Deadline Date: June 10, 2026
The Innovate UK is seeking grant applications to support collaborative industrial research projects aimed at improving productivity, resource efficiency, and resilience within advanced manufacturing supply chains.
The focus areas of this programme include collaborative industrial research, development of innovative solutions that are new or not yet widely adopted, improvement of supply chain productivity, enhancement of resource efficiency, strengthening supply chain resilience, application of competition themes across advanced manufacturing frontier industries, scaling of solutions across multiple manufacturing sectors, and validation of supply chain improvements through engagement with end users such as OEMs or Tier 1 organisations.
The total eligible grant funding request must be between £250,000 and £1 million, and project durations must range from 12 to 36 months.
The competition is designed to encourage innovation in advanced manufacturing by supporting projects that explore new approaches to strengthening supply chains. It requires applicants to demonstrate how their proposed solutions will contribute to improved performance in productivity, resource use, or resilience within targeted industrial supply chains.
Projects must be collaborative in nature and focus on industrial research that addresses real-world challenges in advanced manufacturing. Applicants are required to clearly define the theme of their project and identify at least two advanced manufacturing frontier industries that will benefit from the proposed solution.
A key requirement is the involvement of at least one named end user from the supply chain, such as an original equipment manufacturer or Tier 1 supplier, to support validation and ensure relevance to downstream industry needs. The solution must also demonstrate potential scalability across adjacent manufacturing industries.
Eligible projects must be carried out within the United Kingdom, with the intention that results will be exploited within or from the UK.
Projects must commence on the first day of a month following approval of the Grant Offer Letter. No work may begin before official approval is granted, and delays during setup may impact the start date.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
