Deadline Date: April 15, 2026
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering up to £38 million to establish Robotics Adoption Hubs that will accelerate the uptake of robotics and autonomous systems across regions to boost productivity, safety and economic growth.
The aim of this competition is to bridge the knowledge gap to impact productivity, safety and growth, and deliver public benefit through accelerating adoption of robotics. Hubs will advise end users on robotics benefits, costs and integration needs, help identify applications, and connect them with vendors, integrators and finance providers; showcase robotics technologies and capabilities at the Hub and in representative environments; build in a mechanism to be self-sustaining beyond the end of the programme; work with the central convening body to share lessons learned, develop national adoption resources, and triage enquiries to the most suitable Hub; focus on adoption-led activity rather than low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) or fundamental research; reuse existing facilities rather than building new or significantly refurbishing physical infrastructure; and purchase limited robotic demonstration equipment for showcasing, with primary use of existing hardware. Proposals must detail how applicants will work with end users to provide impartial advice and connect them with vendors, integrators and finance providers; evidence existing connections with end users and the size of the potential market for robotics advice; show the expertise, experience and credibility of consortia members; demonstrate how a self-sustaining Robotics Adoption Hub will be developed by the end of the project; display connectivity with businesses, universities and local authorities across the region; commit to achievable tangible robotics adoption results; and include details of available and newly acquired facilities and equipment.
Funding for this competition is provided by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and delivered by Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation. It is one of two separate competitions running in parallel, alongside a Central Convening Body competition, and applicants must ensure they apply to the correct stream as applications cannot be transferred if submitted out of scope.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £38 million, subject to a sufficient number of high-quality applications. Individual projects must request between £2 million and £7.5 million in eligible grant funding. Projects must last between 40 and 43 months, start by 1 September 2026, end by 31 March 2030, and always begin on the first day of a month. Applicants must not start project work until a Grant Offer Letter has been approved.
All funded organisations must carry out project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or within the UK. Only eligible project costs can be included, and applicants are advised to review the Subsidy Control and State Aid requirements before applying. As this is a competitive process with a capped funding allocation, not all high-scoring applications may receive funding.
To lead a collaborative project, the organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, research and technology organisation, public sector organisation or academic institution. Academic institutions or RTOs acting as lead must collaborate with at least one business. Organisations wishing to work alone must be a UK registered business or public sector organisation. Collaborating partners may include UK registered businesses, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector bodies and research and technology organisations.
The Robotics Adoption Hubs are expected to build on existing regional strengths and capabilities, supporting practical adoption of robotics technologies including drones operating on land, sea and air; autonomous plant and service robots; and industrial robots or automated machinery that use sensors, actuators and control software, while excluding systems that are only software-based. Through expert guidance, demonstration and regional collaboration, the programme seeks to create sustainable one-stop shops that accelerate robotics uptake across the UK economy.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
