<p dir="ltr"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;">I was reading about Catapults the other day and wanted to check I have understood it properly, because most of what I find is either written in policy language or assumes you already work in a big research organisation. Here is what I have pieced together, and I would appreciate anyone correcting me.</span></span>

<p dir="ltr"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;">A Catapult seems to be one of a network of technology and innovation centers in the UK, set up with government backing through Innovate UK to help businesses turn research into commercial products. Each one focuses on a particular sector, such as digital technology, advanced manufacturing, satellites and space, cell and gene therapy, offshore renewable energy, compound semiconductors or connected places. The idea appears to be bridging the gap between university research and a company that needs to test, prove and scale something before it can sell it.</span></span>

<p dir="ltr"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;">The attraction for startups looks like access to things a small company could never afford alone, such as specialist labs, prototyping and testing facilities, expert staff, pilot lines and industry partners. I keep seeing that Catapults run programs, collaborative projects and sometimes accelerators, and that they are often named as partners in Innovate UK grant applications. I am unsure how the commercial side works in practice, for example whether access is paid for at a discount or funded through a grant, who owns the intellectual property developed during a project, and whether a small company needs to be a certain size or stage to be taken seriously.</span></span>



<p dir="ltr"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;">My question is how founders decide whether a Catapult is worth approaching, and which one to start with when a business sits across more than one sector. I would also like to know how long it took to get a first project agreed, what the real cost was beyond the headline price, and how people handled IP and confidentiality when working alongside other companies. I have read something similar to this on Entrepreneur Plus</span></span><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span dir="auto" style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , so I would like to hear from anyone who has worked with one, what they found hardest, and whether it helped with Innovate UK funding or came up during a later raise.</span></span>