Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £800,000 in innovative Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) ideas coming from the UK’s academic research base. This competition is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK, UKRI.
This competition is part of the Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) R&D Programme, announced in the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan under the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
DSIT’s ambition is for more technologies developed in the UK to be used in networks around the world. We aim to grow a strong UK ACT ecosystem of UK and international companies that attract private investment.
ACT are emerging and advanced technologies that enable the transmission of data by communications networks and network infrastructure in an increasingly digitised economy and society, connecting both people and things. These include technologies that make up advanced wireless systems, such as 5G and the transition to 6G, non-terrestrial networks, and advanced optical networks.
The ACT R&D Programme is a key part of delivering this ambition. Delivered through UKRI, it will use a range of interventions to:
- support the UK’s world leading academic research base and keep the UK at the forefront of ACT research
- provide early stage, pre-commercial funding to help move ideas from research towards commercial viability
- support challenge focused solution development so government funding tackles real world needs, drawing on UK industry expertise and investment to develop ACT products and services
- support the growth and scale up of industrial solutions by helping UK SMEs attract private capital and expand the UK’s global ACT footprint
This Advanced Connectivity Technologies Academic Startup Accelerator Programme (ACTASAP) competition specifically focuses on early stage, pre-commercial support to help move ideas from research towards commercial viability.
The aim of this competition is to identify the most promising commercial opportunities in academia relating to ACT. Your proposal must include the area of your research, the problem that you are looking to solve and your proposed solution.
The ACTASAP is an 11 month programme. This is Phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition. Phase 1 will last up to four months, split into two equal stages:
- an initial stage, P1a, for value proposition development activities
- a further stage, P1b, for market validation activities
Project teams invited to the market validation stage will be required to give a presentation to an independent judging panel. The panel will select teams to progress.
Phase 1 will determine the value of the idea and, if appropriate, identify the best commercial route to progress. The programme will be supported by industry experts, including some from the advanced connectivity technologies sector.
Our experience from similar competitions suggests that you could have a 40% chance of success.
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This competition is open to both single applicants and collaborations.
To work alone or lead a collaborative project you must:
- be based in a UK registered academic institution
- have an ACT related idea
- be interested in the commercialisation of your idea
- have the support of your academic institution’s technology transfer office or equivalent
- not act in any way to gain selective commercial or economic advantage from the outputs of this project
To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:
- be a UK registered academic institution
- be interested in the commercialisation of your idea
- have the support of your academic institution’s technology transfer office or equivalent
Each academic institution in the consortium will be funded individually, but the total funding for all academic partners must be no more than £32,000 for each application.
An academic institution can lead or collaborate on any number of applications. Each application must have a different lead applicant.
Each application must be led by a different Project Lead and demonstrate a clearly distinct and non-overlapping project scope.
We reserve the right to fund one or multiple applications from the same university, where justified by quality and portfolio balance.
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Your project must:
- have total costs between £5,000 and £32,000, with up to £16,000 allocated to Phase 1a and up to £16,000 to Phase 1b
- last four months
- start on 1 October 2026
- end by 31 January 2027
Any organisation receiving funding must carry out its project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK.
If your project is collaborative, each academic institution in the consortium will be funded individually, but the total funding for all academic partners must be no more than £32,000 for each application.
Projects that have an academic lead that has already led and completed a previous CyberASAP project applying with the same project are not eligible.
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The aim of this competition is to identify the most promising commercial opportunities in academia relating to Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT).
We encourage applications that set out ideas for innovative ACT solutions and how they can be adopted and scaled.
Your proposal must include:
- the area of your research
- the problem you are solving
- your proposed solution
- your initial market validation plan
Your project can focus on one or more of the following areas of innovation for ACT:
- integration of Terrestrial and Non‑Terrestrial Networks (NTN)
- components or architectures that reduce energy use in connectivity systems
- improved use of spectrum
- assured Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) systems and integration
- advanced Radio Frequency (RF) architectures and components
- network enabled sensing, positioning, and timing (PNT)
- RF interference, spoofing, and jamming resilience
- metamaterials and adaptive antenna systems
- advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) and physical layer innovation
- AI‑native and autonomous network architectures
- AI‑enabled RF and circuit design automation
This list is not exhaustive and we welcome applications that address other challenge areas of ACT.
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An online briefing was held on Thursday 4 June: a recording and slides will be available soon.
If you would like help to find a collaboration partner or have other queries, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Digital team.
Innovate UK's application and funding process
If you need more information about how to apply, please read our funding support pages. For additional support, reach out to our team of innovation experts who are ready to help you navigate the application process and maximise your chances of success.
For more information
Accessibility and Inclusion
Innovate UK welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.