The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Enterprise Fellowship is a 12 month enterprise accelerator programme to support entrepreneurial researchers and engineering graduates who are seeking to establish or develop a disruptive start-up or spin-out company based on an engineering technology or innovation.

The programme offers a package of support including funding, training, business coaching, mentoring and other support and is available to recent graduates wishing to create a start-up company, researchers at UK and Irish universities seeking to create a spin-out company, and international final-year PhD students seeking to create a spin-out or start-up in the UK.

Enterprises should be based on an innovation that is:

• An engineering technology or invention directly developed by the applicant.
• At Technology Readiness Level 4 or above (ie proven to work in a lab/test conditions).
• Based on protectable, IP-rich engineering and/or technology innovation which does not solely use existing IP developed by others.
• Capable of producing a minimum viable product within the next three years.

The funding component of the programme is a maximum of £75,000, depending on the route of application.

Researchers can receive up to £60,000 for salary support and £15,000 towards support costs for the continued development of the innovation and associated spin-out company. Researchers applying for the fellowships can be at any level of experience/seniority and must:

• Be working at, and employed directly by, a UK or Irish university.
• Have a PhD or equivalent experience (PhD students may apply but must hold their viva before the fellowship start date on 31 May 2025).
• Confirm the commitment of their university to transferring and exploiting the technology via a spin-out, in which the Enterprise Fellow will be playing a leading role as CEO/COO.

Recent graduates can receive a personal award of up to £50,000 towards living costs and expenses. Recent graduates applying for the fellowships must:

• Have been awarded their first undergraduate degree (from any university, and in any subject) no earlier than 1 January 2020.
• If still studying for an undergraduate degree, graduate before 31 May 2025.
• Be based in the UK and have been involved in the development of an engineering or technology invention or innovation.

International PhD students can receive up to £60,000 for salary support or living costs and £15,000 towards support costs for the continued development of the innovation and associated spin-out company. International PhD students applying for the fellowship must:

• Be non-UK citizens, who completed/will complete their PhD viva at a UK university between 1 January 2023 and 30 July 2025.
• Apply through either the university spinout route (ie as a university employee commercialising university-owned IP) or the graduate startup route (ie self-employed commercialising IP they own).

The first 2025 application round of the Enterprise Fellowships is now open. Applicants must first submit an outline application, followed by a full application for selected applicants.

(This Bulletin item was the subject of a ResearchConnect news alert.)