Evaluation
What are the key assessment criteria for the reviewers?
The criteria used by Innovate UK assessors will be explained at the applicant briefing session pencilled in for 3rd Oct-22.
At the same time as Innovate UK assesses for quality and value for money, the West Midlands Innovation Board (WMIB) will undertake a regional strategy prioritisation assessment. Those proposals that pass the Innovate UK assessment threshold will be ranked by priority against regional prioritisation criteria.
An independent Selection Panel will select a balanced portfolio of projects from those which pass the Innovate UK threshold and score highly on regional prioritisation. The recommended balanced portfolio of projects will be passed to the WMIB for endorsement.
Full details can be found in the WMIB.
Applications within the WM cluster reference one another, will they be seen by the same reviewers consistently? Or is there a possibility it may work against them as assessed by separate assessors?
If there is a dependency between projects then you should consult with WMCA before submitting a proposal. Your project will not be eligible for funding if it is dependant on a separate project that has not passed the quality threshold. Take advice on whether it would be better to merge into a single project to strengthen the likelihood of being awarded funding.