Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. They connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. Innovate UK fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Their support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit innovateuk.ukri.org. 


100%Open is one of the world’s leading open innovation companies. From their London studio they work globally to help create new products and services by connecting large organisations to the best people, ideas and technologies in the world. They work with partners, suppliers, clients and consumers, believing that open innovation is more efficient, creative and faster than when innovating on your own. With a 30-piece open innovation toolkit they have successfully run open innovation programmes around the world for the like of Ford, UBS, the MOD and LEGO.


The Department of International Trade  secures UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment. They champion free trade as one of the few international economic departments on Whitehall.



The Future Cities Catapult’s aim is to to help UK firms develop innovative products and services to meet the changing needs of cities, and to sell them to the world. They bring together businesses, universities and city leaders so that they can work with each other to solve the problems that cities face. 

From the Future Cities Catapult’s Urban Innovation Centre in London, they provide world-class facilities and expertise to support the development of new products and services, as well as opportunities to collaborate with others, test ideas and develop business models.


The China-Britain Business Council helps British and Chinese businesses and organisations work together in China, the UK and third markets around the world. With 60 years of experience and experts across the UK and China, they work in a strategic partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce in China to deliver streamlined services to our joint members.

Business benefits 

“The organisation of the 1-2-1 programme was the most valuable element for me. The opportunities we had to talk and pitch to companies was perfect.”

Philip McAleese, See.Sense, Connected Cities Mission to India


Entrepreneur missions generate real business value for UK SMEs. The mission to China will provide a unique opportunity for ambitious and innovative UK SMEs to do the following:

  • Meet and pitch to a number of Chinese organisations. UK companies on the 2018 mission to Australia reported an average of 10 formal 1-2-1 business meetings, plus a further 10 pitching opportunities during the mission week. These meetings and pitches resulted in UK companies developing approximately 4 new potential partnerships each. The accumulated potential value of new export business created on the mission to Australia can be estimated at just under £200 million.
  • Gain PR exposure that is difficult for any SME to afford alone. Due to the high-profile nature of missions senior managers, stakeholders and government officials are often present throughout.
  • Benefit from media coverage before, during and after the mission across UK national, UK regional, trade and international media.
  • Connect with other UK companies, learning from and supporting each other, both on the mission week but afterwards too. All previous mission cohorts from the UK, as well as with local organisations across all markets, have spoken about how beneficial this was and continues to be. Several of the UK companies involved in the mission to Australia aim to collaborate across future UK and international business deals.


Eligibility 

Missions are open to UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and urban innovators who have been trading for a minimum of 12 months. These innovative and high growth potential SMEs will already be operating overseas and will be looking for Chinese customers, partners or investment within one of the following advanced urban services themes:

  • Smart mobility, including CO2 emissions, efficiency in transport systems, multi-modal transport and connectivity, and the user experience
  • Affordable healthcare for an ageing population, using big data to offer patient-centred solutions, integrate healthcare platforms, and deliver high-performance computing services and cloud platforms for health management
  • Sustainable urban environments, using smart platforms to monitor and forecast industrial and domestic pollution, energy efficiency and optimisation, brownfield management and urban waste
  • Urban planning and technology infrastructure including IoT, systems integration, data analytics and smart grid



Future Cities Mission to China


Innovate UK, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN21FL 
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The process

JOINING

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 22 August 2018. All applications should be made online. Up to 15 UK SMEs will be selected to participate in the Future Cities Mission to China. Companies will be selected in a competitive process based on their capabilities and their suitability for international exports and partnerships. Successful applicants will be announced by 28 August 2018.

Once an applicant is accepted, the company must confirm their place on the mission by paying a non-refundable commitment fee of £250 + VAT. Participants will be invited to join an onboarding webinar to meet the mission organisers and learn how they can get the most out of the mission week.

PREPARING

Mission participants will attend a residential ‘international readiness workshop’ where they will be briefed about opportunities, challenges and business culture in China. After the workshop, participants will be introduced to their coach and receive up to two hours of 1-2-1 coaching before the mission week.

Participants have the opportunity to dial into a conference call with the organisers every other week for programme updates, to offer feedback and to make suggestions. They will also co-create individual meeting programmes with participants in advance of the mission week.

One week before the mission, delegates will join a media engagement webinar during which they will receive training and advice on how to interact with the media and how best to represent the UK and the mission. They will also be invited to join the delegation group on WeChat, the Chinese messaging and social media app. 

MISSION WEEK

After arriving in China, the UK cohort gather for an informal briefing before the first day of the programme.

The mission programme is a combination of group sessions and individual meetings. It includes visits to local development projects, pitching to and networking with local stakeholders and meeting other UK-registered companies operating in China.

POST MISSION

Feedback interviews will be held with each participant and they will also be invited to join the Future Cities missions alumni network. Organisers in China will provide ongoing support in the market.



The costs

“I only expected to get a feel for the market, but instead I walked away with a confirmed business deal! There is no way I could have achieved this from sitting at my desk. My only question is, when’s the next one?” 
         Steve Birdsall, Gaist Solutions Ltd, Connected Cities Mission to India

Subject to successful applications, there is a non-refundable commitment fee of £250 + VAT which is payable within two weeks of a participant’s place being confirmed. Mission organisers will support all participants with booking return flights and accommodation in China but the costs associated with these are to be covered by the participant. Costs associated with travel within the mission week programme (eg. for site visits) will be arranged and paid for by mission organisers.  

Participating on the mission will not only be a financial commitment, but requires time commitment also. Participants should expect to spend approximately 5 days prior to the mission booking and preparing for meetings with Chinese companies as well as writing and practicing their pitches. Participating in the residential International Readiness Workshop is compulsory and it is vital that this is the same person that will be attending the mission week. This workshop will definitely take place outside of London but its exact location will be confirmed at a later date. Participants will not be expected to cover the costs of accommodation and catering but may be asked to pay for their own travel. 

Judging of applications

The core project team (100%Open, Innovate UK, DIT, the Future Cities Catapult and the China-British Business Council) will judge each application. Each one will be analysed by at least one representative from each organisation. Questions 21 - 26 in section 2 will be scored out of 100 points.

Mission partners
For more information

Please contact Kadir at futurecities@100open.com or +44 (0)203 889 5560.
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