The UK has clear potential to become a world class destination of choice for advanced and sustainable manufacturing.
The three strategic imperatives for this vision are that UK materials and manufacturing will be:
- net zero and resource efficient
- resilient and responsive
- technologically advanced and digital
The Innovate UK materials and manufacturing vision 2050 provides background for the three strategic imperatives.
The aim of this competition is for UK materials and manufacturing organisations to be net zero, and resource efficient. We encourage simultaneous demonstrations on how the sectors will be more resilient, sustainable or technologically advanced.
We also encourage proposals for innovation in seaweed processing.
Your proposal must focus on at least one of the following:
- resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing (including smart design and bio-based materials)
- seaweed processing innovation aiming to deliver a significant improvement in the yield, efficiency or value per tonne of seaweed processed using material that has either been harvested or cultivated in the UK and its territorial waters
Experience from similar competitions suggests that you could have a 20% chance of success.
Funding is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received. Innovate UK reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.
For additional information, click here to watch a video briefing for the event (recorded 22 Sep).
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Your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and are limited to no more than 50% of the project’s total eligible costs.
An eligible organisation can lead on one application only.
Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a three year rolling financial period; if your business has received more than this or the funding from this competition would take you over the £315,000, you will not be eligible.
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Your project must:
- have total costs between £10,000 and £25,000
- have a grant funding request that matches your total project costs
- last between 1 and 2 months
- start on 1 February 2026
- end by 31 March 2026
Any funded organisation needs to carry out their project work in the UK and must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
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The aim of this competition is for UK materials and manufacturing organisations to be net zero and resource efficient. We encourage simultaneous demonstrations on how the sectors will be more resilient, sustainable or technologically advanced. We also encourage proposals for innovation in seaweed processing.
The use of captured carbon as a feedstock is in scope for both themes.
Your project must focus on one or both of the following themes.
Theme 1: Resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing
You must aim for a significant improvement of resource efficiency and sustainability in UK materials and manufacturing, including increasing the use or re-use of bio-based feedstocks, chemical replacements, and circular products.
Your project must focus on two or more of these five areas:
- materials for the future economy: functional materials, material applications for cutting edge products that reduce emissions, energy consumption and costs or improving extraction of existing bio-based feedstocks using biological systems, or developing alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes, including bio-catalysis and microbiomes for sustainable biomanufacturing
- smart design: effective design methods, design for resource efficiency, and design for maximum through life value or utilising biotechnology for the design and development of advanced bio-products, such as chemicals, materials, and engineered biofilms with improved properties
- resilient supply chains: complete supply chain visibility, sustainable feedstocks, and co-location of waste and emission streams
- world class production: flexible production capacity, minimal material use, high quality products, high productivity, full adaptivity progressing the development and adoption of biotechnology at scale across multiple manufacturing industries and sectors
- longer in use and reuse: minimal material waste, traceability, re-manufacture and enhancing the sustainability of products through the application of biotechnology
Theme 2: Seaweed processing
Your project must seek to test new technologies that aim to deliver a significant improvement in the yield, efficiency or value per tonne of algae processed using material (macroalgae, seaweeds, and microalgae), that has either been harvested or cultivated in the UK and its territorial waters.
Your project must focus on one or more of the following activities:
- testing a new processing technology
- modifying an existing processing technology
- improving the quality or range of products produced
- developing a new product or co-product
Only lab-scale, small volumes of processing for testing or R&D purposes are in scope.
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Theme 1: Resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing – exclusions
We are not funding projects that focus on:
- enabling areas such as energy, regulations and policy, skills and relations an incremental improvement in resource efficiency
- technologies to directly reduce industrial energy consumption
- carbon capture and storage technology
- biopharmaceutical recombinant proteins for diagnosis or therapeutics, including protein, or nucleic acid-based vaccines or antimicrobials
- microbiomes towards human health therapeutics
- sustainable aviation fuel
- alternate protein sources for example, food and beverage
Theme 2: Seaweed processing – exclusions
We are not funding projects that are seeking to process species of algae not commonly found in UK waters.
For clarity, the use of captured carbon as a feedstock is in scope for both themes.
We cannot fund projects that:
- involve primary production in fishery and aquaculture
- involve primary production in agriculture
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An online briefing event was held on Monday 22 September: click here to watch the recording.
Innovate UK Business Connect will also hold an event to build collaboration opportunities in seaweed processing on Friday 26 September, 10am-noon: click here to register for a place.
If you would like to discuss an application, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Materials, Aquaculture or Net Zero teams.
In addition, Innovate UK Business Growth’s fully funded and bespoke support is available to all applicants, whether or not they receive funding.
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.
