BRITISH BUSINESS BANK: Investment Fund for Scotland

The PRIMED 2nd Open Call invites potential end-users to obtain funding for testing and validating bio-based ingredients and products within real production environments. The initiative aims to integrate novel bio-based materials into existing production processes, addressing specific industry challenges and promoting market adoption.

Arts Council National Lottery are offering funding to people in England who are creative, or work in the arts, museums or libraries. The fund supports thousands of individual practitioners, community and cultural organisations

The READ-OUT Digital Cognitive Dementia Assessments competition, funded by Innovate UK, supports the deployment and evaluation of high-maturity digital cognitive assessments (DCAs) for dementia within the READ-OUT blood-based biomarker study led by the University of Oxford, contributing to wider initiatives like the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative.With up to £1.2 million in total funding (inclusive of VAT), single projects can receive up to £600,000, starting on 1 August 2025 and lasting up to 20 months, to be completed by 31 March 2027. Proposals must demonstrate real-world readiness, show potential impact on dementia diagnosis and care, and be aimed at integrating DCAs into existing clinical pathways. The competition is open to organisations of any size, with collaboration optional, and projects must stay within the £600,000 cost limit and adhere to the defined timeline.

​The EIC Accelerator is a European funding programme under Horizon Europe that supports start-ups and SMEs developing innovative, game-changing products, services, or business models with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones. It offers grant funding of up to €2.5 million for innovation activities (TRL 6-8) and equity investments ranging from €0.5 to €10 million, with higher amounts available under the STEP ScaleUp scheme.

Creative UK have partnered with Triodos Bank on the Creative Growth Finance fund to offer loans of £100,000 to £1m* to businesses that bring change, disruption and new IP to the creative industries, harness creativity with technologies and supporting businesses and are talent led.

The SMART: SCOTLAND grant, administered by Scottish Enterprise, aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in conducting feasibility studies for high-risk, highly ambitious research and development (R&D) projects. The grant focuses on projects that represent a significant technological advance for the UK industry or sector concerned and have a clear commercial endpoint.

​The EIC Work Programme 2025 outlines over €1.4 billion in funding to support breakthrough technologies and innovations in Europe. It introduces the STEP Scale Up scheme, allocating €300 million for larger investments in companies advancing strategic technologies. The programme also emphasizes increased access to Business Acceleration Services, particularly for emerging companies from 'widening countries'. ​

The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), administered by the British Business Bank, is designed to support access to finance for UK smaller businesses as they look to invest and grow. Launched on 1 July 2024, GGS succeeds the Recovery Loan Scheme, offering a range of financial products through accredited lenders. ​

The FOAK 2025 – Platform Train Interface competition, part of the Department for Transport’s First of a Kind (FOAK) Programme, aims to support innovative suppliers in developing and demonstrating high-maturity solutions (RIRL 5 or above) that enhance safety, accessibility, and efficiency at the Platform Train Interface (PTI) within the UK rail industry. With up to £4.7 million in total funding available (inclusive of VAT), individual projects can receive up to £200,000 and must be delivered within 3 to 7 months, to be completed by 31 March 2026. Proposals must provide evidence of prior development and readiness for field testing and focus solely on the PTI theme. The competition is open to organisations capable of delivering solutions for the rail sector, with the aim of accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies that improve railway operations.

‍

This Expression of Interest (EoI) competition supports projects aligning with the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, focusing on civil aerospace applications, including dual-use technologies. Areas include zero-carbon emission technologies (battery, hydrogen, fuel cells), ultra-efficient technologies (energy efficiency, CO2, NOx, noise reduction), cross-cutting enabling technologies (aircraft lifecycle design and analysis), and non-CO2 technologies (fuel characteristics, aircraft systems, data operations).

The NIHR's Health Technology Assessment Programme seeks research proposals to evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of technology-based interventions aimed at improving care and support for individuals with deafblindness in social care settings.

Scottish Enterprise's Research and Development (R&D) Grants aim to support businesses in Scotland that are developing new products, processes, or services, or significantly enhancing existing ones. The program seeks to boost business competitiveness, stimulate further R&D activities, and benefit the Scottish economy. ​

NIHR are funding research into decarbonising the health and social care system as part of their commitment to achieving net zero. Proposals must generate high-quality evidence on decarbonisation through innovative or existing interventions, service models, or care pathways, with a guideline minimum funding of £200,000

‍

The Digital Solutions for Energy Transition initiative, administered by Scottish Enterprise, aims to foster collaboration between the energy and digital sectors to address challenges within the energy industry. The program seeks to demonstrate how digital solutions can enhance efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in energy-related processes, contributing to Scotland's transition to a net-zero economy.

​The European Space Agency's Open Call for Proposals invites businesses from any sector to apply for funding throughout the year to develop new commercial services that utilise one or more space assets, such as satellite communications, Earth observation, or satellite navigation.

The FOAK 2025 – Personal Safety competition, part of the Department for Transport’s First of a Kind (FOAK) Programme, is designed to support the development and demonstration of innovative, high-maturity solutions (RIRL 5 or above) that enhance personal safety across the UK rail industry. Proposals must specifically address personal safety challenges, show clear evidence of prior development and readiness for field testing, and focus solely on the personal safety theme. Up to £4.7 million in total funding is available across four themes (inclusive of VAT), with individual projects eligible for up to £200,000 and a delivery window of 3 to 7 months, to be completed by 31 March 2026.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF II), managed by the British Business Bank, aims to stimulate economic growth and innovation by providing financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Midlands region. Building upon the success of the first Midlands Engine Investment Fund, MEIF II seeks to enhance the availability and diversity of early-stage finance, thereby fostering business expansion and job creation. ​

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.

The ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 1 is designed to help farming, growing, or forestry businesses in England by offering a fixed £2,500 grant to engage an external Project Facilitator who will support the development of a Full ADOPT Grant application. The Full ADOPT Grant focuses on on-farm trials and experiments that address significant challenges or opportunities in agriculture, aiming to improve productivity, resilience, sustainability, or progress towards net-zero farming. To be eligible, applicants must be based in England and committed to submitting a Full ADOPT Grant application within six months of receiving the support grant. The funding is specifically for engaging a Project Facilitator, and payment is only made upon submission of the Full ADOPT application. The scheme supports innovation directly linked to real-world farming needs, targeting improvements in key areas like productivity and sustainability.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the "Space for Intermodal Transport" funding opportunity to support European teams in developing sustainable, space-based services and applications that enhance intermodal transport for both freight and passengers. This initiative aims to improve the efficiency, flexibility, and environmental sustainability of transportation systems by integrating multiple modes of transport through innovative solutions utilizing satellite data and space-based technologies. ​

The Maritime Decarbonisation: Green Fuels initiative, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to support the development of space-based services that facilitate the maritime sector's transition to green fuels and propulsion systems. This effort is part of ESA's broader commitment to promoting sustainability within the maritime industry by leveraging space technologies.

The Developing Semiconductor Hardware for Critical Technologies competition, run by Innovate UK, offers grant funding for feasibility studies that explore innovative ideas in semiconductor hardware design or manufacturing, aiming to boost the UK’s global position in critical technologies. With up to £5 million available, projects can receive between £75,000 and £300,000, must last up to 6 months, and start by 1 September 2025, ending no later than 28 February 2026. Proposals should assess both technical and commercial feasibility, address market barriers and opportunities, and demonstrate potential impact on UK businesses in key areas such as AI, quantum computing, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing. The competition is open to UK-registered businesses of any size, with optional collaboration, and all project work and exploitation of results must be UK-based.

This is a multi-sector generous loan opportunity of between £100k and £2m for UK registered, highly innovative SMEs with projects lasting up to 5 years.

The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme invites stage 1 applications for research addressing health service practices with potential to improve patient and NHS user wellbeing. As a researcher-led initiative, it welcomes diverse proposals tackling health service challenges. The programme funds high-quality quantitative and qualitative research with clear patient benefit, emphasizing public and patient involvement and co-development with service users.

The DCMS Create Growth Programme Competition 4: Small Projects aims to support UK-registered micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative sector to explore new innovation projects that stimulate business growth. This initiative is part of a broader effort to provide targeted support to high-growth creative businesses, enabling them to scale, build investor networks, and realize their potential.

The Investment Fund for Wales, managed by the British Business Bank, aims to support the growth and development of smaller businesses across Wales. This initiative is part of the broader Nations and Regions Investment Funds, designed to address regional funding gaps and promote economic development.

The Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 10 competition, administered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to support ambitious research and innovation projects across various sectors. It seeks to foster excellence in innovation, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, and develop the next generation of research and innovation leaders.

The MAGICIAN Open Call 1 aims to support European startups and SMEs in developing innovative solutions that enhance robotic defect detection and repair in manufacturing. The focus is on integrating advanced perception technologies and improving human-robot collaboration to boost productivity, safety, and quality in industrial processes. ​

‍

The Farming Futures R&D Fund: Low Emissions Farming competition, part of the Farming Innovation Programme delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with Defra, aims to fund collaborative industrial research projects that develop innovative solutions to reduce emissions in existing farming practices. Projects must address major on-farm or immediate post-farmgate challenges or opportunities, contributing to more sustainable and productive farming in England.

‍

The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Product Development Awards (PDA) Call 30 aims to support collaborative research and development of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices, and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies intended for use within the NHS or social care systems. The programme focuses on de-risking innovations by funding early product development and real-world evaluations, thereby making them more attractive to follow-on funders, investors, and buyers, particularly NHS commissioners and national guidance bodies.

‍

The SMART: SCOTLAND grant aims to support high-risk, highly ambitious projects providing support to conduct feasibility studies. It’s only available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based in Scotland

The FOAK 2025 – Bridge Strikes competition, part of the Department for Transport’s First of a Kind (FOAK) Programme, aims to support the development and demonstration of innovative, high-maturity solutions (RIRL 5 or above) that prevent or mitigate the impact of bridge strikes on the UK railway network. Proposals must focus solely on the bridge strikes theme, offering clear evidence of prior development and readiness for field testing. With a total of up to £4.7 million in funding available across four themes (inclusive of VAT), individual projects can receive up to £200,000 and must be delivered within 3 to 7 months, with completion by 31 March 2026. The competition is open to organisations capable of delivering safety-enhancing, disruption-reducing solutions for the rail industry, specifically targeting the prevention and management of bridge strike incidents.

Apply for AHRC standard research grant funding to support collaborative arts and humanities projects. Projects must involve a UK-based project lead and at least one co-lead to develop and manage the research. These grants aim to foster collaborations within and beyond academia, enhance career development for researchers, and promote effective dissemination of research outcomes. Proposals can involve interdisciplinary or international partnerships and may include individual research components that demonstrably add value to the overall project.

UKRI seeks a single innovative, interdisciplinary project under its Creating Opportunities, Improving Outcomes theme to address economic inactivity in areas with high rates of ill-health, disability, and informal care. The project will investigate local systemic factors shaping inactivity, identify effective support strategies, bridge research-to-practice gaps through collaboration with policymakers and local partners, and improve access to administrative data for inactivity research.

You can apply for funding from ESA for the Open Call for Proposals or through specific themed opportunities. Your project must delivered R&D related to the space industry

The OSCARS 2nd Open Call for Open Science Projects and Services aims to foster the adoption of Open Science practices across Europe. By providing financial support to third parties, the initiative seeks to develop enduring interdisciplinary FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data services and best practices, promoting widespread adoption of FAIR data-driven research within the European Research Area (ERA).

The ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 1 is aimed at farming, growing, or forestry businesses based in England, offering a fixed £2,500 grant to help engage an external Project Facilitator who will assist in developing a strong application for the Full ADOPT Grant. This support is intended to enable on-farm trials and experiments that address key challenges or opportunities in agriculture, with the goal of improving productivity, resilience, sustainability, or advancing progress towards net-zero farming. Applicants must show a clear commitment to submitting a Full ADOPT Grant application within six months of receiving the support, as the grant payment is dependent on proof of submission. The funding must be used specifically to bring in a Project Facilitator to guide the development of the main grant application, with a focus on innovative solutions that tackle practical on-farm or immediate post-farmgate issues.

The Healthy Homes funding opportunity, offered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) through its Public Health Research (PHR) Programme, aims to fund research evaluating strategies to mitigate the adverse health effects of substandard housing. The initiative seeks to identify effective interventions that can improve living conditions and, consequently, public health outcomes.

‍

ESA aims to fund projects that use space technology to improve the insurance industry. This includes finding ways to predict and prevent risks, manage claims more efficiently, and enhance customer experiences.

The Royce Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) aims to foster collaborative research, development, and innovation (RD&I) projects in advanced materials. It connects companies with UK experts and cutting-edge facilities to accelerate technology translation and address significant materials science challenges. ​

This call seeks proposals for feasibility studies using space technology (SatCom, SatEO, SatNav) to advance green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. Focus areas include energy, transportation, maritime, and smart cities, addressing challenges in hydrogen production, storage, and distribution. Projects should assess satellite-based solutions for environmental sustainability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, engaging user communities to develop proof of concept and pathways for future applications aligned with net-zero goals by 2050.

The NebulOuS Open Call 2 aims to support pilot projects that test and validate the NebulOuS Meta-OS platform, a meta operating system designed for brokering hyper-distributed applications across cloud computing continuums. The goal is to explore new use cases beyond current pilots, demonstrating the platform's adaptability across various scenarios and promoting its adoption in the market.

​The European Space Agency (ESA) invites proposals for feasibility studies and demonstration projects that leverage space-based services and applications to enhance smart cities. This initiative addresses challenges arising from rapid urban population growth and climate change, focusing on areas such as urban development, emissions, air pollution, digital communication, transport, and urban overheating.

The Commercial Applications of Space Weather Data initiative by the European Space Agency (ESA) aims to support the development of commercial services that leverage space weather data to protect critical infrastructure and services on Earth. This initiative seeks to assess the technical and economic viability of services that monitor, model, and predict space weather impacts across various sectors.

The DCMS Create Growth Programme Competition 4: Large Projects aims to support UK-registered micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative sector to undertake ambitious innovation projects that drive business growth. This initiative is part of a broader effort to provide targeted support to high-growth creative businesses, enabling them to scale, build investor networks, and realiSe their potential.

The competition seeks proposals that:​–Utilize AI to address complex process challenges in the rail sector.​

‍

–Demonstrate high maturity solutions at Rail Industry Readiness Level (RIRL) 5 or above.​

–Provide evidence of prior development and readiness for field testing.​

–Focus on one of the specified themes, particularly AI for complex processes.​

‍

Applicants must select a single theme for their proposal; for this competition, the focus is on AI for complex processes.​

‍

‍Areas of Interest:Artificial Intelligence applications aimed at improving complex operational processes within the railway system.

The Farming Futures R&D Fund: Precision Breeding Competition aims to support collaborative industrial research projects that unlock the benefits of precision breeding in developing ambitious new solutions.

‍

The goal is to lead to more sustainable and productive farming practices in at least one of the following two farming subsectors:
–Horticultural crops
–Arable crops​
–This initiative aligns with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)'s targets and commitments and empowers the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.

‍

The MRC-NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme invites applications to assess novel non-pharmacological approaches for diagnosing, treating, or managing ADHD in children and adults. Proposals should target core symptoms or related conditions and provide strong clinical rationale and proof of concept. Evaluations must focus on interventions or technologies with convincing human evidence of efficacy, including diagnostic tools with promising sensitivity, specificity, or predictive value.

‍

Provide financial support to highly innovative, late-stage R&D projects that demonstrate the potential for significant economic impact and a clear path to commercialisation.

The SOPRANO Open Call aims to support SMEs and startups in developing industry-relevant prototypes that integrate SOPRANO technologies for multi-human, multi-robot (MH-MR) collaboration in industrial settings. The goal is to enhance robotics capabilities in dynamic environments such as manufacturing floors, construction zones, and agri-food production sites, fostering seamless cooperation between humans and intelligent machines.

The Space4Rail initiative, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to enhance the railway sector by integrating space-based assets—such as satellite navigation, satellite communications, and Earth observation—into innovative and sustainable applications and services. The goal is to improve the performance, efficiency, safety, and attractiveness of railways for both operators and end-users. ​

‍

​The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is offering funding to help health and social care services prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change, like heatwaves and floods. This funding aims to bring together diverse research teams to develop ambitious research plans and build future research capacity. It also supports teams seeking funding from other NIHR programmes. ​

The Defence Rapid Impact (DRI) competition aims to fund innovative ideas that address both current and emerging defence challenges. It seeks disruptive innovations—whether technologies, materials, or concepts—that could provide a step change in military capability and offer a strategic advantage over adversaries. The competition targets ‘blind spots’ in defence while also welcoming novel solutions to known challenges. It operates independently of existing MOD equipment, R&D projects, or programmes

‍

This competition by the Department for Transport aims to develop affordable, user-friendly hardware and software solutions for coaches to comply with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023. The solutions must provide accessible audio and visual route, destination, and location information, supporting disabled passengers. Proposals should prioritize scalability, compatibility, and affordability while incorporating innovative technologies.

​The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is launching a funding opportunity through its Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme to support the development of transformative and disruptive innovations aimed at reducing waiting lists and waiting times in healthcare services. ​

The Content Fund is a joint plan between Government and industry to drive growth, build talent and develop skills across the creative sectors.

The Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) funding, administered by Scottish Enterprise, is a discretionary grant aimed at encouraging capital investment and job creation in designated Assisted Areas of Scotland, classified as Tiers 2 and 3. The primary objective of RSA is to support projects that contribute to economic growth, job creation, and Scotland's transition to a greener economy.

​The EIC Accelerator Challenges 2025 offer €250 million to support startups and SMEs developing breakthrough technologies in five key areas: advanced materials, low-emission food production, generative AI, in-space services, and future mobility. Each challenge has a dedicated budget of €50 million. These initiatives aim to drive innovation and address significant EU objectives. ​

i4i THRIVE (Translate Healthcare Research through InnoVation and Entrepreneurship) programme invites innovations at prototype development level (Technology Readiness Level (TRL 3)) and above which demonstrate potential to reduce health inequalities and meet needs in underserved communities.

‍

ESA aims to support projects that use space technology to make the energy sector more resilient and sustainable. This includes improving how we manage electricity, maintain equipment, store energy, and handle renewable resources.

The EIC Pathfinder Open aims to support ambitious, high-risk research projects that develop radically new technologies with the potential to create new markets or provide transformative solutions to major challenges. It focuses on early-stage scientific research and breakthrough innovation, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and visionary technological developments.

‍

This initiative offers UK-registered small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) loans ranging from £100,000 to £2 million. The loans are intended to support late-stage research and development (R&D) projects that are highly innovative and have strong commercial potential to significantly benefit the UK economy. Projects should focus on developing new or improved products, processes, or services that are ahead of current market offerings or propose innovative applications of existing solutions.

This is a Contracts for Innovation competition funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The aim of the competition is to accelerate the innovations needed to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region or South and Central America.

‍

The MAGICIAN Open Call 1 aims to support European startups and SMEs in developing innovative solutions that enhance robotic defect detection and repair in manufacturing. The focus is on integrating advanced perception technologies and improving human-robot collaboration to boost productivity, safety, and quality in industrial processes. ​

This fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across Wales.

​Innovate UK is offering grants between £50,000 and £300,000 for early-stage projects aimed at improving clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific regions. The goal is to develop affordable, reliable, and low-carbon energy solutions that promote gender equality, disability inclusion, and social inclusion.

This grant supports UK businesses and partners who are working on digital solutions to help local communities reach net zero (reduce carbon emissions to as close to zero as possible).

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), managed by the British Business Bank, aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunities for new and growing businesses across the North of England. Building on the success of the first Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, NPIF II delivers a £660 million commitment of new funding to smaller businesses. ​

NIHR i4i Challenge Awards support the real-world evaluation of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for us in the NHS or social care system. The i4i Challenge Awards provide funding for collaborative projects with a focus on implementation research on technologies which have demonstrated safety and efficacy, and have a clear pathway towards adoption and commercialisation.

‍

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Proof of Concept funding opportunity aims to support the early-to-mid stage commercialisation of research outputs. The initiative focuses on validating and developing concepts derived from research to facilitate their progression along various commercialisation pathways, such as licensing, spinouts, social ventures, or other routes.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative arts and humanities research projects, enabling researchers to establish or enhance interdisciplinary and international partnerships, foster early-career researcher development, and maximise the impact of research outcomes through effective communication and knowledge transfer. Proposals should prioritize arts and humanities perspectives while integrating diverse disciplines and sectors. Projects, funded for up to five years, must align with AHRC or NSF-SBE research themes and demonstrate a proportionate commitment from project leads.

The WE-RISE Open Call #1 aims to support women-led startups in the GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech sectors. The initiative provides funding and tailored support to enhance market presence, accelerate growth, and engage with investors.

NIHR is seeking research proposals to develop and evaluate interventions aimed at preventing and/or managing lymphoedema following breast cancer resection. Proposals should focus on innovative approaches to address this condition, which affects many breast cancer survivors. The goal is to improve patient outcomes and quality of life through effective prevention and management strategies.

The LSIMF will provide capital grants across the UK and sector-wide to support investments in the manufacturing of human medicines (including active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished products), medical diagnostics (for disease identification and monitoring), and MedTech products (medical devices for human health). The fund will remain open until all funding is allocated.

The Digital Solutions for Manufacturing initiative, administered by Scottish Enterprise, aims to foster collaboration between manufacturing companies and digital technology providers to address specific challenges within the manufacturing sector. The program seeks to demonstrate how digital solutions can enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation in manufacturing processes, thereby contributing to Scotland's economic growth and competitiveness.

​The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) offers funding for various technology development activities. The funding varies depending on the type of activity and the specific element under which it falls. For example, Element 1 De-Risk activities are fully funded up to €200,000, while Building Block activities under the same element can receive support up to €500,000, with the possibility of total activity costs reaching €1 million, requiring match funding from the applicant. Elements 2 (Make) and 3 (Fly) activities typically require 50% match funding, with the amount of funding subject to discussion with the UK Space Agency's GSTP Team prior to submission.