Deadline Date: April 15, 2026
Innovate UK is offering UK-registered organisations the chance to apply for funding to create a central convening body that will coordinate the Robotics Adoption Hubs.
The focus areas of this opportunity include sharing knowledge across the network of physical hubs, creating a programme website as a landing page for enquiries, publicising the robotics adoption programme to end users, acting as a secretariat for hub leader meetings, coordinating materials and guides with standardised branding, aiming for self-sustainability, supporting all physical hubs equally across regions and sectors, incorporating international learnings on technology trends and adoption barriers, and serving as a source of information on the UK robotics ecosystem of suppliers, integrators, and courses.
The funding, provided by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and managed by Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will support the creation of a central convening body for the Robotics Adoption Hubs. These hubs are intended to give businesses independent advice on robotics, demonstrate practical applications of the technology, and connect end users with vendors, integrators, and finance providers. The initiative aims to close the knowledge gap that slows robotics adoption, ultimately improving productivity, safety, competitiveness, sustainability, health outcomes, infrastructure, and economic growth.
Applicants must detail how they will convene the national network of hubs and act as secretariat for hub leader meetings, demonstrate existing connections with robotics stakeholders, show the expertise and credibility of their consortia, and outline how they will develop a self-sustaining central convening body by the end of the project. Robotics is broadly defined for this competition, encompassing drones operating on land, sea, and air; autonomous plant and service robots; and industrial robots or automated machinery using sensors, actuators, and control software. Purely software-based systems are excluded.
Eligible projects must request grant funding between £1 million and £2 million, run for 43 months, start by 1 September 2026, and conclude by 31 March 2030. Project work must be carried out in the UK, and results must be exploited from or in the UK. Projects must always start on the first of the month, and no work should begin until the Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Only eligible project costs can be included in the application, and applicants should review the Subsidy Control section to ensure compliance. Lead organisations may include UK-registered businesses of any size, research and technology organisations, public sector organisations, or academic institutions.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
