Funding for future inventors helps small business inventions to the market

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is calling on innovators to come forward and share in a £500,000 fund made available by the DTI for solving measurement problems. As part of the Measurement for Innovators Programme, small to medium sized businesses are offered scientific help from the world-renowned experts at NPL to bring their ideas one step closer to commercialisation.

One year into the programme, 70 small companies are currently receiving consultancy from NPL. However, with just one more year to go NPL is urging small businesses to put their ideas forward before they miss out on this unique opportunity.

The funds are available to businesses with up to 250 employees, which have measurement issues with products that are nearly ready to be marketed. The expertise of the NPL scientists involved in the programme will be matched to the issue put forward by the small business, so companies will get the best possible advice available.

“To bring a product to market you need to be able to prove it does what you claim it does,” said Colin Mackechnie, Knowledge Transfer Executive at NPL. “The specialist measurement testing available from NPL can provide the scientific proof that is needed to take the next step, for example attracting investors.”

Robert Gunn, Deputy Director of NMS Directorate at the DTI, said: “The DTI is committed to innovation in the UK and launched this scheme with the National Measurement System Laboratories to help small businesses to refine their near market products”.

One of the businesses benefiting from the scheme is Ultrasonics Technologies, run by Henry Ratcliff. Retired engineer Henry developed a product that can be used to disinfect water, help in the processing of food and treat waste generated from the production of oil. Henry’s device is novel because the design achieves very high levels of power efficiency, which in turn gives better economy and longer life. NPL was able to help by applying their unique technology that tests the distribution of ultrasonic energy in a device. Using it they tested Henry’s invention and proved that the underlying idea was sound. As a result of NPL’s report an American company is expressing interest in manufacturing the product.

The programme is a response to the 2003 Innovation Report, published by the Government. The report focused on the contribution innovation could make to driving up UK productivity.

For further information on this programme visit http://www.npl.co.uk/measurement_for_innovators or contact NPL at enquiry@npl.co.uk or +44 20 8943 6880 for expert help.