Technology Scotland recently caught up with our member, PNO Consultants, for our Member Spotlight series. We find out who PNO Consultants are, what they do, and much more! Take a look below and get to know them.
What does your organisation do?
PNO Consultants Limited are the UK operation of the PNO Group – Europe’s largest innovation and funding consultancy. PNO Group has ~480 staff across offices in 9 countries, predominantly within Western Europe, and over 35 years’ experience in the market. From PNO UK offices in the North West and Scotland we provide UK wide coverage, supporting start-ups, established SME’s, large enterprises and universities across all research disciplines and sectors, with extensive experience of all principal national and European funding programmes. This includes schemes managed by Grantor Bodies such as Innovate UK and UKRI, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Scottish Enterprise as well as European programmes such as Horizon Europe (look at our website for more information on key schemes in which we specialise). The UK team consists of 10 members, 7 grant writing consultants and 3 post-project compliance consultants.
Our service model covers the entire grant acquisition process from the identification of funding opportunities to support project ideas and company activities, to a comprehensive but flexible writing service that includes full writing of a grant application, through to peer review guidance as well as support in the post award reporting process, to ensure that the full draw down of a grant is achieved once an individual project is underway. PNO is also a leading supplier of services to help companies across the innovation process which includes project management, technology intelligence, the writing of business plans and guidance in technology exploitation. With an extensive client base throughout the UK and the wider EU, PNO can also help with finding suitable collaborative partners including linking innovators with technology adopters as well as helping you to identify potential R&D initiatives led by others where your participation could be of interest.
What is your organisation’s biggest achievement?
Last year, we secured over £23 million in grant funding for our clients, , across a diverse array of sectors supporting a wide range of innovative projects in the digital and technology industries including artificial intelligence, photonics, quantum technologies, transport, product design, advanced comms, cyber security, data science, FinTech, gaming, software and IT, space technology and water/wastewater technology.. Our ability to consistently navigate complex grant processes and secure substantial financial support reflects our commitment to advancing cutting-edge research and development. This success not only highlights our expertise and dedication but also our pivotal role in driving technological and sustainable advancements in the UK and beyond.
Tell us something exciting about your organisation.
Recently we have expanded our reach within Europe, opening new offices in Greece and Portugal, and the UK team has added 4 new members to improve our service capacity. This is particularly exciting in the wake of the UK rejoining the Horizon Europe programme. As the largest innovation consultancy in Europe, we are uniquely positioned to identify relevant funding schemes and facilitate consortium building across our UK and European client bases, ensuring that our clients are optimally positioned to benefit from collaborative research and innovation opportunities at a pan-European level. Additionally, we secured grant funding (£4.5m) for 6 Scottish SMEs last year in health-tech audio devices for children, waste to energy for deployment in Africa, cellular agri-tech, biotech for healthcare, fintech compliance software and a hydrogen company.
Why did you join Technology Scotland?
We joined Technology Scotland due to the observed disparity in grant applications and UK innovation funding awarded to Scottish businesses. Our analysis indicated that Scotland, despite its rich innovation landscape, was underrepresented in securing UK-wide innovation funding. For instance, recent data revealed that Scottish entities were receiving a significantly smaller proportion of the total UK innovation grants, compared to their potential and the contributions they could make towards technological advancement.
By becoming a member of Technology Scotland, we aim to bridge this gap through leveraging our expertise in innovation consultancy. Our goal is to elevate the presence and success rate of Scottish businesses in national and European funding programmes, enhancing their visibility and competitive edge in the innovation sector. This strategic alliance allows us to support Scottish enterprises more effectively, ensuring they have the necessary tools and guidance to navigate the complex landscape of grant applications.