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Members Area
Members Area
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are TTOM Awards?
- How much is a TTOM Award?
- What is required in the Final Report?
- Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
- De Minimus Rules
- How do SOA decide who should get a grant?
- What is the deadline for applications?
- Where can I get help with my application?
- How do I apply?
- What happens next?
- How do I claim the grant?
- Further Information on Scotland's Research Capability
- How to Establish Technology Transfer Opportunities
For Further Information contact:
Chris Gracie
Scottish Optoelectronics Association
Email: info@ttom.org.uk
What are TTOM Awards?
Scottish Enterprise appointed the Scottish Optoelectronics Association to deliver its University to SME Technology Transfer in Optoelectronics and Microelectronics (TTOM) Programme. The programme is designed to establish opportunities then enable technology transfer through TTOM Awards. TTOM awards are aimed at building relationships between SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises) and HEIs (Higher Education Institutes), and at stimulating collaborative work that will lead to new products and processes that will benefit the enterprises, the institutions and the Scottish economy.
As the boundary between technologies and markets becomes increasingly blurred, more and more product and process opportunities are being generated in the "white spaces" between academic disciplines and industry sectors. Here, to stimulate ideas there is often a need to help the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary relationships to develop. The TTOM awards are aimed specifically at funding feasibility studies that will allow the participants (of whom there must be 2 or more) to assess both the potential and feasibility of a new product or process. The feasibility studies must focus on opportunities that can either: attract follow-on funding from existing sources, demonstrate a clear route to market or indicate a step change in current processes within a company.
The output of the feasibility studies should, preferably, reflect the interdisciplinary or cross sectoral nature of the work, the value to be obtained from any partnerships on an ongoing basis and the potential to develop a product or process that can give benefit to the participants and to the Scottish economy.
How much is a TTOM Award?
The grants of up to £5000, are awarded to the HEI(s), to evaluate the feasibility of an interdisciplinary or cross sectoral approach to a market led problem. This should be of relevance to a Scottish SME who should be a contributing partner to the study. To encourage participants, maximise the effectiveness of the programme and deliver result to each SME, a fast and effective application process has been established. No restrictions apply to the number of TTOM Awards that an SME can apply for. There is flexibility in the way in which the funding may be committed. All expenditure, however, must be clearly accounted for in a final report.
What is required in the Final Report?
The Final Report submitted with the Grant Invoice shall be in two parts. The First Part must detail the work done during the study and outline the outcome of the feasibility study. The First Part of the Final Report will be available for publication on the SOA Web Site and by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Executive. The Second Part (Part 2) of the Final Report is NOT for publication. It must include detailed accounting of all expenditure by the HEI and the SME and full details of the SME contribution. If the Final Report includes any confidential material then this should be included in Part 2 which will be available to the Partners and to the SOA (under appropriate confidentiality agreements if required).
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
The University/ies and SME/s applying for the TTOM Award must consider both confidentiality and intellectual property prior to submitting their application. The university's industrial liaison office will be required to approve any application of grant, so it is strongly recommended that the applicants make early contact with the university's ILO or equivalent office.
The SOA will, if required, enter into a Non Disclosure Agreement with the applicants.
Given the value of the award it is considered unlikely that significant levels of intellectual property will be generated during the study. However the applicants should evaluate the potential for generating intellectual property and consider entering into an appropriate agreement, if necessary. It will be a condition of award that the SME is able to exploit any foreground intellectual property within their business sector.
De Minimus Rules
Under EC regulation 69/2001 ("the de minimis aid regulation"), this is a de minimis aid to an SME. There is a ceiling of 100,000 euro for all de minimis aid provided to any one firm over a 3-year period. Any de minimis aid awarded to you under this grant will be relevant if you wish to apply, or have applied, for any other de minimis aid.
How do SOA decide who should get a grant?
Applications will be considered by an independent committee assembled especially for the task, all of whom will have signed appropriate confidentiality statements. Proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- Must have 2 or more partners involved.
- A strong opportunity to show the feasibility to research and develop a novel market led product or process.
- Demonstrable route to market for the product or process.
- Creation of new long term relationships within the Scottish Community, e.g. new partnerships that have not jointly received funding from any source.
- Preference will be given to a strong cross sectoral approach.
- Preference will be given to a strong interdisciplinary approach.
- Quality of the work proposed in the feasibility study, e.g. HEI and company track record.
- Opportunity to attract follow-on funding from other sources to develop market led products or processes
- Value for money.
- Relevance to the TTOM awards and its Priority areas: potential applicants are strongly urged to contact the SOA to discuss ideas for any suitable project.
What is the deadline for applications?
The Programme is currently CLOSED to further applications.
Where can I get help with my application?
General advice and help may be sought from:
Chris Gracie
Chief Executive
Scottish Optoelectronics Association
Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6GU
Tel: +44 (0)1506 497228
Email: info@ttom.org.uk
How do I apply?
Please use the application form provided.
Application forms should be sent in writing (to arrive before 5pm on the specified dates) to:
Chris Gracie
Chief Executive
Scottish Optoelectronics Association
Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, EH54 6GU
Should you have any problem submitting your application please contact info@ttom.org.uk.
What happens next?
You will receive notification of the outcome of your application within 6 working weeks of the deadline you submitted to. If your application is successful, subject to verification of status, the HEI will be offered a grant of up to £5000 to carry out the work proposed in your application.
How do I claim the grant?
The grant is payable in arrears and will be paid on receipt of a report on how the grant was used, which in the sole opinion of the Scottish Optoelectronics Association, meets with all the criteria specified in the award winning proposal.
Further Information on Scotland's Research Capability
Further information on the expertise in Scotland's universities in optoelectronics, microelectronics and allied technologies such as photonics and MEMS can be found at:
http://www.microelectronics.org.uk/r_and_d_directory/default.asp
The following an A-Z list of Scottish Academic Capabilities of relevance to the TTOM awards:
- Adaptive optics
- Analogue electronics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Bioelectronics
- Bioinformatics
- Biosensors
- Communications
- Control systems
- Computing and software
- Digital Signal Processing
- Design
- Displays
- Embedded software
- EMC
- Genetic algorithms
- Human device interaction
- IC design
- Imaging and image processing
- Laser devices and applications
- Machine vision
- Materials and materials analysis
- Medical electronics
- MEMS
- Microengineering
- Microwave
- Modeling
- Multimedia
- Nanoengineering
- Neural networks
- Nonlinear Optics
- Optical encryption
- Optical fibres and applications
- Optoelectronics
- Organic Optics
- Plastics and polymers
- Power Electronics and Drives
- Quantum electronics and photonics
- Radio frequency techniques
- Renewable energy
- Robotics
- Semiconductor and optoelectronic materials
- Semiconductor devices
- Semiconductor processing
- Semiconductor theory
- Sensors
- Simulation and Visualisation
- Superconductors
- System level integration
- Telepresence
- Test and Inspection
- Thermal modeling and management
- Ultrasonics
How to Establish Technology Transfer Opportunities
The SOA in partnership with other associations in Scotland runs seminars and workshops in key areas of technology. These seminars are intended as an introduction to the technology and to the key companies and universities operating in the sector. These seminars are open to all interested parties and are to encourage the formation of partnerships that could lead to applications for TTOM Awards and resulting successful technology transfer.