SFC Interface Innovation Vouchers
Offers voucher-based projects so Scottish organizations can work with universities on urgent innovation needs.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Innovation Voucher Programme is administered by Interface, the national body linking Scottish businesses with university expertise, on behalf of SFC. It is the only SFC funding stream directly accessible to private businesses — all other SFC funding flows as institutional block grants to Scottish higher education institutions. The programme has been running since 2008 and has supported over 1,500 business-university collaborations; in 2023–24 alone, 231 projects were delivered, leveraging £1.7 million in total partnership funding. The annual SFC allocation for 2025–26 is £615,000, supplemented by a further £250,000 from Scottish Enterprise for Advanced Innovation Vouchers, giving a total public-side envelope of £865,000.
Three voucher types are available. Standard Innovation Vouchers provide up to £5,000 for first-time collaborations between an SME and a Scottish university, college, or research institute. Follow-On Innovation Vouchers are available to businesses that have completed a successful Standard Voucher project and wish to continue the partnership. Advanced Innovation Vouchers, co-funded by Scottish Enterprise, support larger and more complex collaborative R&D projects. All three types require the applicant to be a Scottish-based SME and to identify a specific business challenge where academic R&D input will provide a defined output. The programme is open year-round on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines, and funding decisions are made continuously subject to the annual envelope.
Applications are submitted directly through the Interface online portal at interface-online.org.uk. Interface matches the applying SME to appropriate academic expertise across Scottish universities and facilitates the project agreement. Businesses should note that the annual public envelope is fixed and demand is ongoing, meaning early application in each academic year (which begins in August) reduces the risk of encountering exhausted funds. The match-funding structure — industry partners historically contribute approximately £600,000 per year alongside the public funds — means applicants should budget for a contribution to project costs alongside the voucher value.
Vouchers of up to £5,000 enabling Scottish SMEs to work with a Scottish university, college, or research institute on a defined business challenge, available on a rolling year-round basis.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see what you submit
Sign up free to see the timeline