HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH SME S TOP TIPS GUIDE
An easy-to-read guide to help you identify and engage with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).
WHAT IS AN SME?
Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often described as the engine room of the UK economy, driving economic growth and sustainability. To determine whether a company is a medium-sized entity, small or micro, there are thresholds for: turnover, balance sheet total and the average number of employees. COMPANY CATEGORY
The table illustrates the wide range in size of SMEs. Typically, micro and small companies operate with tight budgets and cashflow and focus on their immediate needs to develop the business. Projects of interest to them tend to be at the higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) i.e., more mature technology stage, close to a product, and likely to generate revenue on a shorter timescale.
Understanding the stage of development, timescale, risk appetite, and financial viability of the company and the proposed project, and setting expectations from the outset is essential.
Although this guide is about SMEs, much of the information is also relevant to collaborating with large organisations. Large organisations are generally better able to support longer projects at a lower TRL than SMEs. It may however take longer to set up a project with a large organisation as they may not be able to make decisions and move as quickly as a smaller organisation.
WHY ENGAGE WITH SMES?
Working with industry often means translating research into business innovations that shape the future. When academic research and knowledge is applied to real life problems, it can meet global challenges and transform lives, not to mention bring long-term contributions to the local and national economy.
There are numerous reasons why engaging with SMEs can be beneficial, including:
Working on new challenges and real-world problems
Gaining access to data and facilities
Validating your research
Informing your research and teaching materials
Strengthening your research proposals
Applying for collaborative funding
Generating impact, including economic and societal impact
Disseminating your research and creating publications
Creating opportunities for further academic and student engagement
The best collaboration is one that is synergistic and mutually beneficial.
HOW CAN I MAKE MY RESEARCH APPEAL TO AN SME?
Have a vision of what outcomes you would like to achieve and understand what sector-specific knowledge or expertise would enhance your research. Consider what problems your research can help to solve and what type of SMEs may have those problems. Understand the needs and objectives of the SME to ensure they align with your own. Undertake some research to gather information on what they do and what they want to do better (look at their website and Annual Reports). Identify the potential challenges and barriers. Recognise the common goals and mutual benefits.
Think about your potential collaborator and how best to position and present your research and expertise in a way that will appeal to them and that they will understand as a business; make it relevant and compelling. Be realistic about what you can offer and the value a collaboration with you and the University of Surrey may bring.
Define your research in simple terms that you could present in an interesting and informative way within three minutes. This could include a succinct description of yourself, your research, what problems it can address, why it is unique and why a partner should engage with you. Ensure you are not sharing any confidential information unless you have put a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place.
WHERE CAN I FIND SMES?
Collaborations can develop via a number of routes such as serendipitous contact, direct approaches from a company, or proactive strategic analysis. Building upon existing relationships with business can often be quicker than developing new relationships. Allocate time to build and maintain your network.
Talk to your colleagues to find out what SMEs they are connected to; this could be through research grants, professional training placements, industry sponsored studentships, consultancy, Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) projects, SME Innovation Voucher (SME IV) projects, or Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects to name a few. Identify potential opportunities and request introductions to relevant SMEs.
Be active on social media, keep your social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, up to date and join relevant interest groups to expand and maintain your network.
Join the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) mailing list and sign up to the relevant specialist areas to keep up to date on funding opportunities and events https://ktn-uk.org/
Attend funding competition briefing events, these are a great way to find out more about funding calls, to meet the call leads and potential partners with whom to collaborate. https://ktn-uk.org/knowledge-centre/events/
Attend relevant conferences and networking events. Have your elevator pitch ready to talk to potential SMEs about how your research could be of interest to them and how you might be able to collaborate.
WHERE CAN I FIND SMES?
ASK THE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAMMES TEAM TO SEARCH THEIR NETWORKS
We may be able to introduce you to an SME that we are already collaborating with but if we can’t match your needs to our existing SMEs, we can reach out through our networks, including those below, to help you find the right SME with whom to collaborate.
Surrey Research Park is a major centre of excellence in technology, science, health and engineering with a diverse range of potential collaborators.
SETsquared Surrey is located on Surrey Research Park and has helped over 250 early-stage technology companies. SETsquared comprises a vast network of SMEs.
The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) has a wide network and deep sector expertise and helps to connect people and organisations to accelerate ideas and solve technology problems.
Innovate UK EDGE provides a service to all high potential SME innovation-driven companies, including Innovate UK grant winners. (Innovate UK forms part of UKRI and is the UK’s innovation agency).
The Enterprise M3 Growth Hub supports a network of businesses looking to succeed in the Enterprise M3 area.
Beauhurst is a platform that Innovation Strategy has a licence to; we can search for SMEs and help you to undertake due diligence.
Konfer Konfer is a matching innovation tool connecting universities and business. You can post and respond to funding opportunities. https://konfer.online/
The Business Enterprise Programmes team can help connect you to the above networks and facilitate introductions to SMEs. Contact collaborate@surrey.ac.uk
HOW DO I IDENTIFY THE RIGHT SME?
Once you’ve selected a potential SME, undertake research and due diligence on them to answer the following questions:
What does the SME do?
What are the challenges/problems facing the SME?
What does the SME want to do better?
How can your specific research address their challenges/problems?
Are your needs and objectives in alignment and can you identify mutual benefits?
Do research, innovation and growth form part of the SMEs business plan?
Does the SME have experience in working with Universities?
Has the SME been successful in receiving funding in the past?
Does the SME have a budget?
Who in the SME is the decision maker?
Qualify the opportunity early – ensure you are talking to the decision maker, that the SME is right for you and in a position to collaborate. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit don’t be afraid to move on and look for other opportunities.
Building relationships takes time and patience. You may have to reach out to several SMEs before you find the one that is right for you. Always have your bigger, long-term vision in mind but be prepared to undertake small steps to build-up the relationship.
The Business Enterprise Programmes team can help you to identify the right type of SMEs and to undertake due diligence.
Contact collaborate@surrey.ac.uk
TOP TIPS GUIDE
REVIEWING THE OPTIONS TO ENGAGE WITH SMES
An easy-to-read guide to help you review and select the best form of collaboration with a Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME).
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I CAN COLLABORATE WITH AN SME?
There are numerous ways in which you can engage with SMEs to develop fruitful, mutually beneficial relationships. The Business Enterprise Programmes team can help you to review the range of options with your SME to identify and agree the best approach. For example, sometimes a relationship can start with the joint development of a large collaborative funded research application, other times it may require something smaller such as consultancy, an SME Innovation Voucher project (fully covers the cost of the services provided by the University to an SME), or a student project, to initiate the relationship.
The best relationships will include a variety of different collaborations over the long term.
Be prepared to do the groundwork. It’s unlikely that the SME will have a fully developed project. Start the conversation by listening to the needs of the SME and then discuss how your expertise can help them. The initial open conversation is very important.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO COLLABORATE
WITH SMES…
STUDENTSHIPS
STUDENT PLACEMENTS
STUDENT PROJECTS
A FEW EXAMPLES OF SME COLLABORATION
BASEMAP, SURREY RESEARCH PARK (SMALL COMPANY)
Resident on Surrey Research Park 2010
SME IV 2018 KTP 2019-21
Innovate UK Grant 2020-21
£3,707
Dr Saber Fallah & PhD student
£277.4k
Dr Saber Fallah & Dr Wolfgang Garn
£73.9k grant to Basemap
Graduate Recruitment 2021
Masters Graduate recruited to finish KTP project offered employment at Basemap
Continuing discussions with the academics and Enterprise Programmes team
Collaboration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences and Surrey Business School
A FEW EXAMPLES OF SME COLLABORATION
IONOPTIKA, HAMPSHIRE (SMALL COMPANY)
EPSRC Grant 2015-18 SME IV 2019
Development of Single Ion Multi-species Positioning at Low Energy (SIMPLE) instrument
£8.5k Dr David Cox
Scale-up Programme 2021
£4k Grant writing support
£500k Quantum technologies call
Innovate UK Grant 2021-23
Continuing discussions with academics, Enterprise Programmes Team and Scale-Up Programme
Collaboration with the Advanced Technology Institute
PLASTIPACK, EAST SUSSEX (SMALL COMPANY)
£55.3k
Prof Stephen Sweeney & Dr Steve Clowes
Intro. to Prof Stephen Sweeney, company visit and development of ideas
£19k
Dr Steve Clowes
£229k
Prof Stephen Sweeney, Dr Steve Clowes, Dr Marian Florescu
Won Institute of Physics award
REF Impact
Secretary of State for Energy & Climate change opened new testing facility
Published scientific paper
Continuing to employ a PTY placement
Collaboration with the Department of Physics
A FEW EXAMPLES OF SME COLLABORATION
COMBINE AI, SETSQUARED SURREY (MICRO COMPANY)
£11k
Dr Sotiris
Moschoyiannis
& Dr Alireza
Tamaddoni Nezhad
Innovate UK Grant
2020-21
£266k
Sustainable Innovation Fund
Dr Sotiris
Moschoyiannis
Innovate UK Application 2021
Smart Grant
Dr Doris Dippold
Dr Marion Heron
Unsuccessful application
Joined SETsquared
Scale-Up Programme
£2.5k
Grant writing support
SETsquared Scale-Up Programme
Introductions to Surrey Institute of Education and Literature & Languages
£1.5k
Grant writing support
Continuing discussions with academics and Enterprise Programmes team regarding further funding applications
Collaborations with the Department of Computer Science, School of Literature & Languages, and Surrey Institute of Education.
HOW DO I INITIATE A COLLABORATION?
The Business Enterprise Programmes team are experienced in supporting and facilitating meetings and workshops between academics and business to help identify synergies and possible areas for collaboration. We can help facilitate a small meeting between an academic and a business or we can apply our industry engagement process to organise workshops that, for example, may focus on a particular challenge or address specific industry problems.
MAP OPPORTUNITIES
HOLD EXPLORATORY WORKSHOPS
Scope the key challenges to address / problems to solve
Map the internal research & innovation capabilities
Identify potential SMEs and sector advocates
Explore the details of the challenge / problem
Showcase the research expertise
Scope potential solutions
Identify potential funding routes
Host smaller focussed meetings with SMEs
BUILD CONSORTIA
Validate opportunities
Scope proposals to specific funding calls
SUBMIT FUNDING APPLICATIONS
Draft high quality collaborative funding applications
Review further ways to collaborate
TALK TO THE ENTERPRISE PROGRAMMES TEAM
If you need an SME to proceed with your research and innovation project
If you have been approached by an SME who is interested in your research and wants to collaborate or hire you as a consultant
If you want support to facilitate meetings or workshops with SMEs
If you want funding to support a collaboration
If you want support to scope and develop your innovation funding application e.g. Innovate UK application
If you want help informally negotiating a collaboration
If you would like someone to visit your Department and present a seminar on collaboration or more specifically on SME Innovation Vouchers, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Innovate UK funding or the SETsquared Scale-Up Programme.
collaborate@surrey.ac.uk