EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships

EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships Round 7

Supports United Kingdom business-academia teams through partnerships that build strategic innovation in priority sectors.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships Round 7 is the seventh iteration of EPSRC's flagship co-funded business-academia research programme, carrying a total fund of £40 million. EPSRC covers 80% of the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of each project; the named business partner must provide a cash contribution equal to or exceeding the EPSRC award. The minimum project FEC is approximately £625,000, implying minimum EPSRC funding of £500,000 and a matching business cash contribution of at least £500,000. Projects may run for up to five years. Following a scope amendment issued 13 March 2026, eligible research is now defined as fundamental or applied research firmly grounded in the engineering and physical sciences, broadening from the prior requirement that the majority of work be fundamental in nature. The Round 7 deadline was 21 May 2026 at 4:00pm UK time; shortlisting outcomes are expected by end of July 2026, final outcomes by December 2026, and grant starts in early 2027.

Eligible primary academic partners are UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations, public sector research establishments, and NHS bodies with research capacity. Eligible business partners must be UK-based or have a significant UK presence with UK-based research activity, and may be of any size. The partnership must have been established at leadership level for at least one year prior to application, with a track record of significant, regular collaborative research. Non-UK business involvement through consortium structures is permitted. Assessment is two-stage: Stage 1 shortlists on alignment to the UK Modern Industrial Strategy priority sectors; Stage 2 involves full assessment with an interview of up to three team members.

For organisations preparing for Round 8 (anticipated but not confirmed), the strongest applications demonstrate a genuinely pre-existing, collaborative research relationship rather than a new arrangement, propose research aligned to at least one Modern Industrial Strategy sector, and present a credible business case for why the business partner's cash contribution will generate commercially relevant outcomes. The business partner's cash contribution must be cash — in-kind contributions do not count toward the matching requirement.