--- title: "Opportunity Seed Funding Call: Nature Computes Better" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-044b33" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-044b33" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-044b33.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-044b33.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INVENTION AGENCY" published: "2024-03-21" --- # Opportunity Seed Funding Call: Nature Computes Better Buyer: ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INVENTION AGENCY Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-044b33 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-044b33) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-044b33.json) ## Summary The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has issued a tender titled "Opportunity Seed Funding Call: Nature Computes Better" in the services industry category. The procurement stage is currently active, with key deadlines as follows: Clarifying questions deadline on 14th April 2024, Application deadline on 17th April 2024, Shortlisted applicants to meet with Programme Director between 29th April and 3rd May 2024, and Final award decision on 10th May 2024. The call aims to fund high-potential research proposals aligned with ARIA's identified opportunity space, with a maximum budget of £2,400,000. The procurement method is selective, using a competitive procedure with negotiation. This tender offers opportunities for businesses interested in breakthrough research in the Nature Computes Better space. Ideal applicants include individuals and teams with innovative ideas that challenge assumptions or open up new research paths. The call welcomes early-career researchers and those with diverse backgrounds. Businesses looking to receive funding ranging from £10,000 to £500,000 per proposal should engage with this opportunity to drive scientific and technological advancements. Additional funding, scope, and duration could be negotiated for awarded contracts, creating further growth prospects for successful applicants. ## Notice Breakthroughs require finding people who think differently about what's possible - and empowering them to follow their vision. To support scientific and technological breakthroughs, outside of programmes, ARIA Programme Directors can award opportunity seeds to support ambitious research aligned to the opportunity spaces they've identified. To understand how opportunity seeds work within our model, see how we're working here (https://www.aria.org.uk/how-were-working/). ### Lot Information Lot 1 This funding call specifically relates to our Programme Director Suraj Bramhavar's opportunity space (https://www.aria.org.uk/what-were-working-on/#suraj). In Nature Computes Better (https://www.aria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ARIA-Nature-computes-better-v1.0-1.pdf), we're looking to fund high potential proposals with between PS10k and PS500k each. We initially expect to fund up to 10 opportunity seeds in this space. We're looking for bold ideas that could challenge assumptions, open up new research paths, or provide steps towards new capabilities. If you have an important idea you're obsessed with, but you don't currently have the resources or support to take it forward, we'd like to hear from you. Ideas could come from anywhere, so we welcome applications from individuals and teams who are early in their career or who have atypical backgrounds. We care more about your idea and your intrinsic motivation than we do about your CV. To help you decide if this is the right funding call for you, here's some guidance on the scope: In scope: + Ideas that sit within the Nature Computes Better opportunity space. By this, we mean your proposal should show how your idea either aligns with or challenges the assumptions of the Summary, Beliefs, or Observations in the opportunity space document (https://www.aria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ARIA-Nature-computes-better-v1.0-1.pdf). + Ideas that could change the conversation about what is possible or valuable. + Ideas that range from early stage curiosity-driven research through to pre-commercial science and technology. Out of scope: + Ideas that are within scope of Suraj Bramhavar's programme Scaling Compute - AI at 1/1000th the Cost, as these should be submitted to his programme funding call (https://www.aria.org.uk/scaling-compute/). If you are unsure whether your idea is in scope of the programme, ask us by sending an email to clarifications@aria.org.uk. + Ideas that are undifferentiated or that are likely to happen without ARIA support. + Commercial or close-to-commercial stage products. Beyond this scope and our evaluation criteria outlined in the full opportunity seed call document on ARIA's website (https://www.aria.org.uk/seeds-nature-computes-better), we don't have preconceptions about what ideas you might send our way. You don't need to contort your project to fit our goals: we want to hear what you really want to do. Additional information: The estimated total value is the maximum budget available. We expect to fund multiple applicants. Options: Additional funding, scope and duration could be added to any contracts awarded. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009185-2024 | | Notice type | Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Competitive procedure with negotiation | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 21 Mar 2024 | | Submission deadline | 17 Apr 2024 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £2,400,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ADVANCED RESEARCH AND INVENTION AGENCY | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | North West London | | Postcode | NW1 2DB | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI36 Camden | | Local authority | Camden | | Electoral ward | St Pancras & Somers Town | | Westminster constituency | Holborn and St Pancras | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 73110000 - Research services ## Release History - 21 Mar 2024 at 12:59 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009185-2024 ## Notice URLs - https://www.aria.org.uk/ - https://www.aria.org.uk/how-were-working/ - https://www.aria.org.uk/scaling-compute/ - https://www.aria.org.uk/seeds-nature-computes-better - https://www.aria.org.uk/seeds-nature-computes-better/ - https://www.aria.org.uk/what-were-working-on/#suraj - https://www.aria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ARIA-Nature-computes-better-v1.0-1.pdf ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-044b33. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-044b33.json.