Deadline Date: April 01, 2026
The Innovate UK is now accepting grant applications to support projects that integrate UK-anchored advanced connectivity components into complete, secure, and technically assured end-to-end systems.
The competition focuses on overcoming the system-level integration gap that prevents high-value UK advanced connectivity components from forming procurable solutions, enabling secure multi-vendor interoperability, system assurance, and market-ready evaluation.
Applicants are expected to integrate TRL 4–7 UK-anchored advanced connectivity technologies and components into defined end-to-end system architectures, demonstrate secure multi-vendor interoperability across Core, RAN, and hardware or software layers, fund and deliver system-level integration rather than component development alone, generate technical evidence including reference architectures and performance and security reports, and ensure relevance for end users and adopter stakeholders to align with market needs.
The competition will invest up to £18.5 million in projects, with individual grant requests between £2 million and £4 million, and no single organisation claiming more than £3 million. Projects must be completed within 18 months.
Eligible applicants must include a Systems Integrator accountable for overall system design, multi-vendor interoperability, and security and resilience assurance, as well as at least one small, medium, or large business. All funded organisations must carry out project work in the UK and intend to exploit results from or in the UK.
Projects must always start on the first of a month and cannot commence until the Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays during project setup may affect the official start date.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
