EmpowerRD’s grant funding finder
Latest UK grant funding opportunities for innovative companies.
With the increased RDEC rate, UK R&D tax relief will become more lucrative for companies that are awarded innovation grants. Why? From April 2023, the RDEC rate will increase from 13% to 20%, and companies that win innovation grants are typically eligible for the RDEC scheme.
If you’re an innovative business looking for grants, your search stops here! Below is a curated list of some of the most exciting grant funding opportunities currently available.
LATEST INNOVATION GRANTS
Innovation UK Smart grants: January 2023
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovations that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Eligibility
This competition is open to single applicants and collaborations.
To lead a project, your organisation must:
- Be a UK-registered business of any size
- Be a UK-registered research and technology organisation (RTO)
- Carry out all your research and development (R&D) project activity in the UK
- Intend to commercially exploit the project results from the UK
You must be or involve at least one grant-claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 19 January 2023
- Closes: 26 April 2023
Energy Catalyst Round 10: Early Stage
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £10 million in total across the 3 stages, to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific regions.
Eligibility
This competition is open to single applicants or collaborations.
To be eligible for funding you can be from any country and must be either a:
- business of any size
- research organisation
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
- charity
- non-governmental organisation (NGO)
You must involve at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 27 February 2023
- Closes: 28 June 2023
Innovate UK Transformative Technologies
UK registered small and micro businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million for affordable, adoptable and investable innovations in transformative technologies.
Eligibility
This competition is open to single applicants only.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered micro or small business
- not have previously been awarded funding from Innovate UK
- carry out its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the project outcomes from the UK for domestic or global benefit
Dates
Opens: 20 February 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Net Zero Heat: rapid assessment of building fabric performance
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovations that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
Eligibility
This competition is open to single applicants and collaborations.
To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered:
- business of any size
- research organisation
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
You must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 22 March 2023
Launchpad: Net Zero, CR&D Tees Valley, R2
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million for business led projects that grow activities in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley. This collaborative research and development (CR&D) funding is from Innovate UK.
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- be active or growing your work activities, in the net zero innovation cluster centred on the Tees Valley
- have a demonstrable ambition for business growth
You must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Launchpad: Advanced Manufacturing, MFA, Liverpool City Region, R2
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for projects that grow activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region. This Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) funding is from Innovate UK.
Eligibility
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- be active or growing your work activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region
- have a demonstrable ambition for business growth
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Launchpad: Advanced Manufacturing CR&D Liverpool City Region
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million for business led projects that grow activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on the Liverpool City Region. This funding is from Innovate UK.
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- be active or growing your work activities in the advanced manufacturing innovation cluster centred on Liverpool City Region
- have a demonstrable ambition for business growth
You must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Hydrogen storage and distribution supply chain Collaborative R&D
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £4.35 million for CR&D projects related to hydrogen storage and distribution supply chain. This funding is from Innovate UK.
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.
You must be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 26 April 2023
Feasibility Studies in Quantum Computing Applications
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million for innovative solutions to industrial problems using Quantum Computing. This funding is from the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) programme.
Eligibility
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
African Agriculture Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP) 2023-24 R1
UK registered higher or further education institutions, RTOs or Catapults, can apply for a share of up to £2.5m from the African agriculture KTP, working with a knowledge base and business partner registered in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya or South Africa.
Eligibility
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered higher education or further education institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or catapult
- collaborate with a knowledge base and business partner from an eligible African country
The business must contribute to the project’s costs.
Dates
Opens: 13 February 2023
- Closes: 22 March 2023
UK – German Bilateral: Collaborative R&D
UK registered organisations, collaborating with at least one German SME applying under the equivalent German ZIM programme, can apply for a share of up to £4 million for collaborative research projects resulting in innovative solutions.
Eligibility
This competition is open to UK and German collaborations only.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- be or involve at least one grant claiming UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- collaborate with a German registered business, which must be a separate non-linked entity to the UK project partners
Dates
Opens: 7 February 2023
- Closes: 7 June 2023
Innovation Loans Future Economy Competition: Round 8
UK registered businesses can apply for loans for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to improve the UK economy significantly.
Eligibility
Dates
Opens: 13 January 2023
- Closes: 8 March 2023
Novel low-emission food production systems: Industrial research
Eligibility
To lead an industrial research project, your organisation must be a UK-registered business of any size.
Dates
Opens: 18 January 2023
- Closes: 19 April 2023
Novel low-emission food production systems: Feasibility studies
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £16 million to deliver resource-efficient, low-emission food production systems. Including alternative proteins and Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA).
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a feasibility studies project, your organisation must be UK registered:
- Business of any size
- Academic institution
- Research organisation
- Research and technology organisation (RTO)
- charity
- Not for profit
- Public sector organisation
Dates
- Opens: 18 January 2023
- Closes: 19 April 2023
Better Food for All: Innovation for improved nutrition, mid-stage
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only. To lead a mid-stage industrial research project, your organisation must be a UK-registered business of any size.
Dates
- Opens: 11 January 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Better Food for All: Innovation for improved nutrition, late-stage
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only. To lead a late-stage experimental development project, your organisation must be a UK-registered business of any size.
Dates
- Opens: 11 January 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Better Food for All: Innovation for improved nutrition, early-stage
Eligibility
This competition is open to collaborations only. To lead an early-stage feasibility project, your organisation must be UK-registered:
- Business of any size
- Research organisation
- Research and technology organisation (RTO)
- Charity
- Not-for-profit organisation
- Public sector organisation
Dates
- Opens: 11 January 2023
- Closes: 29 March 2023
Farming Futures: automation and robotics, industrial research
Eligibility
Dates
- Opens: 9 January 2023
- Closes: 15 March 2023
Farming Futures: automation and robotics, experimental development
Eligibility
Dates
- Opens: 9 January 2023
- Closes: 15 March 2023