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EEDA Press Release 18/12/2006 - [21-12-2006]

From unmanned flying vehicles to a ‘needleless’ blood sampling device – the East of England is bursting with creative ideas

From unmanned flying vehicles to a ‘needleless’ blood sampling device, the East of England is bursting with creative ideas. This year 50 companies and individuals in the region have been given funding to help them get their bright ideas off the ground.

The innovative concepts were all recipients of the East of England Development Agency’s (EEDA) £1.3m ‘proof of concept fund’, which helps individuals and businesses test if the market is ready for their ideas.

Recipients of the grant include GFS Projects based in Peterborough, which received a grant to develop an unmanned flying vehicle, and Probe Scientific based in Bedford, which has developed a ‘needleless’ blood sampling device.

Mark Aspinall, head of enterprise and innovation at EEDA, said: “These are just two of the companies to be given proof of concept funding which will enable them to test the commercial viability of their innovative ideas. Altogether 50 companies across the region have been successful in receiving grants of between £5,000 and £40,000.

“Individuals and smaller companies are often lost for want of a little investment to see whether a product will work and whether there is a market for it. Now these companies can take the next step forward and hopefully see their dreams become a reality.”

Other successful applicants include:
• KIS of Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, has invented a new design of bra fastener
• Joule Corporation, of Beaumont, Essex, which is developing a potential new power supply
• Principal Design, of Framlingham in Suffolk, which is developing a product that will install and remove contact lenses from the user’s eye and clean and store the lenses
• Active Technologies, of Norwich, Norfolk, which is developing a new ‘efficient throttle valve’ for motor sport applications
Geoff Hatton, of GFS Projects, said: “Ever since I was in the hovercraft industry, I’ve wanted to develop a craft that could go up into the air as well as move across the ground. Our UAV takes off vertically and can land virtually anywhere. We’ve filed four patent applications on the basic design and are now developing automated flight controls.

“There are so many market sectors we could target - we’ve identified over twenty - that we now need professional market research to help us narrow down the options. EEDA’s grant has enabled us to appoint England Marketing of Warboys, near Cambridge to do the study.”

The Proof of Concept scheme has been so successful, generating 177 applications from across the region, that EEDA is planning to run it again next year.

Mark Aspinall added: “This year’s round of funding may be ending, but I would encourage others with innovative ideas to think about applying for a proof of concept grant next year as well as taking a look at other possible sources of funding. At EEDA we have a number of initiatives to help new businesses start up and grow. This funding is just one way to help those who have an innovative idea to get it to market.”

Individuals and businesses interested in finding out more about innovation and funding in the East of England can visit www.eeda.org.uk/funding.

Press enquiries to:

Lisa Davidson, EEDA press officer

Tel: 01223 200871
Fax: 01223 713951
Email: lisadavidson@eeda.org.uk

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