Innovate UK
Offers Innovate United Kingdom, the United Kingdom innovation agency funding and connecting deep-tech ventures to scale.
Innovate UK is the UK's national innovation agency, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It backs promising deep-tech businesses in priority sectors with funding, expert support, and connections to help them start, scale, and stay in the UK.
As one of nine UKRI councils, Innovate UK operates alongside seven research councils (AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC, STFC) and Research England. Its parent ministry is DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology). The agency runs a broad portfolio from rolling Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to sector-specific challenge programmes in aerospace, maritime, energy, AI, and agri-tech. Many calls are co-funded with DfT, Defra, DBT, and DSIT.
The flagship Smart Grants programme was paused from January 2025 while a redesigned SME offer is piloted. As of May 2026, approximately 35 open or upcoming calls are listed on the UKRI funding finder, spanning themes including ZEV manufacturing, clean maritime, future flight, AI, and agri-tech innovation.