Aerospace & Space grants
ESA and ATI funding for hardware that has to fly
Aerospace hardware is expensive to prove, which is exactly why the Aerospace Technology Institute and the European Space Agency run some of the deepest non-dilutive pipelines available to UK companies, with rolling open calls that can carry a company for years. Fit to a named ESA activity or ATI theme matters more here than almost anywhere else.
£190m+ won by our team
PhD-level specialists who have won these awards themselves.
Funders funding aerospace & space
- Dstl
Programmes that fit aerospace & space companies
ESA open calls
Rolling submission against defined activity areas, including Digitalisation of the Water Sector and connectivity themes.
ATI SME Programme
Open and directed topics with an identified aerospace prime as the route to market.
Innovate UK Zero Emission Vessels & Infrastructure
Mission-led funding bridging aerospace and maritime propulsion technology.
What assessors actually score
- Current technology readiness level stated honestly, with a credible next increment
- Mass, power and thermal budgets that survive scrutiny
- A named mission, prime contractor or programme office as the infusion path
Where we work in aerospace & space
Aerospace & Space grants in our directory
Live programmes from the UK grant directory that suit aerospace & space projects. Deadlines move between rounds, so each listing links through to the current detail.
Innovate UK
[IUK] MDI Programme Innovation and Scale-up Hub
Innovate UK Manufacturing Digitalisation Innovation (MDI) competition to establish an Innovation and Scale-up Hub for Frontier 5 manufacturing (advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, batteries, space). Grant £3.8m–£4m over 36 months from 1 April 2027.
Horizon Europe
[HORIZON - Energy] Renewable Energy Valleys in Africa to increase energy security and energy access in Africa HORIZON-CL5-2027-02…
Expected to open. Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in all African Union member states are exceptionally eligible for Union funding. If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). The following additional eligibility criteria apply: At least two legal entities established in at least two different African Union member states must be part of the consortium as beneficiaries.
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Energy supply] Stage 1: Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of inn…
What the Grant Supports This call supports the development of next-generation battery concepts and advanced materials that go beyond current state-of-the-art battery technologies. Projects can start at any TRL but are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by project completion. Projects must focus on one of the following application areas: * Low-cost batteries for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage * High-performance batteries for aviation, maritime, and other demanding mobility applications * Advanced battery concepts for grid-scale and industrial energy storage Funding is available for:…
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Energy supply] Stage 2: Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of inn…
What the Grant Supports This call supports the development of next-generation battery concepts and advanced materials that go beyond current state-of-the-art battery technologies. Projects can start at any TRL but are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by project completion. Projects must focus on one of the following application areas: * Low-cost batteries for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage * High-performance batteries for aviation, maritime, and other demanding mobility applications * Advanced battery concepts for grid-scale and industrial energy storage Funding is available for:…
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Industry & Digital] Horizon Cluster 4: Made in Europe — Advanced manufacturing
The Made in Europe partnership is Horizon Europe's flagship route for advanced manufacturing, sitting within Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space). Its 2027 topics fall under the HORIZON-CL4-2027-01 Industry call, in the destination covering leadership in materials and production for Europe. Two core topics carry the partnership: advanced manufacturing for key products, an Innovation Action covering manufacturing technology and machinery for high-performance products, increased circularity through secondary raw materials, and improved resource and energy efficiency; and factory processes an…
Aerospace Technology Institute
[ATI] Stage 1: ATI: SME PROGRAMME
This call is for UK-registered small and medium-sized aerospace supply-chain companies (or consortia led by/including an SME) wanting non-dilutive grant funding for R&D that strengthens their position in civil aerospace. Applicants can apply solo or in collaboration with other businesses, academic institutions, RTOs or public sector bodies, but research organisations cannot lead the project. Projects must be carried out and exploited in the UK, align with the ATI's Engineering Growth technology strategy, and ensure at least 50% of eligible project costs go to MSMEs in the consortium. This sui…
Relevant client wins
Grants our team has won for companies solving comparable technical problems.
£452,654
For composite production leap
Mayku
Advanced manufacturing: composites
Read the case study
£375,000
£375K awarded; delivery accelerated by ~2 years
HiLo Maritime Risk Management
AI / safety: maritime risk
Read the case studyPair your grant with R&D tax credits
R&D tax relief can recover part of the match funding a grant asks you to cover. Our R&D tax credit specialists plan both together. Use the R&D tax relief calculator to see what your spend could return, or read accountant vs R&D tax specialist.
Fund your aerospace & space R&D
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