as to the proposed methods of
self-financing that may be considered by the network beyond the duration of INI support.
50 Does the project address social need?
Please provide an indication as to how you believe this proposal will provide benefits beyond the immediate network members. This may include opportunities to create employment, training, education in areas of social need.
51 Please describe any significant environmental impact the project might have
Please provide any information that will demonstrate how the project may have a positive and/or negative impact on the environment. Such as the opportunity to make cost savings through energy efficiency projects.
52 Other relevant information Please provide any other information that you believe may be relevant and support your application.
53 DECLARATION Applicants should note that all submissions must be authorised by an appropriate individual within the lead company.
54 Partner Declaration The declaration must be signed by all partners. Invest NI will not consider any application where the declaration section is incomplete or not properly authorised.
