MRC Equip: Mid-Range Biomedical Equipment

MRC Equip

Supports research equipment investments that expand laboratory capacity and strengthen translational health innovation.

MRC Equip is the Medical Research Council's capital equipment grant scheme, providing awards of £200,000 to £1,000,000 for the purchase of new or replacement mid-range biomedical research equipment at UK research organisations working within MRC priority areas. The 2026 round opens 13 August 2026 and projects run for seven months ending 31 December 2027, reflecting the capital procurement and installation timeline. The scheme is funded at 100% of full economic costs — applicants are not required to provide co-funding or matched institutional contributions, which distinguishes MRC Equip from many other capital funding instruments.

Eligibility is restricted to researchers employed at UKRI-eligible UK research organisations; for-profit businesses, nonprofits outside the research sector, and individuals cannot apply. International researchers are generally ineligible, with specific exceptions for MRC units in Gambia and Uganda. To prevent over-concentration of awards, MRC limits submissions to one application per researcher (as project lead) and a maximum of two applications per organisation per round. Applications must include multi-supplier quotes demonstrating market testing of the proposed equipment purchase, and the scientific case must demonstrate clear alignment with MRC biomedical research priorities.

Applications are submitted via the UKRI Funding Service. The scheme targets the mid-range equipment gap between small consumable expenditure covered within research grants and large infrastructure funded through dedicated national facilities programmes. Institutions planning to submit in the 2026 round should identify their priority equipment needs and obtain supplier quotes well ahead of the 13 August opening, as the competitive process requires justified budget and evidence that the equipment is not duplicating existing institutional capacity. The 100% fEC funding rate makes the scheme one of the most cost-effective capital routes available to UK biomedical research organisations.