Innovation funding opportunities
Looking for funding and support to develop your idea? At Innovate UK Business Connect, we connect businesses, researchers and innovators with the right opportunities they need to grow.
Explore opportunities for funding and expert guidance, to help turn your innovation into a commercial success.
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ARIA: Scaling Trust - Tooling and Fundamental Research
Rolling call, proposals assessed quarterly
ARIA are seeking to fund teams to develop open-source tools and perform fundamental research that moves us from empirical to theory-driven guarantees in agentic coordination.
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ARIA: Safeguarded AI - Cybersecurity
Quarterly applications
ARIA offers funding of £2.5m-£3.5m per team for blue teams creating cybersecurity products, which will be verified by AI and a red team pen-testing using AI tools.
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Sustainable Farming Scheme CfI Cymru - Turning Cattle Mortality Data into Actionable Animal Health Intelligence
Opens: 09/09/2026
Closes: 09/10/2026
This challenge seeks innovation to support the delivery of transforming Cattle Mortality Intelligence to Improve Animal Health Surveillance and Proactive Herd Health in Wales.
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EPSRC AI ICURe Discover Sprint - February 2027
Opens: 07/12/2026
Closes: 18/01/2027
EPSRC AI ICURe Discover Sprint is a 4-week intensive programme for researchers and technicians, with up to £2,500 support for market discovery activities.
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EPSRC AI ICURe Engage - January 2027
Opens: 29/10/2026
Closes: 10/12/2026
EPSRC AI ICURe Engage is a 4-week, online, part-time programme designed to support researchers and technicians in exploring the potential market for their research.
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Engineering Biology Collaborative R&D: Round 3
Opens: 08/09/2026
Closes: 03/11/2026
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £8.5 million to develop and scale Engineering Biology platforms, products and services. This funding is part of UKRI’s Engineering Biology Programme.
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Engineering Biology Access to Infrastructure Pilot
Opens: 07/09/2026
Closes: 21/10/2026
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million for Engineering Biology pilot scale and validation projects. This funding is part of UKRI’s Engineering Biology Programme and funded by BIST.
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N-CODE Innovation Challenge: the future of neurological healthcare
Opens: 07/09/2026
Closes: 18/11/2026
The N-CODE Innovation Challenge is looking for concepts, ideas and innovations that could fundamentally change how neurological care is delivered in the NHS. Up to £12,000 award for UK-registered businesses.
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Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute: Phase 1
Opens: 07/09/2026
Closes: 14/10/2026
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £500,000 for a phase 1 project to establish the Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute (MMDI). This funding is from Innovate UK.
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UK Defence Innovation: counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) force-protection capability (PANOPTES)
Opens: 02/09/2026
Closes: 23/09/2026
UKDI seeks counter-Uncrewed Aerial System capabilities for development to deployment, with £5m total funding available.
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Horizon Europe Springboard Scheme for Cluster 4 Industry Themes
Rolling assessment: awards on a first come, first served basis. Closes 2 Feb 2027.
Financial support for eligible UK organisations to strengthen the development of Horizon Europe proposals under eligible topics including digital, manufacturing, materials, clean energy and AI in the Cluster 4 industry and relevant horizontal activities only.
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HMGCC Co-Creation Challenge: Tracking a data footprint
Opens: 7 Sep 2026. Closes: 24 Sep 2026.
The latest HMGCC Co-Creation challenge is seeking a mobile app which can help a phone user monitor their data footprint over time.
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2027 European Prize for Women Innovators
Opens: 02/09/2026
Closes: 01/12/2026
The 2027 European Prize for Women Innovators is your chance to gain European recognition for the impact of your work and inspire the next generation of innovators.
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Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Rd 5
Opens: 01/09/2026
Closes: 14/10/2026
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £13 million for small R&D partnership projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, a part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.
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Contracts for Innovation: Engineering Biology for Defra and Food Standards Agency, phase 1
Opens: 01/09/2026
Closes: 14/10/2026
Organisations can apply for a share up to £3 million inclusive of VAT, to develop and scale Engineering Biology platforms, products and services.
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National Materials Innovation Programme: CR&D Rd1
Opens: 01/09/2026
Closes: 28/10/2026
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £12m for collaborative industrial research in materials for health, structures, electronics, or metamaterials.
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Wind Innovation Hub: Accelerating Innovations
Opens: 31/08/2026
Closes: 05/10/2026
The Accelerating Innovations programme will provide tailored in-kind funding, to a maximum value of £100k per organisation, for up to 20 high-potential UK companies developing mission-aligned technologies, products and services for the offshore wind sector.
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Investor Partnerships – ACT and Semiconductors
Opens: 01/09/2026
Closes: 14/10/2026
UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners.
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Advanced Manufacturing: Measurement and Sensing Pilot
Opens: 26/08/2026
Closes: 07/10/2026
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 million as part of a pilot. This is to support high potential businesses developing a technology, product or service in measurement, instrumentation or sensing for UK manufacturing.
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UK Space Agency: International Bilateral Fund – Call 3
Deadline 4 Nov: encouraged to send EoI by 14 Sep.
Up to £1.5m per project to build international partnerships working on mutual space priorities.
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Electricity Demand Turn Up trial: EOI for flexibility providers
Closing Soon
Opens: 20/08/2026
Closes: 16/09/2026
UK registered businesses providing flexibility services can submit an expression of interest for a trial assessing if DTU can reduce renewable electricity curtailment in Great Britain. Successful applicants can apply for a share of up to £16 million.