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UKRI Grants

UK Research and Innovation is the umbrella body for the seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. Funding listed under the UKRI name is usually a cross-council programme rather than one council’s own scheme. Eligibility follows the rules of whichever part of UKRI is running it, so check that before planning an application.

UKRI has 6 open funds listed here, 1 of which accepts applications all year.

Checked daily. Last updated 11 November 2026.

No published award history for UKRI. Some funders do not publish their grants data.

What UKRI funds

Counted across the 6 open funds on this page.

Professional & Scientific Services (6)Manufacturing (2)

No deadline listed

Check the funder's current application window before you apply.

No deadline listed

Innovation Loans Expression of Interest

UKRI

£100,000 - £5mProfessional & Scientific Services

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is offering innovation loans to UK registered micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The first step is to submit an Expression of Interest. The loans are for close to market innovative projects with strong commercial potential. Your project must significantly improve the UK economy and drive societal benefit. If your business has an innovation that is nearly ready for market and you need finance to take it there, this opportunity could suit you. You can ask for a loan of between £100,000 and £5,000,000. The total fund available across the programme is £20,000,000. The opportunity opened on 6 June 2026 at 9:30am UK time. It has no closing date, so you can submit your Expression of Interest whenever you are ready while it stays open. You do not need to work towards a fixed deadline. Only single applications are accepted. You must apply on your own as one SME, not as part of a group or partnership. Larger companies cannot apply. Keep in mind that this is a loan, not a grant. Think carefully about whether loan finance is the right fit for your business and your project before you apply. The full opportunity details are on the Innovation Funding Service, so read them before you submit. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/innovation-loans-expression-of-interest/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.

More grants

Deadline

Expression of interest: Small-satellite missions sandpit

UKRI

Funding amount not listedProfessional & Scientific Services

This UKRI opportunity invites researchers to apply for a place at a sandpit to develop small satellite Earth observation mission concepts. The focus is on innovative sensors and data streams, combined with technologies such as artificial intelligence, edge computing, quantum technologies, advanced manufacturing and advanced connectivity. Projects should deliver sovereign capability for national security and defence, societal benefit and economic growth. Around 30 participants will be invited to work together over online and in-person sessions between 26 January and 10 February 2027. You will work with stakeholders from the space, defence and environmental sectors on real-world challenges. Accommodation is provided for the residential part, and travel and subsistence costs are reimbursed. UKRI will also cover extra childcare or caring costs where your employer cannot help. At the end of the sandpit, selected teams will be invited to apply for 11-month pump-priming projects, known as phase 0 studies, starting on 1 May 2027. Around five or six projects are expected to share up to £1.87 million at 100% full economic cost. UKRI funds 80%, and your institution must fund the remaining 20%. This suits researchers at any career stage who are based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding, especially those who enjoy interdisciplinary, open-ended work. The first step is an expression of interest, due by 4:00pm UK time on 25 November 2026. Late submissions will not be considered. One practical point: you must attend every session, including two in-person days likely between 2 and 4 February 2027. Attending the sandpit does not guarantee funding, and unsuccessful applicants will not receive individual feedback. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/small-satellite-missions-sandpit/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.

Deadline

Manufacturing Scale-up Research and Innovation: Automotive and Aerospace

UKRI

Funding amount not listedManufacturing, Professional & Scientific Services

This UKRI funding supports research that helps UK industry scale up the manufacture of recently developed technologies and processes in the automotive and aerospace sectors. The aim is to turn world-class research into repeatable, cost-effective and flexible manufacturing, bridging the gap between the lab and the factory. It is not for developing new technologies or products. It suits research teams at UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding who work closely with industry partners. Those partners must help frame the research challenge and use the results. You must also show access to industrial scale manufacturing environments. Example topics include scalable additive manufacturing, automated assembly, digital twins, electrified propulsion and low-carbon manufacturing. There are two sizes of project. Large projects can have a full economic cost (FEC) of £4.5 million to £5.8 million and last up to four years. Small projects can have an FEC of up to £600,000 and last up to two years. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC and intends to fund up to two large and up to ten small projects. The total fund is £17.6 million. Applications close at 4:00pm UK time on 9 December 2026. Awards will start on 1 September 2027 or earlier. One practical point: your research organisation must complete an Intent to submit form by 4:00pm on 11 November 2026, or you will not be able to apply. You will also need matched funding committed by project partners from the start, at a leverage ratio of roughly 1:1, plus a realistic plan to unlock more private investment over the life of the grant. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/manufacturing-scale-up-research-and-innovation-automotive-and-aerospace/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.

Deadline

Manufacturing Scale-up Network Plus

UKRI

Funding amount not listedManufacturing, Professional & Scientific Services

UKRI will fund one Network Plus to speed up the scale-up of manufacturing innovation in the UK's advanced manufacturing frontier industries, with automotive and aerospace as the primary focus. Applicants must be UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding. The full economic cost can be up to £5.63 million, and UKRI pays 80% of it, up to £4.5 million. Applications close at 4:00pm UK time on 9 December 2026. Projects run for up to five years and must start by 1 September 2027. The money covers community building and networking, a dedicated Network manager, travel, and a flexible fund for feasibility studies and small projects up to TRL 4. Flexible funding can be up to 50% of total eligible costs. Businesses cannot apply for the money but should join as project partners with cash or in-kind support. Funding is released in two stages: 24 months first, then 36 months after a formal review at the end of the first 12 months.

Deadline

UK Compute Roadmap – Community Centres of Excellence (outline stage)

UKRI

Up to £2mProfessional & Scientific Services

UKRI funds Community Centres of Excellence (CCEs) that support researchers and innovators using the UKRI National Compute Resources (NCRs). It covers up to 100% of full economic cost (FEC), with a maximum of £2 million per project. Applications to this outline stage close on 12 January 2027 at 4:00pm UK time. Awards last up to three years, and projects must start by 1 June 2027. Each CCE must provide three core functions: stewardship of NCR user communities, services to support NCR users, and compute allocation. Costs UKRI lists as fundable include salaries, community management, research software engineering, training and outreach, and travel and subsistence. Hardware procurement and running new computing facilities are not funded. Applicants must be at an organisation eligible for UKRI funding. Single organisations or partnerships can apply.

Deadline

Testing and validating underground hydrogen storage components

UKRI

Funding amount not listedProfessional & Scientific Services

This UKRI funding opportunity supports collaborative work to speed up the development and validation of critical technologies for underground hydrogen storage. The goal is to make storing hydrogen underground safe, reliable and cost effective. UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £5 million. This is the total pot for the programme, so a successful project receives part of it rather than the full sum. It suits organisations working on the technologies and components that underground hydrogen storage depends on, and that want to test and validate them with partners. You cannot apply on your own. The competition is open to collaborations only, so you will need a project team in place before you apply. Your lead organisation can be a UK registered business of any size, an academic institution or a research technology organisation. This opens the door to partnerships that combine industry and research expertise. The opportunity opened on 23 October 2026 at 9:30am UK time. It closes on 13 January 2027 at 11:00am UK time. Take note of the morning closing time, as it is easy to assume a deadline falls at the end of the day. Building a collaboration takes time, so start talking to potential partners early. The funding type is a grant. The full opportunity details, including how to apply, are on the Innovation Funding Service. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/testing-and-validating-underground-hydrogen-storage-components/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.

Where this funding goes

England (5)National (UK-wide) (1)

Frequently asked questions about UKRI funding

How many UKRI grants are open right now?+

6 grants from UKRI are open on GrantMatch today, of which 1 has no fixed deadline. The list is checked daily.

When is the next UKRI deadline?+

The nearest deadline is 25 November 2026, and the furthest is 13 January 2027. Always check the funder's own page for the final date before applying.

How do I apply for UKRI funding?+

Each grant on this page links to the UKRI application page for that fund. Read the funder's own eligibility criteria before you start, since terms differ between funds.

Other funders

Cumbria Community Foundation (84)Foundation Scotland (81)Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland (34)National Lottery Community Fund (22)Point North (20)Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (16)Innovate UK (14)Innovate UK Business Connect (13)Medical Research Council (MRC) (13)British Film Institute (12)Belfast City Council (10)Lincolnshire Community Foundation (10)Cambridgeshire Community Foundation (9)Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (9)Energy Saving Trust (9)GrantScape (funded by Ørsted) (9)Heart of England Community Foundation (9)Norfolk Community Foundation (9)Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (8)Ealing Council (8)European Space Agency (8)Football Foundation (8)Manchester City Council (8)Arts Council of Wales (6)

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