National Materials Innovation Programme: CR&D Rd1

Overview

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £12 million for collaborative industrial research to speed the translation of advanced materials innovations in three prioritised high growth themes and one strategic opportunity theme.

Dates

• Competition opens: Tuesday 1 September 2026
• Competition closes: Wednesday 28 October 2026 11:00am

Funding

• Funding type: Grant
• Total available: up to £12 million
• Project size: between £500,000 and £1 million

Description

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £12 million into materials innovation projects. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received.

This funding is part of the National Materials Innovation Programme, announced as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan in the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy.

The focus of the programme is on the translation and adoption of key advanced materials innovations for the eight growth driving sectors (IS-8), the associated frontier industries and foundational industries and inputs identified in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and sector plans.

This competition is the first round of collaborative industrial research projects under the programme.

The aim of this competition is to accelerate the translation and adoption of material innovations through collaborative industrial research. The competition will support the priority opportunity themes of the National Materials Innovation Strategy, unlock strategic material opportunities and enhance competitiveness across the eight growth driving sectors.

Your proposal must be focused on a significant materials innovation and clearly align with at least one of the competition themes and an associated sub‑theme.

Materials innovation in the context of this competition are activities directed towards:

• improving the functionality of existing materials for example, metals, composites, ceramics, polymers
• developing and deploying completely new materials, for example, emergent advanced materials
• deploying existing materials in a novel or innovative way to address a major technical barrier

This leads to materials which overcome a technical hurdle and function in an enhanced way. This may be evidenced through improved performance, functionality or efficiency, bolstering security and competitiveness of UK industry, or environmental benefits, for example, sustainability or resource efficiency, as outcomes.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.

Our experience from similar competitions suggests that you could have a 20% chance of success.

We consider a range of factors when determining whether to provide funding to applicants. This includes an assessment of prior conduct, such as any outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI. Such factors may influence the funding decision, potentially resulting in a refusal of funding or an award subject to additional scrutiny.

We also reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions. This may be in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations or broader government funding decisions.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Funding type

Grant

Project size

Your project’s total eligible grant funding request must be between £500,000 and £1 million.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Who can apply

Your project

• Your project must:
  • have a grant funding request of between £500,000 and £1 million
  • last between 18 and 30 months
  • start by 1 February 2027
  • end by 31 July 2029

Any organisation receiving funding must carry out its project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK.

Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non‑working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs.

Lead organisation

• To lead a collaborative project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.
• The consortium must contain at least one UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) claiming grant funding on this application.

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Project team

• To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:
  • business of any size
  • academic institution
  • charity
  • not for profit
  • public sector organisation
  • research and technology organisation (RTO)

Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application.

To be an eligible collaboration:

• the lead and at least one other organisation must request funding
• you must explain why you’re collaborating and how the collaboration will work
• no single organisation can claim more than 70% of the total project costs

Non‑funded partners

• Your project can include organisations who do not claim any funding for their work on the project. Their costs will be covered from their own resources. These can include UK, EU and other non‑UK organisations. Non‑UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit the results outside the UK.
• Where non‑funded partners have been invited to the application on IFS, their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.

Subcontractors

• Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and are limited to no more than 30% of the project’s total eligible costs.
• Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
• You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK.
• You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
• All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.

Number of applications

• A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in a further two applications.
• If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.
• An academic institution, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation, or research and technology organisation can collaborate on any number of applications.
• Applications that do not meet these requirements will be made ineligible, in order of the most recent submission being made ineligible first.

Sanctions

• This competition will not fund you or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

• Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
• Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.
• Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start‑up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

Previous applications

• You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
• If you have previously submitted an application that reached our assessment stage, you can re‑apply once more with the same proposal.
• If there are minor differences to the proposal, but it is judged by us to be ‘not materially different’, the same rule applies.
• We will not award you funding if you have:
  • failed to exploit a previously funded project
  • an overdue independent accountant’s report
  • failed to comply with grant terms and conditions
• Innovate UK may withhold a grant payment at any time if you have any outstanding sums due to us in relation to other projects.

Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable)

• This competition provides funding to enterprises using the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme.
• The Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme can be viewed on the subsidy database here: SC10780.
• This is in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
• Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.
• EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.
• In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.

Further Information

• If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.
• You must not do anything which could cause a breach of Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.
• This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.
• This award is classified as a Subsidy which does not form part of your Minimal Financial Assistance or de minimis allowance.

Funding

• Up to £12 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
• We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.
• Under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Route rules, no more than £3 million can be awarded in the form of a grant to any one enterprise in any one competition.
• If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non‑economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.

For industrial research you can get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.

Research participation

• The research organisations undertaking non‑economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non‑economic activity, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 30% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:
  • 100% of your eligible project costs if you are an RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation
  • 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are an academic institution

Eligibility criteria for claiming 80% of FEC funding

1. Research organisations must use the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) method as the Je‑S form has now been decommissioned.
2. We pay 100% of the 80% Full Economic Cost (FEC). On IFS only enter the 80% being claimed.

To find out more see our: Cost Guidance for Academics.

Your proposal

• The aim of this competition is to accelerate the translation and adoption of material innovations through collaborative industrial research. The competition will support the priority opportunity themes of the National Materials Innovation Strategy, unlock strategic material opportunities and enhance competitiveness across the eight growth driving sectors.
• Your project must focus on one of the sub themes within:
  • the three prioritised high growth opportunity theme areas, or
  • the one strategic opportunity theme, metamaterials and metasurfaces
• See the specific theme section to view the full list of these themes and sub‑themes.
• We recognise that the metamaterials and metasurfaces strategic opportunity theme overlaps with some areas of the high growth opportunity themes. If your material innovation is fundamentally based upon a metamaterial or metasurface technology, then you must apply under Theme 4: Metamaterials and Metasurfaces.
• You must explain how your innovation will improve performance, functionality, productivity or sustainability. You must also provide a credible route to commercialisation and deployment.
• You must also demonstrate how adoption of your materials innovation contributes to broader UK net zero targets. This could be through more sustainable supply chains, reduction in energy consumption, emissions reduction and resource efficiency.
• Your project must:
  • be a collaborative industrial research project
  • focus primarily on the materials innovation
  • identify the specific IS‑8 sector and applications being targeted
  • explain the opportunity for the materials innovation to be applied and describe any future barriers and challenges you foresee to adoption
  • demonstrate a clear route to scale in the UK
  • explain how this project will support business growth and UK advanced manufacturing
  • involve at least one named end user in the project who is operating within one of the eight growth driving sectors identified in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy (IS‑8) sectors

End user involvement

• The named end user is an organisation, further downstream the supply chain, that will use or directly benefit from the materials innovation. Examples of end users include OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and other organisations. The involvement of the end user can be in the form of, but is not limited to:
  • being on a project advisory board
  • being a non‑funded project collaborator or a funded project collaborator
• The end user must have a clear, defined role within the project governance or work plan. The following will not be accepted as end users:
  • an RTO
  • academics and academic institutions
  • consultants and consultancies
• Government organisations or regulators can act as an end user where you provide a clear justification, for example, where they act as a system integrator or service provider for the materials innovation.
• In this competition, end user involvement cannot be demonstrated solely through written evidence of a business relationship, such as:
  • letters of support
  • emails, Teams messages or other forms of electronic communication between project partners and third parties
  • purchase orders, invoices or other documents that do not directly relate to the project application
  • heads of agreement, memorandum of understanding, joint development agreements, non‑disclosure agreements, letters of intent, supply agreements, commercial contracts or formal partnership agreements

Portfolio approach

• We want to fund a variety of projects across different themes, technologies, markets, applications of materials, technological maturities, business size and regions. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

• Your project must focus on one of the following themes and at least one associated sub‑theme:

Theme 1: Future Healthcare Solutions

• We are seeking material innovation projects focused on advanced materials and material systems for healthcare applications.
• Healthcare materials and material systems are defined as those designed to safely interact with biological systems and deliver improved prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, rehabilitation or regeneration outcomes. This includes materials intended for use in medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutic delivery systems, regenerative medicine products and bioelectronic healthcare technologies.

Projects must address one or more of the following sub‑themes:

Biocompatible and Regenerative Materials

• This includes the development, characterisation and validation of biocompatible materials and material systems for medical applications, including:
  • advanced biomaterials
  • regenerative medicine materials
  • tissue engineering scaffolds and matrices
  • bioresorbable and biodegradable materials
  • materials for tissue repair and wound healing
  • implantable and medical device materials
  • materials for targeted therapies
  • materials and carriers for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents

Projects must demonstrate how the material enables improved biological performance, patient outcomes, functionality, manufacturability or clinical adoption.

Bioelectronic Materials

• This includes the development, characterisation and validation of bioelectronic materials and material systems for medical use that directly interface with biological tissues, cells or physiological processes to:
  • prevent disease
  • diagnose disease
  • monitor physiological function
  • treat disease
  • restore biological function
  • support patient rehabilitation

This can include materials for implantable, wearable, in vitro or integrated bioelectronic systems, including conductive, semiconductive, sensing, stimulating and responsive material technologies that enable improved interaction between biological and electronic systems.

Theme 2: Structural Materials Innovation

• We are seeking material innovation projects focused on high value, high performance structural materials and material systems.
• High value, high performance structural materials and material systems are defined as those whose primary function is to bear load, maintain structural integrity and deliver reliable performance throughout their operational life in demanding environments. This includes multifunctional materials where structural integrity is the critical enabling function. They are deployed in applications where failure, degradation or loss of performance would have significant economic, operational, safety or environmental consequences.

The following structural material classes are within scope:

• speciality steels, such as high strength, corrosion resistant, wear resistant and high temperature steels
• advanced non‑ferrous metals and high performance metallic alloys
• fibre reinforced structural composites where fibre reinforcement provides the primary load bearing function
• structural and wear resistant technical ceramics
• advanced structural glasses and glass ceramics
• advanced concretes and geopolymers
• high performance structural engineering polymers used in load bearing applications

Only the material classes listed above are in scope and projects must address one or more of the following four sub‑themes:

Sustainability

• This includes sustainability and circularity innovations in the structural materials and material systems listed above, including innovations that improve resource efficiency, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recovery and recycling while maintaining mechanical integrity, durability and long service life.

Surface Engineering

• This includes material innovations in coatings, surface treatments, tribological solutions and corrosion protection technologies that enhance the durability, reliability and operational lifetime of the structural materials and material systems listed above by mitigating surface or bulk degradation.

Design and Deployment

• This includes innovations that improve the modelling, qualification, manufacture, inspection, monitoring and deployment of the structural materials and material systems listed above, enabling more predictable performance and improved resistance to degradation throughout the asset lifecycle.

Extreme Environments

• This includes the development and refinement of structural and multifunctional material systems from the material classes listed above that are capable of maintaining mechanical integrity and performance under extreme or combined extreme conditions, including thermal, radiation, corrosive, high pressure, wear and fatigue environments.

Theme 3: Power Electronics and Connectivity

• We are seeking material innovation projects focused on advanced electronic, photonic and communication materials and material systems.
• Electronic, photonic and communication materials and material systems are defined as those that enable the generation, conversion, transmission, processing, sensing or thermal management of electrical, optical or electromagnetic signals, delivering enhanced performance, efficiency, functionality or reliability in advanced electronic and communication technologies.

Relevant materials and material systems may include semiconductor, photonic, optoelectronic, dielectric, electromagnetic and thermal management materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), diamond, gallium oxide, integrated photonic materials, radio frequency (RF) and microwave materials, low loss dielectric materials, thermal interface materials and advanced heat spreading materials.

Projects must address one or more of the following sub‑themes:

Wide and Ultra Wide Bandgap Materials

• This includes materials innovations associated with wide and ultra wide bandgap semiconductor materials and associated substrate, packaging and thermal management material systems, enabling higher voltage, higher temperature and higher frequency operation, together with improved power density and energy efficiency compared with conventional silicon based technologies.

Advanced Connectivity Materials

• This includes materials innovations for advanced connectivity and communication systems, enabling enhanced energy efficiency, signal quality, bandwidth, spectrum utilisation, capacity and coverage across next generation communication and sensing technologies, including 5G, 6G, optical, RF, infrared (IR) and radar applications.

Theme 4: Metamaterials and Metasurfaces

• We are seeking material innovation projects focused on the