Engineering Biology Access to Infrastructure Pilot

Overview

This Innovate UK competition helps UK registered small and medium sized businesses scale up engineering biology innovations that already work in the lab. It is part of UKRI's Engineering Biology Programme. Up to £5 million is available in total, paid as grants. That total depends on enough high-quality applications arriving. The funding pays for pilot or demonstration scale work and for validation in commercially relevant settings. Your project must be built on engineering biology and fit one or more themes: health, agriculture and food, chemicals and materials, low carbon fuels, waste and environment, or cross cutting technology and service development. You must partner with, or subcontract to, a UK registered organisation that has the facilities to support scale up, such as a catapult, bio-foundry or contract manufacturer. Your project's total eligible costs must be between £200,000 and £750,000. It can last up to 24 months, must start by 1 February 2027 and must end by 31 January 2029. Funding covers up to 70% of eligible costs for micro and small organisations, and up to 60% for medium sized ones. Applications close at 11am UK time on 21 October 2026. Applicants will be told the outcome on 27 November 2026. Be aware that this is competitive. Innovate UK says, based on similar competitions, you could have up to a 20% chance of success. It will not fund fundamental research, feasibility studies, clinical development, or projects that buy capital equipment or expand infrastructure. Applications that are out of scope are not sent for assessment. Official source: https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/engineering-biology-access-to-infrastructure-pilot-1. Last checked by GrantMatch on 15 October 2026.