Case Studies
Scaling technical delivery after multiple grant wins
Embedded technical leadership
Challenge
Natural Negative had just won four grant-funded projects in close succession, which is real proof their technology and approach was promising. However, this meant that their experimental workload multiplied overnight, and the founders needed technical delivery to scale alongside it without pulling their own focus away from running and growing the business.
Solution
Natural Negative needed someone who could take proper ownership of the technical deliverables, set technical direction, and make judgement calls on prioritisation and methodology; giving lab staff a clear plan to work to. That let the founders keep their attention on strategy and growth, confident the day-to-day technical delivery and grant funder requirements were being handled properly.
What I did
Embed and understand
I spent time learning how the team already worked. This included reviewing their history, working style, in-house capabilities, and technical and commercial priorities. Site visits were also essential to getting the full context.
Build the technical foundation
I built a knowledge base and assessed technical needs, defining materials specifications, and setting clear project requirements so the team could order with confidence. I also built a detailed grant tracker, breaking each project into tasks and milestones with full visibility across workloads, flagging clashes and busy periods before they became a problem. Where the existing test methods weren't giving us the answers we needed, I brought new approaches.
Take ownership and drive delivery
I took technical direction of the lab planning, diagnosed results as they came in, and adjusted the approach where the data called for it. I also presented findings directly to the grant funder, and addressed their monitoring requirements clearly enough that no follow-up queries were needed.
Outcome
The founders were able to keep their attention on strategy and growth, confident the day-to-day technical delivery and grant funder requirements were being handled properly.
“Anna took full ownership of our technical delivery at exactly the moment we needed it most, turning four simultaneous grant projects into a clear, well-run programme and freeing us to focus on growing the business with complete confidence that the science and our funder commitments were in excellent hands.”
Client feedback
From idea to application
European Space Agency, £200K
Problem
Gap in the market identified for microfluidics manufacturing with specific materials requirements
Current equipment / processes unsuitable
Solution
Apply for non-dilutive grant funding to develop capability for a new service offering
Embedded R&D leadership to minimise impact on commercial work
What I did
Ideation:
Company’s long term vision + key customer requirements
Created a concept:
Defined a staged approach to R&D workstreams with increasing levels of risk
Align with funding call
Wrote the proposal:
Project description, state-of-the-art, TRL progression, commercialisation, work package descriptions etc
Managed stakeholders:
Obtained letters of support from end users, coordinated with partners, submitted to funder
Outcome
Shortlisted to final tender evaluation, top 19 of 90 applicants (2 awarded)
“We wouldn’t have pursued this funding without Anna, we didn’t have the time or the expertise to navigate it ourselves. She led the process from start to finish, sought our input early to define our priorities, and kept us well informed on progress. She developed a clear, novel, and profitable concept that became a high quality proposal, giving us access to advanced materials and manufacturing expertise we couldn’t have accessed otherwise.”