The award is for innovators looking to scale up and grow their innovative company or to carry out an innovative project. In this workshop, we will discuss how to:
- Scope the project that you are looking to get funded
- Present your value proposition
- Describe it in the context of your ambitions to grow and scale your business
- Articulate the benefits you will gain from the non-financial support available
Women in Innovation - My Innovation: describing what I am applying for
1. www.ktn-uk.org
Emma Fadlon PhD – KTM Investment
Mat Wasley – KTM Enabling Technologies
Workshop 1
My Innovation: Describing what I am
applying for
8th September 2021
2. This award is for innovators looking to scale up and grow their innovative company or
looking to carry out an innovative project.
Aim to provide you with insight and tools on how to:
• Scope out the project that you are looking to get funded
• Present your value proposition
• Describe project in context of your ambitions to grow and scale your business
• Explain how you will benefit from the non-financial support that is available
Q&A
Workshop Agenda
3. 3 Sections
1. Application Questions
2. Video Pitch
3. Finances
Don’t leave it till the last minute!
Closing: 13 Oct 2021; 11am
Read the guidance and questions - make bullet points, key words, capture initial
thoughts, identify gaps
Give your self enough time to review before you submit
Application Structure
4. Like all exams, the keywords and answers
are contained in the questions.
A lot of technique for individual Qs but also
requires a compelling narrative.
Essentially:
• 5 scored questions Q6-10 (+ appendices)
• Fixed time and word count (variable)
• What impression will you make…
It’s an exam
and a story…
5. Project Summary
Please provide a short summary of
your project. We will not score this
summary. (400 words)
This is the first thing they read. They
need to read it and say: ‘wow!, I get
this and I like this’
… when you
include the
‘Economist’ editorial style.
9 word sentences, active tense.
Top tip
6. Please describe your project in a
way that is understandable to the
general public.
• This is only published if successful
• Mandatory, but the text will not be
assessed
• 400 words
Public
Description
7. How does this application align with
the specific competition scope?
• Read the scope first when looking to
apply for a competition
• Avoid being rejected before
assessment
• 400 words
Gateway
Question (Scope)
8. 1. Leader & Role Model
Tell us about you and your ambition for the
company and as a “future” leader
9. • What is your motivation?
• What inspires you?
• What are you passionate about?
“Your potential to be a leader and a role model to inspire other women”
10. 1. You don’t have to be the finished product!
2. Impact on you and your company
3. Personal development
4. Role model
5. EDI challenges in the sector/area etc
6. Additional information to strengthen your application?
Question 6: 3 Minute Video (34%)
11. Introduction to you and your business
Champion for EDI
Key Words: Sector-innovation area/region/demographic/inspire young people
Hint: make a list, consider what activities, how they will be delivered and why
Skills & Capabilities
Key Words: evidence/aptitude/potential-lead inspire communicate/willingness
Hint: how will you use the soft skills and mentoring
Difference to you personally
Key words: you/EDI/motivation
Hint: project/soft skills/access to training/network/personal development
Question 6: What to Include
13. • Who is it for?
• What barriers will you need to
overcome?
• How will your customer and/or
the end user access this?
“Need or Challenge”
14. What is the pressing societal, environmental or economic challenge(s) you are trying to
solve through your innovation and what is the expected impact?
Describe or explain:
• the overall societal, environmental or economic challenge(s) you are focussing on
• the expected impacts on society, the economy and the environment
• what potential negative impacts have you considered and how you plan to mitigate them
• any equality, diversity or inclusion challenges if appropriate
• any links to current government priorities where relevant, including the Government’s
Innovation Strategy.
Question 7: 500 words (17%)
15. Read the “Innovation Strategy” – where do you fit in?
Sustainable Development Goals (17) – do you address any of these?
Impact
Hint: consider what activities, outputs and impacts
How: will it be delivered and why that approach/channel
Local, National, International
Key Words: society, economy, environment
Hint: Priorities (society, community, personal)
Negative Impacts
Key words: Negative
Hint: political, environmental, technical, legal (cost to adopt and culture change?)
Question 7: Need or Challenge (500 words 17%)
17. Commercialisation
the process by which
new or improved
technologies
products or services
are brought to market
“Your idea or business opportunity”
18. What new idea or business opportunity would you like to develop with the award, and why
is this a critical next step for your business?
Describe or explain:
• the new idea or business opportunity, why this is it important, addresses challenge
identified in question 7
• the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity
• the dynamics of the market you are targeting and any other potential markets
• how you will improve on the nearest current state-of-the-art, including those near market
or in development, and its limitations
Question 8: 500 words (17%) Part 1
19. Describe or explain:
• work you have already done to respond to this need, for example if the project focuses on
developing an existing capability or building a new one
• whether the innovation will focus on the application of existing technologies in new areas,
the development of new technologies for existing areas or a totally disruptive approach
• the freedom you have to operate
• how it will make you more competitive
• how you will consider equality, diversity and inclusion in the development of your
innovation (for example, unintended exclusion of minority groups, recognising bias)
Question 8: 500 words (17%) Part 2
20. Part 1
Value Proposition
Hint: make sure you have a validated value proposition
How: market research and validation to support this
Market
Hint: Local, National, International
How: sizing, bottom up, top down, segmentation, customer persona
Competitors
Hint: direct and indirect
How: feature, benefits
Question 8: Opportunity (500 words 17%)
21. Part 2
Limitations
Hint: what have you done so far and what can you deliver in the time
How: defined project, technical and commercial deliverables, capabilities, resources
Freedom to Operate
Hint: Intellectual Property Rights: Local, National, International
How: protection strategies, ownership, management
EDI
Hint: direct and indirect impacts or bias
How: design, develop, test and deliver
Question 8: Opportunity (500 words 17%)
24. What is the KTN Innovation Canvas?
The Innovation Canvas is a simple but effective
tool which helps businesses commercialise
product, service or process innovations.
• Enables 1:1 or team conversations to evaluate
existing projects or inform funding applications
• Identifies urgent challenges, prioritises actions
to address them, and reduces risk
• Available as a workshop pack, online app or as part
of KTN’s Innovation Leadership course
• Has been used to create value by over 11,000
innovation leaders across the UK
Opportunity
Innovation Canvas 1 3
2
Use the questions on the back of
the canvas to find strengths and
weaknesses in your innovation.
Use low scores to identify your top challenges;
decide actions to solve them. Focus on what
you need to do now and next.
Mark yourself from 1 to 5 on how well you can answer
the questions. Make a note of specific issues.
=Needs work = Sorted
User needs
pain points
customer
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Organisation Project Created by Date
Offer
Capability
Top challenges:
Review the topics where you’ve given yourself a low score.
List specific challenges which you need to work on to move your
project forward. Focus on the two or three most important.
Action points:
Make a note of what you can do to address each challenge.
Be realistic and give yourself deadlines for action. You may
find it helpful to discuss options with a colleague or advisor.
User needs
Pain points
Customer
Needs
Size & trends
Barriers to entry
Competition
Market
Freedom to operate
Legislation
Standards
Rules
Identify
Assess
Mitigate
Risk
Description
User gains
Usp
Approach
Discovery
Transaction
User experience
Experience
Economic
Social
Environmental
Impact
New intellectual property
Existing ip
Licensing
IP
Champions
Management
Strategy
Leadership
Cost
Funding
Cashflow
Finance
Ideas
Design
Technology
R&D
Skills & people
Equipment & materials
Collaboration
Operation
25. The KTN Model of Innovation
A continuous, non-linear
conversation between 3
key drivers:
Capability
enabling the delivery of a
process/product/service
Opportunity
end users trying to solve
specific problems
Offer
using specific capabilities to
meet the market needs
26. How else could
we add value?
We need to learn
more about US
safety regulations
Updating our risk
assessment is an
urgent priority
We don’t really
understand who will
pay for our our
service
More work
needed on
distribution
channels
5
3
1
2
1
4
2
4
1
2
1
1
1. The Board is split 50:50 on this project
2. Cash-flow beyond September
3. We haven’t considered the risks!
1. Away day with our top advisor by 1 April
2. CJ to report on factoring options next mtg
3. BP to start a risk register this week
5
1
3
3
2
1
5
2
4
2
4
1
Our cash-
flow
forecast
needs
updating
We need an urgent Board meeting to check
that everyone is behind this project Need to
review our
supply chain
Are we still
using non-
recyclable
packaging?
What are our
licensing
options in the
Far East?
5
2
4
2
3
1
3
3
1
5
5
1
28. • Use the criteria to capture what you do and don’t know about your innovation
• Make notes against each category
• Use it as a planning tool to address each question in the application
• Challenge your self
How to use the paper canvas
30. Market
Size & Trends
• What size is your target market, now and in the future?
• What realistic share can you take?
• What drivers are shaping the market and how will they develop over time?
Barriers to Entry
• What obstacles make it difficult to enter the market?
Competition
• What competing offers meet the identified needs?
• What differentiates your offer to provide superior benefits to the user?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
31. Needs
User Needs
• What need will your innovation meet?
• Who is the end user of the innovation?
Pain Points
• What task is the user trying to accomplish?
• What difficulty or frustration does your innovation overcome?
Customer
• Who will pay for the innovation? What is their incentive?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
32. Rules
Freedom to Operate
• Does the offer infringe intellectual property rights of others?
Legislation
• What regulations apply to the target market?
Standards
• Could standards affecting the market stimulate further innovation?
• What ethical or social issues are involved in bringing the innovation to market?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
33. Risks
Identify
• Have you identified possible sources of risk in the
development and delivery of your innovation?
Assess
• How will you calculate the likelihood of a specific risk
occurring and its impact?
Mitigate
• How will you reduce the chances of a risk occurring?
• If it does, do you have a plan for managing it?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
35. Approach
Description
• What is the innovative product, service or process?
User gains
• How does it meet the identified need?
• Are there any further opportunities for you to create new value?
USP
• What is your offer’s unique selling point (USP)?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
36. Experience
Discovery
• How will users hear about the benefits of your offer?
Transaction
• Who pays for the offer and how? What’s their incentive?
• How will the offer be delivered to the user?
User Experience
• How will users experience your offer over time?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
37. Impact
Economic
• What are the quantifiable economic benefits of your innovation - to
you and to others?
Social
• Can you foresee any social impacts, either positive or negative?
Environmental
• What is the potential environmental impact of your innovation?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
38. Intellectual Property
New Intellectual Property
• What new IP could be created through this innovation?
• Can you secure new IP? (copyright, patent, design rights, trademark)?
Existing IP
• Do you have existing IP to exploit in this innovation?
Licensing
• How can licensing IP from the innovation create additional value?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
40. Leadership
Champions
• Who has the passion to make this innovation happen?
Management
• Do you have all the financial, technical and people management capability that
you need?
Strategy
• How does this innovation enhance your future development and growth?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
41. Finance
Costs
• What will it cost to bring the offer to market?
Funding
• What public funding could support this innovation?
• What private finance could be invested in this innovation?
• How will it be raised?
Cashflow
• How will you finance every stage of the innovation process?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
42. Research & Development
Ideas
• How do you generate, develop and assess new ideas?
Design
• Is design expertise used effectively in the development process?
• How will you involve users and stakeholders in the R&D process?
• Are iterative prototyping and testing functions in place?
Technology
• How will you solve scientific and technical challenges?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
43. Operations
Skills and People
• Does your team have the knowhow and skills to produce the offer?
• Are your teams, internal or external, working together effectively?
Equipment and Materials
• Are the right materials/kit/plant/ tools available when you need them?
Collaboration
• What can you do in-house, what can be outsourced?
• Do you have the right external partners or suppliers in place?
1 = Not confident
2 = Confident | cannot reference research
3 = Confident | secondary research
4 = Confident | primary research
5 = Confident | primary research | quantifiable evidence
45. Top Tips
Fit Scope Agree key points with
partners
Be clear and
concise
Make a realistic
plan
Be convincing
Remember risk
and innovation
Quantify and
justify assertions
Check all
deadlines
Get advice and
feedback
Don’t leave it too
late to ask Q and
submit
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
47. Sign up for
KTN
newsletters
Sign up to receive monthly KTN newsletters about funding and
other innovation news by sector/tech area ktn-uk.org/register
48. Small print …
… will kill you!
Scope. If in doubt, check with
lead technologists at Innovate
UK. Use the competition help.
They are helpful.