SBRI
Small Business Research Initiative unit
SIB’s sbri (small business research initiative) unit provides tailored support to public sector organisations to accelerate research & development and stimulate innovation using challenge-based procurement.
We utilise an agile approach that allows creativity and de-risks innovation, facilitating the development of innovative products and services.
Key benefits for the public sector include multi-million-pound savings, improved service delivery to support strategic objectives such as the Lough Neagh Action Plan and enabling greater public sector knowledge of new and emerging technologies.
Challenge based procurement reduces barriers for SMEs and start-up companies/ micro businesses, allowing new and innovative players to work with public sector to deliver solutions.
SIB’s sbri unit works with public sector organisations across Northern Ireland including departments, Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs), City Deals and local government, with projects supported by funding from DfE, DAERA, BRCD and the UK Space Agency.
SIB currently supports between 10 and 15 projects a year across the public sector ranging in size from small scale e.g. £10,000 to multi-million-pound research challenges. Challenges include those working to optimise the use of data and innovative applications of AI, addressing problem facing agriculture, justice, education, tourism, housing and infrastructure management.
The sbri team has extensive private and public sector experience, enabling it to support public sector challenge owners to define, frame and develop their challenge, provide end to end support during the procurement and competition process and assist in realising the overall research benefits
Key numbers
£17.7m
funding allocated
24
number of challenges
81
suppliers awarded contracts
87%
percentage of micro/SME
