Procuring tomorrow’s solutions today
Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation, formerly known as The Small Business Research Initiative or SBRI, offer innovative organisations the chance to work directly with the public sector to solve complex challenges. This relationship is mutually beneficial and brings about unique benefits for both parties.
Contracts for Innovation competitions are open to any size or type of organisation, including businesses of any size, academic and research organisations and not-for-profits and charities.
Learn more about Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation
Access public sector opportunities
Contracts for Innovation provides a route to market for new ideas and technologies, a chance to work with the public sector as an early adopter of cutting-edge innovation, and a way to create and retain intellectual property with the aim of commercialising solutions, helping to achieve business growth and success.
For successful organisations, Contracts for Innovation offers 100% funding to a single legal entity to help develop their proposed solution. Working with the public sector, organisations are able to access opportunities and build relationships that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
Benefits to business
£127k
Turnover impact per firm per year
9%
Business growth
£290m
Private investment leveraged
Find solutions to improve public services
For public sector organisations, Contracts for Innovation allows new solutions and technologies to be developed, and for these to be quickly adopted, helping meet efficiency targets and improving public services.
To date, over 100 public sector organisations have invested more than £1.5bn through Contracts for Innovation. Public Sector organisations who use Contracts for Innovation include:
- Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Department for Transport
- Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Devolved Administrations (DAs).
- NHS
- Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA)
- UK Space Agency
- UK Atomic Energy Authority
- Network Rail
A 2022 independent review shows how Contracts for Innovation has helped some of the most exciting and innovative projects that have made the public sector more efficient and effective.
Related Opportunities
Contracts for Innovation: NI Water: Wastewater Sludge Management
Opens: 04/11/2024 Closes: 22/11/2024
NI Water is looking to innovative solutions, technologies and products that can help it reduce its sludge costs and carbon footprint significantly.
More Information
Contracts for Innovation: NI Water: Green Capacity Market Services
Opens: 04/11/2024 Closes: 22/11/2024
NI Water seeks to plan, investigate and develop solutions for the future of its c. 300 diesel generators which are critical for the delivery of water and wastewater services.
More Information
Contracts for Innovation: Clean Energy Demonstrators in Tanzania
Opens: 11/11/2024 Closes: 17/01/2025
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £1.8m to develop innovative clean energy demonstrators in Tanzania.
More Information
Regeneration of post-industrial sites in the South Wales Valleys
Opens: 28/10/2024 Closes: 29/11/2024
The effects of climate change could impact sites in Wales such as disused coal tips: solutions are sought to ensure communities are safe.
More Information
Agri-Food Technology Challenge Fund for Wales
Opens: 04/11/2024 Closes: 29/11/2024
This challenge seeks innovations that lead to increased efficiency, productivity and sustainability in Welsh agriculture and agri-food supply chains, delivering environmental benefits and accelerating the transition to Net Zero.
More Information
Contracts for Innovation: Fusion Industry Challenges - Novel Concepts for Robust Diagnostics Systems, Sensing and Control
Opens: 18/11/2024 Closes: 20/12/2024
Solutions sought for two fusion energy challenges: novel concepts for robust diagnostics systems, and robust components for sensing and control.
More Information
Innovate UK Tools and Support
SUPPORT
Business Growth
The Scaleup Programme Alumni Community brings together like-minded and ambitious individuals.
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Catapult Network
The Catapult Network provides cutting-edge R&D facilities and world class technical expertise to support UK business growth.
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Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub brings together the most relevant government backed innovation support.
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Investor Connect
Investment Connect is a community determined to find, fund and amplify solutions for economic growth.
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Innovation Canvas
The Innovation Canvas supports the development of an innovative product, service or process.
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Related Case Studies
Transforming prostate cancer diagnosis through AI-powered pathology analysis
Ibex Medical Analytics responded to an NHS Wales Challenge issued by Contracts for Innovation to improve response times to prostate biopsies. Their Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology solution automatically analyses and categorises digital images of pathology samples and so far, has helped identify 13% more prostate cancers in Wales.
Enhancing travel accessibility: Transreport's Passenger Assistance App revolutionises rail travel for disabled passengers
With Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation funding, Transreport has developed an award-winning Passenger Assistance app which makes travel more inclusive for passengers requiring assistance.
Innovating water security: Watermarq's data-driven solutions for drought response and investment planning
Watermarq received Contracts for Innovation funding to develop innovative water supply and demand analytics solutions, which can help governments and other organisations plan responses to drought.
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