Connected Places Catapult
Consultant (Innovation Funding Partnerships)
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Application Deadline: 7 August 2026
Department: Built Environment & Local Growth
Location: London and Milton Keynes
Compensation: £49,210 - £58,651 / year
Description
Consultant (Innovation Funding Partnerships)
Contract type/Duration: Permanent
Working hours: Full time
Band: 2.3
Salary: £49,210 to £58,651 (depending on office location and proven ability)
Reports to: Head of Regional & Local Growth Funding
Location: London or Milton Keynes (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable)
Closing date: 10am on the 7th of August 2026
Interview dates: Owing to annual leave commitments will be interviewing for this role on the 8th and 8th of September 2026
Please note that the vacancy closes at 10am on the 7th of August 2027
The Role
As our Innovation Funding portfolio continues to grow, we are looking for someone to help maximise the impact of the innovators and SMEs we support across the UK.
Over the past year, our programmes have increasingly focused on delivering tangible, place-based outcomes for innovators, connecting them with regional partners, testbeds and adoption opportunities.
As our funding programmes mature, there is growing demand from funders, partners and regional stakeholders to embed innovation more deeply within local ecosystems and accelerate the economic and social benefits generated through our work.
This role will be responsible for building strategic partnerships across regional and local growth ecosystems, ensuring innovators are connected to the right opportunities and helping translate innovation into real-world impact.
The postholder will lead the development of key relationships with stakeholders. They will proactively identify opportunities for innovators supported through CPC programmes, while supporting business development activities that create future opportunities for CPC, specifically within the Innovation Funding value proposition remit.
The role requires a highly organised and detailed-focussed relationship manager with strong stakeholder engagement, business development and programme delivery skills, capable of operating independently and collaboratively to deliver impactful outcomes for innovators, funders and regions across the UK.
You will be expected to:
- Build, develop and manage strategic relationships with regional and local stakeholders, from government and industry.
- Work closely with Innovation Funding Managers to lead and/or provide advice on engagement activities that connect innovators with relevant regional opportunities, testbeds and adoption pathways.
- Design and implement structured mechanisms to embed funded innovators within local growth and innovation ecosystems, building a scalable and repeatable approach.
- Identify opportunities to align innovation funding programmes with regional priorities, economic growth strategies and investment pipelines, working with the regional stewards.
- Lead the delivery of regional Innovation Funding programmes and associated stakeholder engagement activities.
- Facilitate introductions, matchmaking activities and partnership-building opportunities between SMEs and local stakeholders.
- Coordinate workshops, events, webinars, demonstration opportunities and engagement activities that accelerate innovation adoption from existing Innovation Funding programmes.
- Support monitoring and evaluation activities by capturing evidence of programme outcomes, regional impact and innovation adoption.
- Contribute to the continual improvement of Innovation Funding Programme delivery, processes and stakeholder engagement approaches, specifically expanding our Network of networks in the regions.
- Help innovators navigate regional ecosystems and access relevant partners, facilities, expertise and funding opportunities.
- Support business development activity working closely with programme teams and regional embedded colleagues by identifying (and converting) opportunities arising from relationships with regional and local partners who may require support with innovation programmes, trials, demonstrations or subsequent stages of technology development.
- Build stakeholder confidence in CPC and strengthen the organisation's reputation as a trusted innovation partner.
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Key Responsibilities
- Support revenue targets.
- Spot opportunities
- Contribute to bids and proposals.
- Support client confidence in and building credibility of CPC.
- Ensure CRM system is updated with stakeholder contact and any other account information including opportunity management.
- Scope and lead streams of work.
- Shape and design the deliverables.
- Deliver plans as designed.
- Implement effective project management process.
- Organise your own contribution to the work stream.
- Collaborate effectively across the work streams/project team.
- Provide excellence in delivery.
- Meet (or exceed) utilisation targets.
- Promote innovative and professional delivery focus across project team.
- Support buy-in across a range of stakeholders through professional and technical expertise.
- Accountable for timely and high-quality actions/tasks and updates.
- Update CRM system with contact of client information
- Maintain own professional development.
- Ensure an ethos of equity, inclusivity and diversity underpin your work activity, contribute to inclusive innovation across all Catapult activities.
- You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations.
- You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations.
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Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Identify new methodologies or approaches.
- Identify solutions beyond the tried and tested methods.
- Collaborate effectively across teams and disciplines.
- Influence effectively in projects and tasks.
- Uses multi-channel communication to ensure clarity and connection on activities.
- Able to plan and deliver on multiple activities.
- Respond to and learns from change with ease.
- Embed inclusive and sustainability practices in planning and delivery.
- Spark creative thinking across all tasks.
- Apply systems thinking to problem solving.
- Create effective networks.
- Use personal influence to progress beyond challenges and blockers.
- Use experience to provide the voice of the customer in all activities.
- Effectively manage communication across teams and stakeholders, lead meetings and contribute to publications and events.
- Co-ordinate plans across activities.
- Role model agility and adaptation.
Benefits
- 9 day fortnight for everyone, we have a full company shutdown every other Friday.
- 23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
- Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
- Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
- Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
- Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
- Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
- Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.
- Mortgage Advice benefit, delivered in partnership with Charles Cameron & Associates – provides employees with free, expert mortgage advice and end-to-end mortgage support from the application process through to completion.
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