Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £14.3 million to accelerate the adoption of quantum enabled position, navigation, and timing (PNT) and sensing technologies by addressing specific technical and commercial barriers.
£1m – £3mCloses in 23 days (16 September 2026)UK-wide
Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
The UK Space Agency, invites proposals for projects through the International Bilateral Fund (IBF) that will help strengthen the UK space sector’s international partnerships.
Projects can be up to 18 months and must begin on 1 April 2027. Up to £1.5m is available in UK Space Agency grant funding for each project.
Owing to high levels of anticipated demand for this funding call, the UK Space Agency has taken the decision to restrict the number of applications to one per lead organisation (for the avoidance of doubt, this measure applies to all types of organisations, including industrial, academic and public sector research bodies). The inclusion of an international partner and matched contributions (as per UK subsidy control guidelines) are mandatory.
UK Research and Innovation, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Apply for funding to pursue an adventurous, ambitious, curiosity-driven project in environmental research.
You must be:
• based at a UK research organisation eligible for Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funding
• in a role that meets the individual eligibility requirements
There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
Up to £950kCloses in 29 days (22 September 2026)UK-wide
UK Research and Innovation, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Apply for an early independence fellowship if your research focus is within EPSRC Mathematical Sciences remit.
You must have:
a PhD
evidence of career consolidation and past productivity
plans for establishing your own research niche that enables a step-change towards independence
UK Research and Innovation, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Apply for funding to translate bioscience research into innovations such as products, services and solutions that generate real-world economic, societal, and environmental impact.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding.
UK Research and Innovation, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Apply for proof-of-concept funding to develop and deploy innovative autonomous solutions for atmospheric science research or autonomous aerial systems for environmental science.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding.
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Apply for funding to work with overseas researchers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Submit a collaborative research grant application within the remit of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) provides funding to public, private and third sector applicants, to support improvements to existing district heating or communal heating projects in England and Wales that are operating sub-optimally and resulting in poor outcomes for customers and operators.
Projects can apply to HNES for either revenue or capital grant funding:
Revenue grants – grants to fund procurement or mobilisation of external third-party support to carry out Optimisation Studies. These studies will assess heat network projects to identify causes of sub-optimal performance and recommend costed intervention or improvement measures.
Capital grants – grants to part-fund the delivery (installation) of eligible intervention/improvement measures.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £33 million to develop device level hardware and associated software to meet the scale, programmability, and runtime performance needs of universal fault tolerant quantum computers.
£1m – £3.5mCloses in 25 days (18 September 2026)UK-wide
UK Research and Innovation, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Apply for funding for a research grant in any area within the remit of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding.
There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
Following the publication of Better Connected, the Department for Transport has launched the Integrated Transport Digital Twin (ITDT) Fund. This £30 million fund will support selected local transport authorities to develop digital twin trials that improve transport integration, network performance and resilience. The fund will enable local authority-led partnerships to test innovative, data-driven approaches, strengthen collaboration across organisational and geographical boundaries, and generate evidence and learning to inform potential future rollout
£1m – £30mCloses in 8 days (1 September 2026)England
UK Research and Innovation, Medical Research Council
Funding opportunity for mid-range capital equipment that will enable and enhance research across MRC’s scientific areas.
You must be employed at a research organisation eligible to apply for MRC funding.
There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) invites applications for funding to strengthen the UK’s role in digital technical standards, which are essential to the economy and society and developed through global multistakeholder collaboration in organisations such as the European Telecommunication Standardization Institution (ETSI), Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The goal is to support innovative initiatives that embed standards teaching in higher education, inspire career interest, enhance academic–industry collaboration and strengthen the UK talent pipeline for participation in international standards development.
£2,500 – £40kCloses in 14 days (7 September 2026)UK-wide
The National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) provides co-funded grant support to derisk high-reward R&D projects with a clear target market. NSIP operates open funding calls for all space-related technologies under two strands: NSIP Kick Starter that supports highly disruptive early-stage innovations, and NSIP Major Projects which emphasizes commercialisation and growth of particularly lucrative ideas from UK businesses, universities and research organisations. NSIP Call 3 will expand the NSIP portfolio of innovative R&D projects that meet the programme’s objectives to: catalyse investment into the UK space sector, capture market growth, raise Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of priority space capabilities, and position space activities closer to commercialisation and exploitation.
Society’s most important advances have stemmed from those willing to think differently about what might be possible. ARIA is an R&D funding agency built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone.
Created by an Act of Parliament, and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, ARIA funds breakthrough R&D in under explored areas to catalyse new paths to prosperity for the UK and the world.
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for innovative projects in specific technology areas. You must collaborate with at least one Swiss implementation partner applying under the equivalent Swiss Innosuisse programme.
£1,000 – £450kCloses in 10 days (3 September 2026)UK-wide
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
AHRC awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project to accelerate their trajectory as independent researchers, to unlock their potential and build leadership and convenor experience.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for project development studies to support the development of ultra long duration battery energy storage demonstrators in the UK.
UK Research and Innovation, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Apply for this Early Independence Fellowship to support you to establish your own research niche and independence. You must hold a doctorate or evidence equivalent research experience and be based at a UK research organisation eligible for STFC funding.