Engineering Biology Collaborative R&D: Round 3

Overview

This Innovate UK competition backs business-led research and development in engineering biology. It is part of UKRI's Engineering Biology Programme, and up to £8.5 million is available as grant funding. That total depends on enough high quality applications being received. Your project must be collaborative industrial research. The main innovation must come from, or enable, engineering biology. It must also 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 need at least one named end user from further along the supply chain, and you must show a clear route to scale in the UK. Your project's total eligible costs must be between £750,000 and £2.5 million. Projects must last 12 to 36 months, start no earlier than 1 April 2027 and end by 31 March 2030. The grant covers up to 70% of eligible costs for micro and small organisations, 60% for medium organisations and 50% for large organisations. The competition opened on 8 September 2026 and closes at 11am UK time on 3 November 2026. Assessment has two stages. If you pass the first, you may be invited to present at an interview. Innovate UK says you could have up to 20% chance of success, so it is a competitive process. One practical point: the page says it will not fund clinical development, clinical trials, preclinical therapeutic work, fundamental research or feasibility studies. Check that your project fits before you start. Official source: https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/engineering-biology-collaborative-rd-round-3-1. Last checked by GrantMatch on 15 October 2026.