Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation (CfI)

Contracts for Innovation: FOAK26

Supports United Kingdom transport innovators through pre-commercial procurement for prototyping, testing, and demonstration development.

Contracts for Innovation: FOAK26 (First Of A Kind 2026) is a pre-commercial procurement programme co-funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Transport, offering £4,300,000 in contracts for transport innovation across eight thematic challenge areas. Opened on 11 May 2026 and closing on 24 June 2026 at 11:00am UK time, FOAK26 is structured as a Contracts for Innovation (CfI) instrument — an SBRI-style pre-commercial procurement rather than a standard grant — which means the winning organisation delivers a prototype, field-testing programme, and demonstration to a public-sector buyer rather than receiving unrestricted R&D funding.

A notable feature of FOAK26 is its broad geographic eligibility: organisations of any size, including those based in the EU, EEA, or internationally, may apply. This distinguishes it from most Innovate UK grant calls, which restrict lead applicants to UK-registered entities. Contracts are awarded to a single legal entity only; subcontractors are permitted, but the prime must accept sole contractual liability. As a procurement contract rather than a grant, IP rights, payment structures, and reporting obligations differ materially from Innovate UK's standard grant conditions, and applicants should review the CfI contract terms in the programme guidance before submitting.

FOAK26 is suited to organisations with a technology solution at sufficient maturity to prototype and field-test within the contract period, and with the capacity to engage as a commercial supplier to a government buyer. The Department for Transport's co-funding reflects the programme's emphasis on real-world transport system improvement. Winning organisations gain both a procurement contract and a publicly demonstrated capability, which can underpin subsequent commercial sales or further R&D investment.