Some Questions First:  

Do you have a great idea that will reduce energy consumption or help with carbon reduction?

Does the idea require the use of technology, digital services and data? 

Are you struggling to find out all the answers as to how to make your idea work? 

Do you want to find out the true value and cost of bringing your idea to market? 

Are you an SME based in the East of England?  

If the answer is YES to these questions then KnowNow Information can help.  We have 12 hours of free,  “YES FREE”,  innovation Support via the Eastern New Energy (ENE) project.  

Using a tried and tested solution design methodology; including a data canvas that KnowNow helped create; as well as applying the many years of experience bringing great ideas and innovations to market;  KnowNow Information in collaboration with the ENE programme, can offer SME’s in the East of England free innovation realisation support.  

What is in it for me as an SME and Innovator?

The aim of the support package is to help get new ideas to market faster, with a greater chance of success.  The legacy of the support provided is:

• A comprehensive and documented set of data requirements that have purpose via the data canvas, which makes sure no valuable data is left behind. 
• A high-level solution architecture with a work breakdown structure that details the bill of materials and effort required.  
• A business model canvas to identify the route to market.  

Benefits

• Greater confidence that the idea has real value and a clear route to market.
• Reduce risks by identifying potential cybersecurity and personal data challenges
• Improved chances of success as the skills, equipment, services, and support required to deliver the innovation are discovered. 
• The output can be taken to investors, crowdfunders, and potential customers to help secure funding or sales. 

Costs

• Participate in a business needs assessment; to confirm suitability.  
• Complete some paperwork to aid audit control
• Attend virtual meetings – approximately 8 hours (in a 4-1-1-2) split over a 6-week period. 

What is Eastern New Energy

The ENE project is part-funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The project is led by the University of East London, with a wider partnership comprising 19 organisations, including KnowNow Information.

The ENE project aims to build a stronger Local Energy and Low Carbon Economy in the East of England (Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire).

KnowNow Information is proud to be one of the providers of SME support to the ENE programme.   

What do I need to do?

The flow diagram above shows how the KnowNow approach realises a solid plan to bring your idea to market.   Post the needs analysis interview, we start with the data canvas virtual workshop, facilitated by the Energy Systems Catapult.   As the innovator, the one thing to bring is your new idea.  Over a 4-hour session, we will have a documented set of data requirements with the data purposes known and understood.   

The data canvas workshop identifies what data is required, and for what purpose. Undertaken through five distinct phases.   This has the dual benefits of not leaving any valuable data behind; plus, it stops waste and prevents opening up the solution to unnecessary risk (e.g. from a cybersecurity perspective).  

Our second deliverable takes those data requirements and creates a first-pass technology architecture.  This enables innovators and entrepreneurs to articulate to investors and the market exactly what they will be doing, and for what purpose.  This is via a work breakdown structure/task list/shopping list of what is required to bring this new innovation to the market. KnowNow will via a series of short checkpoint calls keep idea owners abreast of progress. 

The final deliverable is a business model canvas and value proposition (using the Strategyzer method).  These are established industry techniques that can help innovators be certain they understand the route to market and the value of the innovation. 

The Output

A triumvirate of deliverables: 

1. Documented data requirements (which capture the data value and reduce risk) 

2. The solution design which creates the work breakdown tasks and identifies the costs

3. A business model canvas that articulates the route to market and why potential customers want this new innovation. 

The above provides a robust and solid foundation for innovators to build upon.  One that reduces risk and offers the opportunity for the new innovation to have a fantastic head start into realising its potential.  

Your Call to Action

Innovators that are in the East of England, that have not used their de minimis allowance can access this support.  Complete the needs assessment and we are good to go. 

To secure your innovation support package from ENE.   We have two routes: 

Route one: contact KnowNow directly via an email to 

David at david.patterson@kn-i.com  

Route two: contact ENE central support via this webpage: https://www.uel.ac.uk/sri/eastern-new-energy/how-we-can-help

The ENE project is funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding