UK R&D Grants

There are currently several UK funding schemes that can help to finance your R&D and innovation activities. PNO has an excellent track record in helping organisations successfully apply for these R&D grants, with a success rate 5 times higher than the national average. The programmes listed are by no means fully comprehensive, so for further information regarding the types of scheme available specifically for you, please contact our consultancy team. Further information regarding available calls can also be found using PNO’s innovation platform, Innovation Place.

The MOD Test and Evaluation Transformation Programme, exists to ensure Defence can validate technologies at speed in an increasingly complex threat environment. A key part of this is that the T&E enterprise becomes and remains innovative by instinct. The MOD knows that industry is integral to meeting this objective, and therefore is working with the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to invite proposals to present innovative/novel techniques to conduct and deliver T&E.

Competition closes: FY24/25 Cycle 4, 25 Feb 2025
The competition aims to fund business led, collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on Net Zero Technologies, for innovative proposals developed between the UK and India. UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for innovative proposals developed with India.

Competition closes: Wednesday 12 February 2025 11:00am
The aim of this CR&D competition is to advance the development of collaboration with innovators in the creative industries. Innovate UK will invest between £150k-£200k (£2Mn total pot) in collaborative innovation projects for products and tools across the creative supply chain which benefit and strengthen the UK creative economy.

Competition closes: 29th January 2025, 11:00 am
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to support AI upskilling in BridgeAI key sectors.

Competition closes: 29th January 2025, 11am
UK register organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) for collaborative feasibility studies which target early commercial connected and automated mobility (CAM) opportunities. The aim of the competition is to support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment. This is phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition.

Competition closes: 15 January 2025, 11am
Theme 1: Novel concepts for robust diagnostics systems

Theme 2: Robust components for sensing and control

This is phase 1 of a potential 3-phase competition. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to make an application into a subsequent phase 2 competition. A total of up to £2.8m inclusive of VAT, is allocated to this competition

Competition closes: 20 December 2024 12:00
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £4.35 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the immersive and creative industries cluster centred on Coventry and Warwickshire in the West Midlands.

Competition closes: Wednesday 11 December 2024
UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding (£2.5million pot) for projects that grow their innovation activities in the digital technologies cluster in North East England, alongside investment from selected investor partners. This funding is from Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme.

Competition closes: 11 December, 11am
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for people centred and systemic design projects. These are across a range of themes and innovation areas to influence, inform and de-risk R&D activities.

Competition closes: 15 January 2025 11am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the net zero industrial cluster in South West Wales.

Competition closes: 11 December 2024, 11am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1.5 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the agri-tech and food technology cluster in Mid and North Wales.

Competition closes: 11 December 2024, 11am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £9.5 million for Quantum Computing (QC) and Quantum Networks (QN) projects. This funding is from Innovate UK.

Competition closes: Wednesday 11 December 2024 11:00am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £5.25 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the bio-based manufacturing innovation cluster in Scotland. This competition is in two strands: minimum financial assistance (MFA) and collaborative research and development (CR&D).

Competition closes: 11th December 2024, 11:00 am.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million for collaboration with Canadian SMEs on
joint R&D projects.

Competition closes: 16 April 2025, 11am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3.7 million for R&D projects that provide digital
therapeutic extended reality (XR) solutions to provide mental healthcare services.



Competition closes: 15th January 2025, 11am
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million to undertake industrial research and enhance UK and German collaborations in emerging fields of technology. You must collaborate with at least one German SME applying under the equivalent German ZIM programme.

Competition closes: 6th December 2024, 11:00 am.

UK registered organisations based in Wales, can apply for a grant funding request between £100,000 and £250,000. The organisations must develop innovative products, services or experiences for the media sector.

Competition closes: 4th December 2024, 11am