Sustainability
The world is changing at an ever greater pace. Industry and innovators are responding, working together to create the products, services and businesses of the future. Innovate UK Business Connect is here to help.
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We make the full range of diverse connections required to shape a more positive future: technology, design, supply chains, business models, behaviour change, systems change. We are committed to driving innovation that is sustainable – responsible, resilient and even regenerative.
Innovate UK Business Connect helps drive innovation that can reduce industry’s environmental footprint and improve resource efficiency, and also create benefits such as competitive advantage and enhanced value-add for the customer. By making the right connections – for instance to cutting edge knowledge & research, the best solution providers, and testing facilities.
We help innovators navigate the journey to market fruition. We make connections to the multitude of skills and assets required to bring any product or service to market. And of course the funding and finance that might be required.
Innovate UK Business Connect works extensively with stakeholders – from national and regional government to national and regional government, Catapults, clusters, trade associations, learned institutions, expert consultancies, think tanks and charities. We connect seemingly disparate stakeholders to shape a better innovation landscape, and multiply the impact that any one of these organisations could have alone. To help drive positive change.
To explore this topic further take a look at the Horizons tool.

Our current focus in this area
Related Opportunities
Battery Investment Readiness Programme 2025
Opens: 27/05/2025 Closes: 31/07/2025
Apply now to be part of the Battery Investment Readiness Programme for 2025. Innovate UK Business Connect will select up to 15 SMEs to join the programme to accelerate their investment journey.
More Information
Contracts for Innovation: Net Zero Living Tech Trials, phase 3
Opens: 19/05/2025 Closes: 25/06/2025
Organisations can apply for a share of £800,000, inclusive of VAT, to develop pre-commercial innovations that support Local Authorities in meeting net zero goals. Projects must include field trials to test and improve solutions ahead of commercialisation.
More Information
Farming Futures R&D Fund: low emissions farming
Opens: 05/05/2025 Closes: 25/06/2025
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £12.5 million for industrial research projects from the Farming Futures R&D Fund.
More Information
Horizon Europe 2025 work programme Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Opens: 03/05/2025 Closes: 17/02/2026
Topics available under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 5 programme for 2025/26, with up to €69m available for the largest single projects
More Information
Horizon Europe 2025 work programme Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Opens: 03/05/2025 Closes: 24/09/2025
Topics available under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 6 programme for 2025/26, with up to €130m available for the largest single projects
More Information
Horizon Europe 2025 EU Missions: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
Opens: 06/05/2025 Closes: 20/01/2026
Funding available through Horizon Europe to support climate-neutral and smart cities, with up to €15m for the largest projects.
More Information
Related Events and Recordings
Thu
26
Jun
2025
Wed
26
Mar
2025
Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge - Celebration Event
09.30 - 17.00 GMT | London
Read more
Mon
18
Nov
2024
Thu
17
Oct
2024
Thu
19
Sep
2024
Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability Conference 2024 (GRIPS 2024)
09.00 - 16.30 | Sheffield / Online