Home of the UK’s innovation networks

Innovate UK Business Connect brings together businesses, researchers, investors and partners to support innovation across the UK. As a strategic delivery partner to Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we connect organisations to funding opportunities, partnerships and expert support to help ideas move from concept to scale.

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Learn more about our areas in Foundation Industries

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Foundation Industries opportunities

EIT Culture & Creativity: Innovation Projects 2026

Opens: 25/09/2026

Closes: 30/10/2026

EIT Culture & Creativity invites proposals for high-impact, close-to-market innovations, to receive support in accelerating progression from TRL 7 to full market deployment across the architecture,…

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Contracts for Innovation: Battery innovation for dual use & defence Phase 1

Opens: 28/09/2026

Closes: 04/11/2026

The Battery Innovation Programme is investing up to £2m to accelerate innovative battery technologies that solve defence challenges.

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Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1

Opens: 01/10/2026

Closes: 11/11/2026

UK registered SME’s can apply for a share of up to £3.1 million to deliver feasibility studies for frontier artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)…

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European Space Agency: Smart and Resilient Energy Systems

Opens: 29/09/2026

Closes: 27/11/2026

Aiming to develop operational solutions using space-enabled technologies to improve the anticipatory, operational, and strategic resilience of electricity grids.

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Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund: Innovation Challenges - Discovery, autumn 2026

Opens: 21/09/2026

Closes: 21/10/2026

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £30 million exclusive of VAT, for collaborative Discovery Phase Projects that meet the Innovation Challenges. This funding…

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Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund: Round 5 Challenges - Discovery, autumn 2026

Opens: 21/09/2026

Closes: 21/10/2026

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £30 million exclusive of VAT, for collaborative Discovery Phase Projects that meet the Round 5 challenges. This…

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Analysis for Innovators (A4I) autumn 2026

Opens: 15/09/2026

Closes: 06/10/2026

UK small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are invited to apply for the latest round of A4I, a programme designed to help businesses overcome challenging measurement and…

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European Space Agency: Call For Proposals - Wildfire Preparedness

Opens: 01/09/2026

Closes: 01/12/2026

ESA are inviting proposals for innovative services that advance wildfire management using space technology and data.

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Are you looking for a specific opportunity?

Search for funding, collaboration, support to grow or resources to bring your idea to life.

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Could our Foundation Industries programmes support you?

We offer innovation programmes that help businesses and researchers develop and commercialise new products, processes and services.

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Critical Materials Supply Chain Innovation Network
Critical Materials Supply Chain Innovation Network

Connect with partners and access funding, collaboration and commercial opportunities that strengthen the UK’s critical materials supply chains.

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Sustainable Environments
Sustainable Environments

The Sustainable Environments Programme brings together cross-sector expertise and strategic intelligence to build long-term national climate resilience across urban and natural environments.

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Emergent Sustainable Built Environment Materials Innovation Network
Emergent Sustainable Built Environment Materials Innovation Network

Driving rapid adoption of UK sustainable construction materials to reduce environmental impact.

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Engineering Biology Innovation Network
Engineering Biology Innovation Network

Driving the development of a joined-up UK innovation ecosystem to ensure synthetic biology tools, technologies and processes can be more easily developed and adopted by a…

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Zero emission heavy goods vehicles and infrastructure
Zero emission heavy goods vehicles and infrastructure

Supporting the development, uptake and demonstration of commercially available zero emission HGVs, and providing the crucial infrastructure to help the haulage sector decarbonise and transition to…

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ICURe
ICURe

The Innovate UK ICURe Programme gives researchers the chance to turn ground-breaking research into investment-ready spin-out companies and license agreements. We provide funding and personalised support…

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Next-generation low-carbon concrete Advance Market Commitment
Next-generation low-carbon concrete Advance Market Commitment

Harnessing the power of collective demand to accelerate concrete decarbonisation.

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Semiconductors
Semiconductors

Ensuring that the UK has a secure and relevant position and capability within the global semiconductor landscape.

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Cross-Sector Battery Systems Innovation Network
Cross-Sector Battery Systems Innovation Network

The Cross-Sector Battery Systems Innovation Network, funded by Innovate UK, is a cross-sectoral and collaborative community of technology developers and end-users.

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Robotics Proving Ground
Robotics Proving Ground

Pioneering robotics evolution through powering a network of hubs to fast-track robotics from concept to market.

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BridgeAI
BridgeAI

Empowering UK organisations to harness the power of AI through support and funding, bridging the AI divide for a more productive UK.

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Women in Innovation
Women in Innovation

Enabling brilliant women across the UK to fully achieve their vision for their businesses and change the world, while championing and celebrating gender diversity throughout UK…

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Sustainable Aviation Fuel Innovation Programme
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Innovation Programme

Accelerating the development of UK’s SAF industry and enabling UK Government to achieve 10% SAF in the UK jet fuel mix by 2030. By fostering innovation…

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Innovation Exchange
Innovation Exchange

Innovate UK Innovation Exchange is a cross-sector programme supporting innovation transfer by matching industry challenges to innovative companies from other sectors. It does this by putting…

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Analysis for Innovators
Analysis for Innovators

Innovate UK Analysis for Innovators can help boost productivity and competitiveness in your business through solving existing problems.

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Foundation Industries events

Battery innovation for dual-use and defence phase 1 01/10/2026
Online 10.00 - 12.00
Battery innovation for dual-use and defence phase 1
Event details
Exploring engineering biology for critical materials challenges 22/10/2026
Online 10.00 - 11.30
Exploring engineering biology for critical materials challenges
Event details
Scaling Interoperable V2X 17/09/2026
Online 11.00 - 12.00
Scaling Interoperable V2X
Event details
Series National Materials Innovation Programme CR&D competition events Webinars 11 Sep and 7 Oct. Briefing recording now available.
Online
National Materials Innovation Programme CR&D competition events
Event details
Series Battery Innovation Programme (BIP) CR&D Round 3 competition briefing Briefing 16 Sep, surgery 29 Sep
Online
Battery Innovation Programme (BIP) CR&D Round 3 competition briefing
Event details
Series Sustainable Chemicals insights and learning series Bi-monthly webinar series: next event 10 Nov 2026
Online
Sustainable Chemicals insights and learning series
Event details
Driving innovation through engineering biology: networking and collaboration event 09/09/2026
London 09.30 - 16.00
Driving innovation through engineering biology: networking and collaboration event
Event details
Global Incubator Programme: USA (New York) Clean Energy Industries - briefing 12/08/2026
Online 16.00 - 17.00
Global Incubator Programme: USA (New York) Clean Energy Industries - briefing
Event details

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Innovate UK Business Connect highlights

Energy Efficient Computing - from innovation to impact Perspective
Energy Efficient Computing - from innovation to impact
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How place-based citizen engagement can shape a positive, decarbonised future for the UK Perspective
How place-based citizen engagement can shape a positive, decarbonised future for the UK
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Defence innovation:</br>Turning strategic ambition into economic growth News
Defence innovation:
Turning strategic ambition into economic growth
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Unlocking UK economic growth through AI: A practical guide for employers Perspective
Unlocking UK economic growth through AI: A practical guide for employers
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Innovative drug development models awarded funding to drive adoption and growth News
Innovative drug development models awarded funding to drive adoption and growth
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Acceptance of novel low environmental impact construction products Perspective
Acceptance of novel low environmental impact construction products
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