Deep Tech/Advanced Materials: Grant Writing, Market Validation and Commercial Strategy

Challenge: LeafyColl needed to secure non-dilutive funding to progress its technology while building a strong commercial case around its development roadmap. This required identifying the right funding opportunities, shaping credible projects and demonstrating both technical potential and routes to market.

Approach: Worked with LeafyColl across multiple funding rounds, providing grant strategy, project scoping and grant writing alongside development of the commercial case. This included aligning technical milestones with market opportunities and ensuring projects demonstrated a credible path towards commercialisation. The relationship has since expanded into commercial strategy and market validation, including customer and stakeholder interviews, sales and marketing strategy, and go-to-market development.

Outcomes: £405k grant funding secured across four competitions:

• Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain

• Investor Partnerships

• Engineering Biology follow-on funding

• National Materials

• Ongoing grant strategy and project scoping support across multiple stages of development

• Commercialisation support expanded beyond funding into market validation, customer interviews, sales, marketing and go-to-market strategy

“We've partnered with Sharp Insights, who have helped LeafyColl secure over £400k in grant funding across multiple projects. They provide advice on grant strategy and project scoping, as well as ensuring we have a strong commercial case underpinning our grant applications. We're looking forward to continuing to work with them as we commercialise our technology.”

Dr Ejaz Hussain, Co-Founder and CEO, LeafyColl