SME Innovation Funding Officer

Job Description

Location - London or Milton Keynes (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable)

Reporting to - SME Innovation Funding Team Lead

Band - 2.1

Working hours - Full Time

Salary - £32,000 - £44,000 (depending on location and proven ability)

Contract type - Permanent

Closing date - 25th June 2024

Team Purpose:

The SME Innovation Funding team has responsibility for account managing Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they work with Connected Places Catapult on a range of programmes. This includes delivering commercial and CR&D programmes including Department for Transports Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programmes and the grant funding across a range of other programmes including accelerators. The team also support management of the Catapult’s network of 4,200+ SMEs including an extensive engagement programme running from network to market.

The SME Development Team function supports the wider Catapult through:

• Delivery of a wide range of commercial, CR&D and catapult funded programmes.

• All aspects of grant funding including governance, administration and monitoring of programmes to ensure transparency to, and confidence from, funding bodies.

• Reporting of activities to feed into monthly business reviews, forecasting and to project partners.

• Diagnosing obstacles to SME growth and upskilling to overcome them.

• Managing the Catapult’s network of 4,200+ SMEs

• Engaging with innovating SMEs and bringing them into Catapult activities.

Job Purpose

The SME Innovation Funding Team delivers a wide range of programmes, which support SMEs and entrepreneurs who are discovering and developing new technologies and services across CPC’s strategic focus sectors. These programmes are designed to form part of an innovation pathway which enables SMEs to engage with the catapult and to receive the support that they need to grow, scale and develop a network of contacts and opportunities. Ultimately, we hope to make a real difference to individual businesses and through them to help improve the world that we live in by bringing new innovation to bear on the big topics of today such as decarbonisation.

It is these programmes and operational functions which this role is designed to support and help grow as the SME Development team looks to build out its capability and capacity in this area.

This role within the SME Innovation Funding team is for an Innovation Funding Officer who can support the delivery of projects and grant funding across a wide range of programmes. The innovation funding team is relatively new team and so this represents an interesting challenge for someone to learn how to operate across the business and to grow alongside the team.

Requirements

Coordination of innovation funding operational processes, including but not necessarily limited to:

• Coordinate programme documentation, including application forms, event agendas, grant specifications and legal templates.
• Promote equality and diversity of applicants by working with partner organisations to amplify and promote CPC’s SME programmes among under-represented groups
• Liaise with CPC’s legal, finance, procurement and marketing teams to ensure smooth processes across the business.
• Assist with the arrangements and delivery of commercial programmes.
• Coordinate monitoring processes for impact capture (quantitative e.g. finance or qualitative e.g. case studies).
• Collaborate with project managers to ensure efficient delivery of commercial programmes.
• Maintaining accurate records companies that we work with, including CRM updates.
• Engage with CPC’s SME community, seeking to understand the problems they face and to support in driving programmes which can help solve those problems.
• You may be required to undertake any other reasonable tasks commensurate with this role and/or within your capability to enable the Catapult to realise its strategic objectives.

Required skills and experience

Essential:

● Bachelor’s degree qualifications in business or a related discipline, or equivalent related prior experience.

● Project management experience.

● Experience of working with SMEs and an understanding of the ecosystem they work in

● Excellent personal organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise your own work and coordinate with other team members.

● The capability to work autonomously and as part of a team.

● Excellent inter-personal relationship skills, and the ability to communicate clearly.

● Experience of working with legal and financial documents and spreadsheets

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with fluency in English an essential requirement of this role.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the financial and practical support available to SMEs
• Knowledge of grant funding or procurement
• Experience of working with large organisation in industry or government.
• Experience of analysing data

Benefits

• 5 weeks holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
• Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
• Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
• Cycle to Work Scheme, encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
• Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
• Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
• Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.

Employment here is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make all reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.

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