TechLocal: Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs

Who can apply

Your project

Your project must:

• have a grant funding request of between £100,000 and £225,000

• last between 6 and 9 months

• not start before the 1 July 2026

• end by the 31 March 2027

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. See our overview of eligible project costs. For specific guidance, see the eligibility section in this competition.

Lead organisation

To lead a collaborative project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, a Research and Technology Organisation (RTO), academic institution, charity, not for profit,  public sector organisation or academic institute.

Local Authorities cannot lead.

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

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

• 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 the IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs 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 eligible project costs.

Number of applications

A business, research and technology organisation (RTO), academic institutions, charity, not for profit or public sector organisation can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in a further two applications.

If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in two applications.

Local authorities cannot lead an application but can collaborate in any number of applications.

If these limits are exceeded, applications will be made ineligible. Where an organisation appears on more applications than permitted, only the first eligible applications submitted will be considered.

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 Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK 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 that 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 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 to enterprises using the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme.

The Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme can be viewed on the subsidy database here: SC10780.

This is 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

Up to £7.6 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. 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 of our 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.

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

Category 2 Industrial research projects

Funding available 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

Streamline Scheme Information

This scheme supports research or critical investigation to gain new knowledge and skills. The aim is to develop new products, processes or services.

It can also fund projects that make a significant improvement to existing products, processes or services.

This includes digital products, processes or services in any technology, industry or sector. Examples include:

• supercomputing

• quantum technologies

• blockchain technologies

• artificial intelligence

• cyber security

• big data

• cloud technologies

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.

Innovate UK may revoke our 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 50% 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 50% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:

• 100% of your eligible project costs if you are an 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 competition is to develop impactful local initiatives that enable tech talent to secure entry level tech jobs by bridging the gap between training and employment.

Your project must:

• be delivered and demonstrate impact in one or more of the specified geographic areas, addressing a local need or leveraging a local strength

• demonstrate clear impact in one or more frontier technologies by enabling local talent into entry level tech jobs and helping SMEs adopt these technologies through skilled workforces

• alignment with national and local economic growth plans and skills strategies, such as DWP Jobcentres, the Growth and Skills Levy, LSIPs and local defence plans

• demonstrate contribution to the overall TechLocal target of 1,000 new tech jobs

See the Support Information section for more details.

The six frontier technology sectors are:

• Artificial Intelligence 

• Cyber Security 

• Engineering Biology 

• Semiconductors 

• Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) 

• Quantum 

The lead organisation must demonstrate the necessary local networks to deliver in the chosen geographical area. We will be using the answer to the question Delivery Location to determine this.

The specific geographical areas are:

• North West England

• South West England

• Yorkshire and Humber

• North East England

• East Midlands

• West Midlands

• South East England

• East of England

• London

• Scotland

• Wales

• Northern Ireland

Your project can:

• include plans for sustainability and scalability, showing how the approach could continue or expand after the funding period

• target occupations on the Critical Shortage List and support SME growth through workforce development

• empower SMEs across the UK to prepare for, adopt, and use frontier technologies more effectively by facilitating access to a skilled workforce

See the Support Information section for more details.

We welcome applications that include intensive employer engagement and solutions that go beyond simple signposting.

We will prioritise applications that support women into the tech workforce of the six frontier technologies listed.

Portfolio approach

We want to fund a variety of projects across different geographical areas, technologies, markets, technological maturities and costs. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

Your project can focus on the following:

• creating networks of employers to access tech talent to provide work experience or other opportunities as part of their recruitment strategies

• development of innovative ways to de-risk tech talent recruitment for SMEs, including third-party contracting models

• development of innovative recruitment practices especially focused on supporting women into the tech workforce

• creating new and innovative employment pathways for Growth and Skills Levy-trained individuals, especially those on the Temporary or Critical Shortage list

• developing new, innovative and collaborative initiatives to bridge the gap between newly trained tech talent and employment readiness through work experience and wraparound support

Research categories

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

Projects we will not fund

We are not funding projects that:

• are not in scope for this competition

• do not have clear impact in one or more of the twelve specified geographical areas

• do not have an impact or application on at least one of the six frontier technologies specified in this brief

• replicate the aims or activities of other TechFirst initiatives

• replicate other local projects such as those delivered via the Local Innovation Partnerships

• are limited to research papers or feasibility studies

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

10 February 2026

Online briefing event: register to attend

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

27 April 2026

Applicants notified

1 July 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 three sections:

1. Project details.

2. Application questions.

3. Finances.

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.

Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.

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.

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. 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. Your answer to each question can be up to 400 words long.

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 all partners or subcontractors working on your project.

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

Question 2. 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 3. 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 4. 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.

Question 5. 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 6. 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.

Question 7. Delivery location (not scored)

Indicate the geographical area(s) where your project will be delivered and explain your presence or rationale for selecting these areas.

Indicate which of the following geographical areas your project will be delivered in:

• North West England

• South West England

• Yorkshire & Humber

• North East England

• East Midlands

• West Midlands

• South East England

• East of England

• London

• Scotland

• Wales

• Northern Ireland

Your response to this question will not be scored but it will be used as part of the portfolio approach.

The lead organisation must demonstrate the necessary local networks to deliver in the chosen geographical area.

Question 8. Frontier technologies (not scored)

Which of the six frontier technologies will your project support and how?

If your project supports roles on the Critical Shortage List in Supporting Information, explain how.

Provide clear links to project activities.

Your project can focus on one or more of the frontier technologies:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Quantum

• Cyber

• Semiconductors

• Engineering Biology

• Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT)

Your response to this question will not be scored but it will be used as part of the portfolio approach.

Question 9. Need or challenge

What is the need or challenge your project addresses? Provide evidence, for example, data, research, employer feedback, showing demand for tech roles in your region and how your project meets this gap.

Explain:

• the main motivation for the project

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

• 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

• how the project aligns with regional priorities, such as local economic growth plans, local skills improvement plans, skills strategies, DWP job centres, the Growth and Skills Levy and local defence plans. Include data or research demonstrating demand for tech roles in your local area

See Support information for more details.

Question 10. Approach

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

Explain:

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

• the support mechanisms you will provide, such as mentoring or onboarding

• how you will ensure that individuals secure jobs as a result of your project

• the freedom you have to operate

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

• the nature of the outputs you expect from the project, and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified

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 industry partners, local authorities or 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

• the SMEs and industry partners you are planning to engage with and if they have made any commitments already

• any roles you will need to recruit

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. Added value and impact

How will this funding help you deliver measurable impact?

Describe and measure the economic benefits from the project including:

• the number of jobs created with a minimum of 25 hours a week for 6 months

• the types of jobs, length of contract or placement, pay and number of hours

• how many women will the project support into jobs and what strategies will you use to support them

• SME engagement, including the number of SMEs that will benefit and how

• how the chosen frontier technology sector or sectors will benefit

Explain how you will monitor, collect and report progress against the above KPIs.

Projects with the highest number of jobs created and support for women into jobs will be prioritised in the scoring.

Question 13. Outputs and plan for continuation

How are you going to grow your initiative after the funding period?

Explain:

• your self-sustaining mechanisms for future continuation, including routes to market and how to profit, exploit and spread the main project outputs

• your strategy for scalability and how the idea could expand within the area or be replicated elsewhere

• If your initiative is a one-off, detail the reason for this

Question 14. Project management

How will you manage your project effectively?

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

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 15. Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

Explain:

• the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the 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

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 16. 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

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.

Assessment

Your application will be reviewed by three 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:

TechLocal Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs Assessor guidance for applicants.pdf

Background and further information

TechLocal Grant Competition Overview

The TechLocal grant competition is part of the UK Government’s TechFirst initiative, delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

TechFirst is the government’s flagship programme for developing tech skills and opening pathways into the UK’s fast-growing technology sector. It consists of four core strands:

1. TechYouth: Inspiring young people in schools and colleges to pursue tech careers.

2. TechGrads: Supporting higher education and graduate pathways.

3. TechExpert: Driving research and advanced talent development through government and industry partnerships.

4. TechLocal: Connecting local talent to local tech jobs.

About TechLocal Competitions

There are two TechLocal grant competitions:

1. TechLocal: Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs (this competition)Focused on helping employers, particularly SMEs and local organisations, recruit skilled tech talent through innovative, collaborative approaches, with strong emphasis on regional impact and inclusion.

2. TechLocal: AI Professional Practice Degree and Traineeship AccelerationAimed at stimulating new courses and placements with greater industry engagement and work-integrated learning.

Programme Context

The UK’s frontier technology sectors: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum, Engineering Biology, Semiconductors, and Advanced Connectivity, are growing rapidly but face critical skills shortages.

Although there is a strong pipeline of tech talent, many employers struggle to fill vacancies, especially entry-level roles that still demand significant experience.

This competition addresses these challenges by funding projects that bridge the gap between training and employment, helping skilled individuals secure meaningful tech jobs and enabling employers to access the talent they need.

TechLocal overarching programme Targets

• support 1,000 skilled individuals into entry-level tech jobs, aligned with local skills improvement plans and national priorities such as AI Growth Zones and the Critical Shortage List

• increase participation of women in tech roles

• engage and support at least 4,000 SMEs, helping them adopt and utilise frontier technologies through a skilled workforce

Selected Key Strategies and Growth Plans

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of relevant key strategies, growth plans, or other documents which might be relevant to applications. Applicants should conduct their own research where necessary.

Overarching Strategic Direction

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy (2025)

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy: Digital and Technologies Sector Plan (2025)

Plan for Change - GOV.UK

Growth and Skills Levy

Sector specific strategy, plans, or relevant documents

AI Opportunities Action Plan - GOV.UK

AI Growth Zones: open for applications - GOV.UK

A UK cyber growth action plan - final report - GOV.UK

Semiconductor Sector Study - GOV.UK

Engineering Biology Aspirations Report - Government Office for Science

Advanced Connectivity Technologies: Market Scoping Analysis 2025

National Quantum Strategy

Specific strategies and growth plans by geographic area

Cyber Resilient Scotland 2025 to 2030: strategic framework

Cyber action plan for Wales [HTML] | GOV.WALES

AI Cymru: Shaping a Smarter, Fairer, More Prosperous Wales [HTML] | GOV.WALES

Northern Ireland Digital Skills Action Plan 2024-2034

Northern Ireland Software & Cyber - Sectoral Action Plan

West Midlands Growth Plan

The East Midlands Growth Plan

The Greater Manchester Strategy

North East Combined Authority Local Growth Plan

West of England Growth Strategy

Note: Not all regions currently have local growth plans, or have combined authority areas. Applicants are encouraged to refer to other relevant documents, not listed here, which may sit at a county, unitary or city council level.

Relevant job roles from the Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030

The Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030 report produced by Skills England examines the future direct employment demand across 10 key sectors critical to the government’s Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change and identifies the education pathways associated with priority occupations in these sectors.

Assessment of priority skills to 2030 - GOV.UK

We have identified the following roles which are particularly relevant to the six frontier technologies we are looking to support through Tech Local:

SOC code and Sector

2114 Physical scientist: Quantum

2124 Electronics engineers: Quantum and Semis

3112 Electrical and Electronics: Technicians Semis

2123 Electrical Engineers: Future Telecoms

2139 Information technology professionals N.E.C.: Future Telecoms

2135 Cyber security professionals: Cyber

2134 Programmers and software development professionals: AI and Cyber

2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers: AI

2112 Biological scientists: Eng Bio

2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists: Eng Bio

Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme Information

This award is being offered under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme in accordance with section 10(4) of the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Projects funded must meet the following definitions:

Category 2: Industrial research​

​The planned research or critical investigation that is aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services. It can also be for projects that are aimed at bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes or services. ​

This would include digital products, processes or services, in any technology, industry or sector (including, but not limited to, digital industries and technologies, such as super-computing, quantum technologies, block chain technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, big data and cloud technologies). ​

Industrial research comprises the creation of component parts of complex systems. It may include the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment or in an environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems as well as of pilot lines. Where necessary, this would be for the industrial research and notably for generic technology validation.​

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 if this is applied for this competition.

Find a project partner

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

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 Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) (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 DSIT 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 DSIT 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 DSIT will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.

Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy

DSIT Privacy Policy

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 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.