The UK is already experiencing the impacts of climate hazards, with extreme events becoming more frequent and severe than previously projected, while current levels of climate change adaptation are insufficient to respond effectively to these challenges (A Well-Adapted UK, Climate Change Committee, May 2026).

By the 2050s, impacts could include thousands of extra heat related deaths each year, millions of homes at risk of flooding, major infrastructure disruption, and significant further economic and ecological damage, including risks arising from overseas climate impacts on supply chains and food prices.

Clear evidence gaps on the effectiveness and scale up of adaptation interventions has been identified repeatedly by the Climate Chance Committee (CCC) in their 2021 CCRA3 Independent Assessment, the 2026 Well Adapted UK report and their assessments of National Adaptation Programmes around the nations of the UK. These evidence gaps hinder the monitoring and advancement of effective adaptation action needed to keep at pace with the intensifying impacts of climate change.

The UK has committed to setting stronger measurable adaptation objectives through the Fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4), due in 2028. This will set out the actions government and its partners will take to improve the UK’s resilience to climate change out to 2033. These objectives will be achieved by setting clear delivery plans across government, and evidence from the What Works Centre should look to inform these plans.

Significant uncertainty remains about how best to adapt, reflecting a lack of robust, decision‑ready evidence on the effectiveness of interventions. Simultaneously, there are significant opportunities for innovation and growth for businesses that develop adaptation solutions (in line with the UK Climate Adaptation Research & Innovation Framework (CARIF)). A What Works Centre is essential to close this evidence gap by testing and mobilising interventions in real‑world contexts to enable their wider adoption and scaling.

A climate resilient focused What Works Centre will be the first centre of its kind in the world, with a dedicated focus on generating and synthesising evidence on the effectiveness of adaptation interventions. This work will build confidence in adaptation solutions, supporting their wider adoption and scaling, improving the value for money of interventions and enabling more intelligent, targeted policy design and more effective decision making.

It is envisaged that this investment will demonstrate the UK’s global leadership in adapting to climate impacts, protecting the environment and growing a sustainable economy, building on its pioneering role in the Climate Change Act 2008.

The WWC for a climate resilient UK must deliver the following five objectives. You must clearly identify how your proposed centre will deliver on all the five objectives.

You should clearly outline and justify the proposed balance between the objectives and how they will be integrated.

• Convene stakeholders and identify evidence needs
• Generate and synthesise trusted evidence
• Mobilise, test, accelerate and scale effective actions
• Advance adaptation evaluation practice
• Strengthen capacity and capability

For full details of each objective, see the UKRI opportunity page.

Project lead

The project lead for this funding opportunity must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for the duration of the grant.  

Project co-leads

Your application must include at least one project co-lead from business, the third sector or government bodies based in the UK, subject to ESRC eligibility and costing rules.  Applications can also include project co-leads based in non-UK research organisations. All project co-leads must make a significant contribution to the centre.

You may be involved in only one application as a project lead and a maximum of two applications as project co-leads.

The duration of this award is 44 months.

Projects must start by 1 August 2027 at the latest.

The total funder contribution can be up to £21.1 million: funding is for a single award. Funding will be distributed subject to the following maxima:

• Financial Year 2027 to 2028 – £1.9 million
• Financial Year 2028 to 2029 – £4.65 million
• Financial Year 2029 to 2030 – £9.2 million
• Financial Year 2030 to 2031 – £5.35 million

The centre is required to explore the following three topics:

1. Healthy natural environment and food systems
2. Thriving places
3. Services and infrastructure

The centre is also required to integrate the following cross-cutting themes across all three topics, and through the leadership, management and delivery:

• working with intended audiences and delivery partners to translate evidence insights into improved delivery of climate adaptation actions
• co-production and decision making, including underrepresented voices
• adaptation at scale (including scaling pilots/interventions), and at different scales (such as local, devolved and/or UK) with consideration for transferability
• place-based adaptation, including local climate risks, urban, coastal and rural
• equity, vulnerability and ‘just resilience’
• routes, costs and value for money for climate adaptation investment
• systems of adaptation governance and accountability
• co-benefits, barriers and interdependencies of climate adaptation interventions

UKRI held an applicant briefing on 8 October: click here to watch the recording.

Innovate UK Business Connect has launched a dedicated B2Match partnering platform to support prospective applicants with partnership development and consortium building for this competition.

The platform enables you to showcase your expertise, discover potential collaborators, identify complementary skills and capabilities, and connect directly with others interested in developing a joint bid. Whether you are looking to build a consortium or contribute to one, register and create a profile to start making connections.

Register for the B2Match partnering platform here.

If you have any questions related to the networking platform or need support with finding a potential partner, please contact: Georgia Aristide-Oke at Innovate UK Business Connect.