Deadline Date: August 05, 2026
The Call for Advanced Connectivity Technologies: New Innovators provides funding support for UK registered micro and small businesses to develop affordable, adoptable, and investable innovations in Advanced Connectivity Technologies.
The focus areas include developing new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of those currently available, proposing innovative uses of existing products, processes or services, and exploring new or innovative business models.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £500,000 from the UKRI ACT R&D Programme to support eligible UK registered small and micro businesses. The funding is provided through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The competition aims to provide targeted support to ambitious businesses working on Advanced Connectivity Technologies. The supported innovations should demonstrate potential to create impactful solutions and help businesses develop technologies that are affordable, adoptable, and suitable for investment.
The project grant funding request must be between £25,000 and £50,000, with total project costs required to equal the grant funding request. Projects must start by 1 November 2026, end by 30 April 2027, and last between three and six months.
Organisations receiving funding must carry out their project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK. Projects must begin on the first day of the month and cannot start until the Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK.
The competition operates through a competitive selection process, and funding may not be available for all proposed projects. Applications will be assessed based on several factors, including project quality and relevant considerations related to previous conduct with Innovate UK or UKRI.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
