Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, BioNTech UK Limited Scheme

  • This is a proposal to award a subsidy of £129 million to BioNTech UK Limited (BioNTech).
  • This subsidy is intended to support BioNTech’s expansion in the UK, focusing on Research and Development (R&D) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the goal of enabling BioNTech to develop new treatments for cancer, serious diseases, and vaccines.
  • Our key takeaways from the Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) report are:
    • Assessments should address how market failures which relate to knowledge spillovers, in particular UK localised spillovers, are addressed by the Subsidy, relative to the counterfactual consideration.
    • Assessments should provide a detailed analysis on how the subsidy might affect competitors and the broader market, showing an understanding of both potential benefits and risks in terms of market dynamics.
    • The Assessment should show that the grant is proportionate to the expected benefits in terms of job creation, innovation, and economic development.
    • For Assessment which refer to innovation and knowledge spillovers, there should be a more explicit connection between these spillovers and the anticipated policy objectives, specifically with regard to fostering innovation in the UK.
    • A more detailed comparison of how the beneficiary was selected would provide stronger justification for the choice of recipient.
    • Particularly for Assessments which consider life sciences and AI sectors, there should be a detailed exploration of the potential for trade distortions or unintended consequences for other global players.

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Posted in Subsidy Advice Report Tracker.