IUK Announces New Round of Smart Grants for Disruptive R&D

The Innovate UK (IUK) Smart Grants provide an opportunity for businesses and research and technology organisations to apply for a grants to deliver ambitious or disruptive R&D innovations with significant potential for impact on the UK economy.

The competition provides funding for innovation research and development (R&D) from feasibility (including market research), through to experimental development stages up to (but not including) commercialisation.

IUK has allocated up to £25 million to fund a number of innovation projects in this competition. For projects with a duration of between 6 and 18 months, the total eligible project costs will be between £100,000 and £500,000 and can be single or collaborative. For those with a duration between 19 and 36 months, the total eligible project costs will be between £100,000 and £2 million and must be collaborative.

All proposals must be business focused, rather than pure research. Applications can come from any area of technology including arts, design & media, creative industries, science or engineering and be applied to any part of the economy.

To lead a project, the applicant must be a UK-based business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO). The project must be carried out in the UK. If collaborating with others, the application must include an SME. To work alone, the applicant must be an SME. Proposals from innovation-based businesses with significant ambition and potential for growth or scale-up are welcomed. Collaborators can be UK based businesses, academic organisations, charities, public sector organisations or RTOs.

The competition opens on 7 October 2021 and closes on 05 January 2022 (11:00 GMT).