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Funding options for your business
UK-wide
Apply for innovation funding
Access Innovate UK grants and competitions for research, development, and game-changing technologies.
Guide summary
Apply for innovation funding through Innovate UK competitions. You must clearly show your project is innovative, has market potential, and a clear route to selling your product. Grants range from £25,000 to over £2 million, but you usually need to contribute 30-70% of project costs yourself.
- Check Innovate UK competitions regularly throughout the year
- Show your project is innovative, not just a small improvement
- Prove your product has market potential and a route to customers
- Include technical detail — assessors are experts
- Prepare to pay 30-70% of project costs as match funding
- Grants range from £25,000 to over £2 million
- Apply for sector-specific competitions like clean energy or health
- Feasibility studies start with small 'smart grants'
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Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency, running hundreds of funding competitions each year for businesses developing innovative products, processes, or services.
Types of funding available
Funding ranges from small 'smart grants' for feasibility studies to multi-million pound collaborative R&D projects. Some are sector-specific (e.g., clean energy, health), others are open to all innovations.
What makes a strong application
Successful applications clearly demonstrate innovation (not just improvement), market potential, and a viable route to commercialization. Technical detail matters - assessors are experts in their fields.