Innovate UK’s funding for Business and Education: How to apply for up to £10M
Guidance for business and academic organisations on Innovate UK’s funding competitions to test ideas and develop innovative products and services.
Overview
If you want to develop an innovative product, process or service, you may be able to get funding of between £25,000 and £10 million.
Innovate UK runs grant funding competitions that can help you develop your idea and make it successful. They are open to innovation projects led by a UK-based business or research and technology organisation, with funding awarded to the winners.
We also offer other forms of funding, including a pilot programme of innovation loans. Eligible small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that want to carry out late-stage innovation projects could borrow between £100,000 and £1 million.
Get details of our latest funding competitions and how to apply.
Innovate UK – Application Process
Find out if you are eligible to apply
The organisations we fund
You can apply for funding if you are a UK-based business. All kinds of businesses are eligible for funding – from start ups and new micro companies to large multi-nationals.
The specific criteria and eligibility will be outlined in the scope of the competition for which you want to apply.
The projects we fund
Innovate UK funding is for the advancement of innovative ideas only.
You can apply for funding if you want to do one or more of the following:
- to test the feasibility of your idea and make sure it will work
- create a new product, process or service, or improve an existing one, through research and development
- work with other businesses or research organisations on collaborative innovation projects
Depending on the competition, you may work alone on your project, or form a consortium.
Find out about grant funding opportunities
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
Through this fund, the government is bringing world-class research and businesses together to take on the major industrial and societal challenges of our time.
The challenges are aligned with the 4 grand challenges named in the Industrial Strategy. New challenges and funding opportunities are announced intermittently.
Get the latest on the fund and the various challenge areas.
Open programme
The open programme supports high-quality innovation from any business, in any area of the UK economy. It supports innovation at various stages. Applications can be from any technology base or sector.
We run several rounds of open funding competitions throughout the year.
Find out more about the open programme.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
You can get funding to bring in new knowledge and expertise through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. Taking part will allow you to work with an academic organisation and a highly-qualified graduate to innovate within your business.
You can apply if you are a business, public or third sector organisation.
Find out more about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)
Through SBRI, you can apply for funded contracts with government organisations to develop their innovative ideas. Public sector organistions that have successfully run SBRIs include the NHS, Ministry of Defence and the Department for Energy & Climate Change.
Find out more and apply into an SBRI.
Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe)
The ICURe pilot programme funds research teams to accelerate the time it takes to get ideas out of the lab and to commercialisation. If you’re a start-up that has emerged through the programme, you could get funding to help you establish your business and support future growth.
Find out more about the ICURe programme.
Read an evaluation of the pilot programme so far.
Biomedical Catalyst
The Biomedical Catalyst funds businesses and researchers to test and develop innovative health and care projects.
It supports the acceleration and scale up of ideas that prevent and manage dieases, support better detection and diagnosis and create tailored treatments that improve patient outcomes.
The programme is run by Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council.
Find out more about the Biomedical Catalyst and the funding opportunities.
Energy Catalyst
This programme offers funding to UK businesses and researchers to develop ideas for tackling the global need for clean, affordable and secure energy. It funds projects from early-stage through to commercialsation to quickly bring innovative new energy solutions to market.
The programme is run by Innovate UK with co-funding from partners including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Department for International Development and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Find out more about the Energy Catalyst and the funding opportunities.
International programmes
We run a number of initiatives that can help you get access to international opportunities and partners. This includes Horizon 2020, EUREKA Eurostars and the Newton Fund. These are open to a range of organisation types and size.
Find out more about global opportunities with Innovate UK.
Get specific advice on Horizon 2020 for UK businesses and how to apply. You can also search directly for current European research and innovation funding opportunities via the portal.
Search for ‘international’ on the Innovation Funding Service.
Managed programmes
Innovate UK also runs funding competitions on behalf of other organisations. Details and how to apply are published as new competitions are announced.
Search the Innovation Funding Service for other funding competitions.
Find out about other funding opportunities
Innovation loans
Innovate UK’s pilot loans programme has up to £50 million available in innovation loans. These are low interest, flexible, patient loans for SMEs that want to carry out late-stage experimental development projects in the UK.
To get a loan you need to apply and be successful in a loan competition.
Read our introduction to innovation loans to find out if they are right for you and how to apply.
Investment accelerator
The investment accelerator programme provides simultaneous grant funding and venture capital investment in early-stage innovation projects. This joint public and private investment stops UK businesses having to chase additional capital and gives them a clearer route to commercialisation.
Search the Innovation Funding Service for other funding competitions.
Before you apply
To get funding you have to apply through one of Innovate UK’s funding competitions.
Details about each competition and the technical scope are published on the Innovation Funding Service.
You should read the full scope and competition guidance before you apply. You can also attend a briefing event or webinar to find out more about the competition.
Eligibility rules vary for each competition and should also be read carefully to understand if a competition is right for your business and innovation project. For example, some competitions need projects to be collaborative with a business partner as the lead applicant, or may be open only to SMEs.
Find and apply into a competition
There are a number of ways you can find out about new and upcoming funding opportunities.
Browse and apply for a competition via the Innovation Funding Service.
Sign up to our newsletter or register for email alerts to get page updates from Innovate UK.
Help in applying
You will need to read the full scope and competition guidance for the competition you wish to apply into.
General competition guidance
You should read the general guidance for applicants to get advice on completing your application. This guidance includes help on:
Categories of research and development.
State aid, for example, when it’s applied and where to get more information.
There is specific guidance for people who wish to apply for an innovation loan. You should read this guidance if you are interested in applying into a loan competition.
Project costs guidance
As part of your application we will ask for a breakdown of your eligible project costs as part of the application.
Our project costs guidance can help you understand the process. You should read this to help you understand what funding you can get.
If you’re not eligible for Innovate UK funding
If you are not eligible for innovation funding, the government offers other opportunities for non-innovating businesses to get finance and support.
Search and apply for other finance and business support.
Published 22 October 2014
Last updated 16 August 2018 + show all updates
- Added information on the Biomedical Catalyst and Energy Catalyst and links to guidance with more information on these funding programmes.
- Updated the types of funding opportunities that are available to UK businesses to include the innovation loans and investment accelerator pilot programmes. Changed the focus to reflect Innovate UK’s reorganisation towards ‘open’ and challenge-themed opportunities. Slightly edited the subheadings to better reflect the user journey in applying for funding.
- Added the ATI competition under ‘Other funding opportunities for businesses’.
- Updated sections for general guidance for applicants and project costs guidance.
- Defined and added links to the relevant sections in the guidance for applicants. Added links to the Innovation Funding Service, project cost guidance and all European funding opportunities. Removed section on how to register and what happens after you apply as this is covered in the general guidance for applicants.
- Duplication of information which is contained in guidance for applicants.
- Link and information on project costs guidance for Innovate UK.
- Changes made on ‘How to apply for an innovation grant’. Eligibility rules now vary with each competition. Updated guide on what happens if you are successful. We no longer hold new project workshops.
- Innovate UK has simplified the way it offers funding opportunities. Our competitions now come under one of 4 sector groups or are ‘open’ to any idea. The Innovate UK open programme invites applications for any cutting-edge innovative idea regardless of industry or sector. This competition covers applications that may previously have been made into Innovate UK’s Smart programme (which is no longer available in its previous form). All Innovate UK funding competitions will continue to be published on the Innovate UK website with news announcements when they are opening for applications.
- Removed out of date references to 2014-15 action plans. Clarified information on Innovation Vouchers and Smart. These are not open all the time but have opening and closing dates for applications.
- Removed information about SME support as this is now closed for new applicants
- Factual update to funding offered all the time to any business
- New videos to find out about our funding rules and application process.
- Added content about our new SME growth support.
- First published.
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