Advancing innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare

Who can apply

Your project

The grant funding you can apply for is limited to no more than £3 million for each business, for each project.

Your project must:

• have total eligible costs of between £250,000 and £10 million for a pharmaceutical, MedTech or digital intervention

• last between 24 and 36 months

• start on 1 December 2026

• end by 30 November 2029

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.

Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. You must also include any expected Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) or other approval body costs regarding regulatory compliance or certification in your eligible project costs. See our overview of eligible project costs.

If your project’s total costs or duration falls outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes. We will decide whether to approve your request.

If you have not requested approval or your application has not been approved by us, you will be made ineligible. Your application will then not be sent for assessment.

Lead organisation

To lead a collaborative project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Academic institutions and RTOs cannot lead.

Organisations that are not profit driven or do not have a commercial focus, including Community Interest Companies (CICs) and charities, are not allowed to lead.

Project team

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

• business of any size

• academic institution

• charity

• not for profit

• public sector organisation: Local Authorities, NHS service Providers, Primary Care providers

• research and technology organisation (RTO)

Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application.

To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must:

• apply for funding when entering their costs into the application

• include rationale for the collaboration and describe the structure in your application

• ensure any one partner does not account for more than 70% of the total eligible costs

Non-funded partners

Your project can include organisations who do not claim any funding for their work on the project. Their costs will be covered from their own resources. These can include UK, EU and other non-UK organisations. Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit the results outside the UK.

Where non-funded partners have been invited to the application on IFS, their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK.

You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total project costs.

Number of applications

A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in two further applications.

If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

Academic institutions, NHS service providers, Primary care providers, research and technology organisation, third sector providers, not for profit or local authorities can collaborate on any number of applications.

If you submit the same project into both the Contracts for Innovation and the CR&D strands we will only accept your first application.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose the Office for Life Sciences or Innovate UK, or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

Previous applications

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

If you have previously submitted an application in another competition that reached our assessment stage, you can re-apply once more with the same proposal.

If there are minor differences to the proposal, but it is judged by us to be ‘not materially different’, the same rule applies.

We will not award you funding if you have:

• failed to exploit a previously funded project

• an overdue independent accountant’s report

• failed to comply with grant terms and conditions

Innovate UK may withhold a grant payment at any time if you have any outstanding sums due to us in relation to other projects.

Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable)

This competition provides funding in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.

EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.

Further Information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.

You must not do anything which could cause a breach of Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.

This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.

This award is classified as a Subsidy which does not form part of your Minimal Financial Assistance or de minimis allowance.

Funding

Funding profile

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £20 million across two competitions under the AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards scheme.

The funding supports development of pharmaceutical, digital and MedTech tools to improve treatment and recovery, and reduce harm and deaths linked to drug and alcohol addiction.

This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.

If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.

The grant funding you can apply for is limited to no more than £3 million for each business, for each project.

The balance between your total eligible project costs and the amount of grant awarded must be funded by the organisation receiving the grant.

For industrial research projects, you can get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation

• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation

• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

The Office for Life Sciences may revoke their decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.

Research participation

The research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 30% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:

• 100% of your eligible project costs if you are: RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation.

• 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-S registered institution such as an academic.

Eligibility criteria for claiming 80% of FEC funding

1. Research organisations using the Je-S system must submit their costs through the Je-S system which calculates the 80% FEC figure.

2. On IFS, only the 80% FEC output should be entered at 100% funding.

3. Applicants do not need to show the remaining 20% on the finance table.

To find out more see our: Cost Guidance for Academics.

Your proposal

The aim of this AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards scheme is to progress innovations for improving treatment outcomes, enhancing recovery and reducing harm and deaths in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare.

Funding is for pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital interventions that can show real world effectiveness and progress towards UK market use. Projects must also secure the regulatory approvals or certificates needed for rollout. By the end of the funded project innovations should have achieved:

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 8 or 9

• necessary regulatory approvals and certification, or work already underway to get them

• full market readiness analysis and clear plans for manufacturing and UK rollout

Your projects must:

• address illicit drug or alcohol use

• focus on improving treatment outcomes, enhancing recovery and reducing harm and deaths in drug and alcohol addictions

• be either a pharmaceutical, digital health, or MedTech solution for the treatment, recovery, or harm and overdose prevention for drug or alcohol addictions

• achieve a minimum Technology Readiness Level of 8 or preferably Level 9 by the end of the funded project

• establish and evidence user acceptability with people with lived experience, supporting co-design

• have co-developed project plans with the input of those with lived experience, relevant treatment or service providers in those settings in which the intervention will be tested

• engage with statutory bodies, where relevant, to identify a pathway to secure regulatory approvals, certification and assessments or to progress along an appropriate existing pathway

• complete a full market readiness analysis and deliver a comprehensive business model or plan

• have established plans for manufacturing and UK rollout

• create strong collaborations across healthcare, research, industry and the third sector

• test in real world scenarios

If your proposal is technological, you must include the design and features of your solution and how it will be applied.

We recommend your project, where appropriate:

• be designed in consultation with people with lived experience of addictions

• be designed in discussion with relevant treatment or service providers

• account for complex needs of individuals who are the target of the intervention, for example, mental health, housing, criminal justice

• demonstrate alignment to delivery of relevant UK Government missions and strategies

Substances in scope of this competition include those treated in typical services including:

• opioids (illicit and prescription)

• stimulants: cocaine, crack, amphetamine, and methamphetamine

• cannabis

• GHB

• ketamine

• benzodiazepines

• gabapentinoids

You must define your goals in your application and your plan for this competition.

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

Portfolio approach

We want to fund a variety of treatment, recovery or overdose harm and death prevention projects across different sectors, technologies, target substances, technology maturities, markets, locations, and eligible project costs, including demonstrating value for money. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

Your project must focus on:

• the application of digital, MedTech or pharmaceutical solutions

• improving healthcare outcomes for individuals with illicit drug or alcohol addictions, or both

• improving treatment, recovery, or prevention of harm and death for individuals with these addictions

• solutions which plan to gain regulatory approval, necessary assessment and certification where appropriate

• developing plans for UK adoption and roll-out

Strong applications for funding will demonstrate how the research aligns with:

• the ten priority questions for addiction research identified by the James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership

• the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals

• the aims of the UK Government’s 10 year drug strategy, From Harm to Hope and equivalent drug and alcohol strategies across the devolved UK nations

• delivering on the UK Government’s core Plan for Change missions: ‘building an NHS fit for the future’ (health) and ‘kickstart economic growth’ (growth)

Research categories

We will fund industrial research projects only, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.

Projects we will not fund

We are not funding projects that:

• are not original in scope and duplicate someone else’s work

• are at feasibility stage

• are not pharmaceutical solutions, MedTech or digital health tools

• prevent initiation of addictive substance use

• ·ocus on early substance use interventions, prior to addiction diagnosis

• not ready for market following a R&D cycle of between 24 to 36 months

• do not have clear commercial potential

• do not have a clear plan to engage with people with lived experience, treatment or service provider and other relevant services throughout the project

• do not evidence the potential for their proposed innovation to generate positive economic and societal impact

• don’t plan to engage with statutory bodies, where relevant, to identify a pathway to secure regulatory approvals, certification and assessments or to progress along an appropriate existing pathway

• primarily target the following: tobacco or nicotine addiction; gambling or behavioural addictions

We cannot fund projects that are:

• dependent on export performance, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country

• dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product

19 February 2026

Online briefing event: join at 3pm

Briefing slides will be available to download from Supporting Information after the event.

26 June 2026

Invite to interview

20 July 2026

Interviews start

24 July 2026

Interviews end

7 August 2026

Applicants notified

22 September 2026

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Education Session

1 December 2026

Project start from

Before you start

You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:

• that all the information provided in the application is correct

• your proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria

• all sections of the application are marked as complete

• that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)

You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.

What we ask you

The application is split into four sections:

1. Project details.

2. Application questions.

3. Finances.

4. Project Impact.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We 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.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

1. Project details

This section provides background for your application and is not scored.

Application team

Decide which organisations will work with you on your project and invite people from those organisations to help complete the application.

Application details

Give your project’s title, start date and duration.

Research category

Select the type of research you will undertake.

Project summary

Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign the right experts to assess your application.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Public description

Describe your project in detail and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This can happen before you start your project.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Scope

Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition and meets the specific themes, including the strategy points listed. If your project is not in scope, it will not be sent for assessment. We will tell you the reason why.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

2. Application questions

The assessors will score all your answers apart from questions 1 to 8. You will receive feedback for each scored question. Find out more about how our assessors assess and how we select applications for funding.

You must answer all questions.

You must not include any website addresses or links (URLs) in your answers. If you do, your application will be made ineligible.

Question 1. Applicant location (not scored)

You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation and any partners or subcontractors working on your project.

We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all applicants.

Your answer can be up to 100 words long.

Question 2. Sector (not scored)

Which sector or sectors does your innovation or intervention fit into:

• pharmaceuticals

• MedTech

• digital health tools

• pharmaceutical and MedTech

• MedTech and digital

• pharmaceutical and digital

• pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital

Question 3. Animal testing (not scored)

Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing?

You must select one option:

• Yes

• No

We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.

Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.

Question 4. Permits and licences (not scored)

Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project?

We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.

You must select one option:

• Yes

• No

• In the process of being applied for

• Not applicable

Question 5. International collaboration (not scored)

Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement?

You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement. You must include a list of the names and the countries, any international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in. You must also include details of any subcontractors or service providers.

If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 6. Export licence (not scored)

You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance.

You must select one option:

• Yes

• No

Question 7. Trusted Research and Innovation (not scored)

You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles, including:

• a list of any dual-use (both military and non-military) applications to your research

• a list of the areas where your project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act

• whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance and the status of any applications

• a list of any items or substances on the UK Strategic Export Control List

If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.

We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information at a later date, in line with UKRI TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 8. Proposed spend forecast (not scored)

You must show your intended eligible costs for each financial year of the project. This must be the total amount per year for all partners.

You must download and complete the spend profile template and upload it to this question as a spreadsheet.

Question 9. Need or challenge

What is the business need, technological challenge, or market opportunity behind your innovation?

Explain:

• the main motivation and core driver for the project

• the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity

• whether you have identified any similar innovation and its current limitations, including those close to market or in development

• any work you have already done to respond to this need, for example, if the project focuses on developing an existing capability or building a new one

• the wider economic, social, environmental, cultural or political challenges which are influential in creating the opportunity, such as incoming regulations

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 10. Approach and innovation

What approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be?

Explain:

• how you will respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identified

• how you will improve on any similar innovation that you have identified

• whether the innovation will focus on existing technologies in new areas, the development of new technologies for existing areas, or a totally disruptive approach

• any competitive advantage your innovation has

• if there is any existing intellectual property (IP) and its significance to your freedom to operate

• how this project fits with your current product, service lines or offerings

• how it will make you more competitive

• the nature of the outputs you expect from the project, for example, reports, demonstrator, know-how, new process, product or service design, and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You can submit one appendix to support your answer. It can include diagrams and charts. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 11. Team and resources

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Explain:

• the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be taking

• the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them

• the details of any vital external parties, including subcontractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the project

• the current relationships between project partners and how these will change as a result of the project

• any roles you will need to recruit for and how this process will be managed

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You can submit one appendix, with a short summary of the main people working on the project to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 12. Market awareness

What does the market or markets you are targeting look like, critically, those within the UK?

Describe:

• how you will target relevant UK public healthcare markets for the project outcomes and any other potential markets, either domestic, international or both

• the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by references where available

• the structure and dynamics of the target markets, including customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframes

• the target markets’ main supply or value chains and business models, and any barriers to entry that exist

• the current UK position in targeting these markets

• the size and main features of any other markets not already listed

If your project is highly innovative, where the market may be unexplored, describe or explain:

• what the market’s size might be

• how your project will try to explore the market’s potential

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 13. Outcomes and route to market

How are you going to grow your business and increase long term productivity as a result of the project?

Explain:

• your current position in the markets and supply or value chains outlined, and whether you will be extending or establishing your market position

• your target customers or end users and the value to them, for example, why they would use or buy your product or service

• your route to market in the UK and strategy for targeting the other markets you have identified during or after the project

• how you are going to profit from the innovation, including increased revenues or cost reduction

• how the innovation will affect your productivity and growth, in both the short and the long term

• how you will protect and exploit the outputs of the project, for example through know-how, patenting, designs or changes to your business model

If there is any research organisation activity in the project, describe:

• your plans to spread the project’s research outputs over a reasonable timescale

• how you expect to use the results generated from the project in further research activities

Your answer can be up to 800 words long.

You must upload an appendix with full financial projections to demonstrate how you are going to grow your business and increase long term productivity as a result of the project. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 14. Regulatory requirements

How do you intend to meet the regulatory requirements for your project?

Explain:

• any current regulatory approvals or certification already, or expected to be secured before the start of the project

• your understanding of the regulatory and certification requirements your innovation will need to be ready for adoption in the UK market

• your plan for achieving these regulatory and certification requirements during the project

Your answer can be up to 300 words long.

Question 15. Wider impacts

What impact might this project have outside the project team?

Describe and, where possible, measure the economic benefits from the project such as productivity increases and import substitution, to:

• external parties

• customers

• others in the supply chain

• broader industry

• the UK economy

Describe and, where possible, measure:

• any expected impact on government priorities

• any expected environmental impacts, either positive or negative

• any expected regional impacts of the project

Describe any expected social impacts, either positive or negative, on, for example:

• quality of life

• social inclusion or exclusion

• jobs, such as safeguarding, creating, changing or displacing them

• education

• public empowerment

• health and safety

• regulations

• diversity

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 16. Project management

How will you manage your project effectively?

Included in your project plan you must describe your interventions current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and how you will reach TRL 8 or 9 by the end of the project. You must include the steps you will take to develop a working prototype, if applicable.

Explain:

• the main work packages of your project, indicating the lead partner assigned to each and the total cost of each one

• your approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms you will use to get a successful and innovative project outcome

• the management reporting lines

• your project plan in enough detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones

• the current TRL of your innovation or intervention

You must include who you intend to work with to support the development and design of your project and how this will this help you to establish market fit.

You are expected to involve the following:

• those with lived experience

• treatment providers

• service providers

• other relevant services

You must clearly demonstrate their involvement in your project plan.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 17. Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

Explain:

• the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including any technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks

• how you will mitigate these risks

• any project inputs that are critical to completion, such as resources, expertise, and data sets

• any output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical issues and other requirements identified, and how you will manage this

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

You must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It can be up to two A4 pages and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 18. Added value

How will this public funding help you to accelerate or enhance your approach to developing your project towards commercialisation? What impact would this award have on the organisations involved?

Explain:

• what advantages public funding would offer your project, for example: appeal to investors, more partners, reduced risk or a faster route to market

• the likely impact of the project outcomes on the organisations involved

• what other routes of investment or means of support you have already engaged with and why they were not suitable

• how any existing or potential investment or support will be used in conjunction with the grant funding

• what your project would look like without public funding

• how this project would change the R&D activities of all the organisations involved

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 19. Costs and value for money

How much will the project cost and how does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer?

In terms of your project goals, explain:

• your total eligible project costs

• the grant you are requesting

• how each partner will finance their contributions to your project

• how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer

• how it compares to what you would spend your money on otherwise

• the balance of costs and grant across the project partners

• any subcontractor costs and why they are critical to your project

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

3. Finances

Each organisation in your project must complete their own project costs, organisation details and funding details in the application. Academic institutions must complete and upload a Je-S form.

For an overview on what costs you can claim, see our project costs guidance. Note this is general guidance, for specific guidance see the eligibility section in this competition. You can also view our application finances video.

4. Project Impact

This section is not scored but will provide background to your project.

Each partner must complete the Project Impact questions before being able to submit the application.

More information can be found in our Project Impact guidance and by viewing our Impact Management Framework video.

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

Assessment

Your application will be reviewed by five independent assessors based on the content of your application and their skills or expertise relevant to your project. All of the scores awarded will count towards the total score used to make the funding decision unless you are notified otherwise.

You can find out more about our assessment process in the General Guidance.

Your submitted application will be assessed against these criteria:

Advancing innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare - Assessor guidance for applicants.pdf (opens in a new window)

Interviews

If your application passes the first stage of assessment, you may be invited to attend an interview, where you must give a presentation. Your interview will take place online and will be held between 20 July 2026 and 24 July 2026.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you at the interview you must email us at support@iuk.ukri.org within three days of receiving your invitation.

Before the interview and by the deadline stated in the invitation email, you:

• must send a list of who will attend the interview

• must send your interview presentation slides

• can send a written response to the assessors’ feedback

List of attendees

Agree the list with your consortium. The number of attendees depends on the funding level, ideally one person from each organisation. They must all be available on all published interview dates. We are unable to reschedule slots once allocated.

Presentation slides

Your interview presentation must:

• use Microsoft PowerPoint

• be no longer than the time allocated for your funding level

• have no more than the maximum number of slides for your funding level

• not include any video or embedded web links

You cannot change the presentation after you submit it or bring any additional materials to the interview.

Presentation limits by funding level:

Projects up to £500,000

• up to 10 minute presentation• maximum 10 slides• up to three attendees

Projects £500,000 to £2 million

• up to 20 minute presentation• maximum 20 slides• up to nine attendees

Projects £2 million to £5 million

• up to 30 minute presentation• maximum 30 slides• up to nine attendees

Projects £5 million to £10 million

• up to 45 minute presentation• maximum 45 slides• up to nine attendees

Written response to assessor feedback

This is optional and is an opportunity to answer the assessors’ concerns. It can:

• be up to two A4 pages in a single PDF or Word document

• include charts or diagrams

Interview

After your presentation the panel will spend time asking questions based on your funding level. You will be expected to answer based on the information you provided in your application form, presentation and the response to feedback.

Question and answers time by funding level

• projects up to £500,000 up to 20 minutes

• projects £500,000 to £2 million up to 30 minutes

• projects £2 million to £5 million up to 45 minutes

• projects £5 million to £10 million up to 60 minutes

After your interview

The panellists will individually score your application and these will be averaged for your overall interview score. This score will supersede the one you received from initial assessment unless stated otherwise in the competition brief. We will notify you whether you have been successful or not by email and you will receive feedback on your interview within a week of notification.

Background and further information

Text update 17 February 2026: we have added additional information in the background section relating to NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions.

The Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme is delivered as part of the wider Office for Life Sciences (OLS) Healthcare Goals programme. The AHG programme aims to position the UK as a global leader in addiction healthcare innovation, fostering partnerships between researchers, industry, NHS, and third sector providers.

The AHG programme aligns directly with policy objectives in the UK Government’s 10 year drugs plan, From Harm to Hope, the 10 Year Health Plan, and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, and helps to deliver on the government’s missions on health, growth and safer streets, from the Plan for Change.

The AHG Catalysing Innovation awards scheme has been designed to meet the objective of the AHG programme to: catalyse the development, approval and deployment of pharmaceutical and MedTech innovations that effectively treat drug and alcohol addictions​, improve and sustain recovery, and prevent harm and deaths from problematic drug and alcohol use​.

Successful applicants will be offered exclusive access to a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) hosted education session ahead of project initiation, covering regulatory, evaluation, and reimbursement processes.

Attendees will learn evidence requirements, stakeholder engagement, and key success factors to prepare for UK market readiness, ensuring greater understanding of how to navigate regulatory and evaluation processes.

Find out more at GOV.UK: Life Sciences Healthcare Goals.

National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR)

The NIHR infrastructure provides research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services which all help to support and deliver the research it funds, and research funded by others.See the industry contact form here.For other enquiries contact NIHR.

NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions

The NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions runs a network of more than 100 people with living and lived experience of addictive products and behaviours. If you are looking for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) input for your application, the network may have capacity to assist. Collaboration opportunities must meet standards for meaningful involvement, for example, paid, feedback given, safeguarding considered. If this offer is of interest, contact Abigail Severn for more details: abigail.severn@kcl.ac.uk. 

Health and Care Research Wales Centres – Clinical Trials Unit

The Health and Care Research Wales Clinical Trials Unit has a wide pool of expertise, that is able to navigate the complexities of each stage of the research pathway, from putting together effective funding proposals to conducting well designed studies that feature in peer reviewed publications. This enables them to partner both with first time and seasoned researchers from the NHS and industry, as well as academia.

Briefing recording and slides

Briefing recording and slides will be available to download here after the briefing event.

What happens if you receive a grant offer

If you have passed your initial assessment and have received an email with a grant offer, you will be asked to complete the project setup process on the Innovation Funding Service (IFS). Watch our video on what steps are there before a project starts.

We will ask for information that will allow us to undertake mandatory checks on your organisation and the eligibility of your costs, as well as review the documentation for your project.

You must follow the unique link embedded in your email notification. This takes you to your project's dedicated IFS Set Up portal, where we gather the information required to set up your project, for example your bank details. Watch our video on how successful applicants receive their funding.

If your application is unsuccessful

If you are unsuccessful with your application this time, you can view feedback from the assessors. This will be available to you on your IFS portal following notification.

Sometimes your application will have scored well, and you will receive positive comments from the assessors. You may be unsuccessful as your average score was not above the funding threshold or your project has not been selected under the portfolio approach.

Find a project partner

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect.

England

Health Innovation Networks (HINs)

There are 15 Health Innovation Networks across England, established by NHS England in 2013 to spread innovation at pace and scale, improving health and generating economic growth. The networks transform lives through innovation by supporting health and social care teams to find, test and implement new solutions at scale to the NHS’ greatest challenges, driving economic growth.

The Health Innovation Networks provide boots on the ground support to local health and care teams to deliver health innovation, creating improved health and economic growth in all communities.

The Health Innovation Network

How to find your local Health Innovation Network

Scotland

Innovation within Scotland is supported by three NHS Scotland Innovation Hubs: North of Scotland, West of Scotland, Health Innovation South East Scotland.

You can engage with the NHS Scotland Innovation Hubs to scope opportunities to collaborate and to work with them to access relevant expertise to support your project, and evidence this in your application. These Innovation Hubs are embedded within NHS Scotland and are able to support your project, providing safe and ethical access to relevant systems, data and patient groups and supporting testing in a real-world environment.

For further information and connection to a site, contact:

Health Innovation South East Scotland: loth.innovations@nhs.scot or Contact Us - East Region Innovation

West of Scotland Innovation Hub: innovation@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or West of Scotland Innovation Hub

North of Scotland Innovation Hub: gram.nosinnovationtestbed@nhs.scot or North of Scotland Innovation Hub

Wales

Life Sciences Hub Wales

Life Sciences Hub Wales is an arm’s length body of Welsh Government. They exist to catalyse innovation and collaboration between industry, health, social care, and academia, making a positive difference to people, families, and businesses across the nation.We are Life Sciences Hub Wales

Health and Care Research Wales Support and Delivery Service

Health and Care Research Wales is a networked organisation, supported by Welsh Government, which brings together a wide range of partners across the NHS in Wales, local authorities, universities, research institutions, third sector and others. They work in close partnership with other government agencies and research funders (both in Wales and across the UK); industry partners; patients; service users; public and other stakeholders.

Support and guidance for researchers

Northern Ireland

Drug and Alcohol Research Network (Northern Ireland) (DARN)

DARN provides a hub for researchers, policymakers and practitioners engaged in research on drugs and alcohol. The network acts as an inter-disciplinary forum where findings from areas as diverse as social work, public health, education, economics, sociology, psychology, law and pharmacy can be shared. The aim is to develop a national and global informed research base on drugs and alcohol issues.

To explore support DARN could provide for finding partners or to plan your project contact Anne Campbell a.campbell@qub.ac.uk and Gillian Shorter g.shorter@qub.ac.uk.

Support for SMEs from Innovate UK Business Growth service

Innovate UK Business Growth helps innovation focused businesses make the best strategic choices and access the right resources, in order to grow and ultimately achieve scale.

Visit the service’s website to learn about how you might benefit as a winner.

Protecting your innovation

A Secure Innovation campaign has been developed to help founders and leaders of innovative startups protect their technology, competitive advantage, and reputation.

This was developed by UK’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Data sharing

This competition is jointly operated by Innovate UK, and Office for Life Sciences (OLS) reporting to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) (each an ‘agency’).

Any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application can be shared by one agency with the other, for its individual storage, processing and use.

This means that any information given to or generated by Innovate UK in respect of your application may be passed on to OLS and vice versa. This would include, but is not restricted to:

• the information stated on the application, including the personal details of all applicants

• scoring and feedback on the application

• information received during the management and administration of the grant, such as Monitoring Service Provider reports and Independent Accountant Reports

Innovate UK may also share any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application with Innovate UK’s national and regional UK third parties and partners who may contact you. For more information see how we handle grant applicant and grant holder data.

Innovate UK and OLS are directly accountable to you for their holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with their own policies. Accordingly, Innovate UK, Innovate UK Business Connect and OLS will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.

Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy

For OLS: DHSC privacy notice - GOV.UK

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Contact us

If you want help to find an organisation to work with, contact Innovate UK Business Connect.

If you need more information about how to apply or you want to submit your application in Welsh, email support@iuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.

Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Innovate UK or any of our partners will not tolerate abusive language in any written or verbal correspondence, applications, social media or any other form that might affect staff.