The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships programme is running Advance 2026, a scale-up accelerator focused on accessibility, assistive, and inclusive technologies. The cohort is designed for innovators with customer-validated products who are ready to expand internationally, with applications closing 1 October 2025 at 12:00 BST. The programme is delivered with the Global Disability Innovation Hub under the AT2030 initiative, funded by UK International Development.
What the program is
Focus and theme
- Theme: Accessibility, Assistive, and Inclusive Technologies for 2026.
- Collaboration: Royal Academy of Engineering with the Global Disability Innovation Hub, part of AT2030.
Who it targets
- Innovators with a customer-validated product aiming for rapid scale and international expansion.
- Alumni from LIF (LIF 1-7, LIF Global 22-25) and APEI cycles, as well as other qualifying entrepreneurs.
Timing and duration
- Applications close 1 October 2025, 12:00 BST.
- Training and mentoring run for seven months starting January 2026, with sessions from February to June 2026.
What participants receive
Core outcomes
- Training in business model validation, stakeholder mapping, and storytelling or conflict-resolution to strengthen leadership and soft skills.
- 1-to-1 expert input on team building, problem-solving, investment timing, and IP protection.
- Masterclasses, mentoring, optional advisory boards, and practical guidance on marketing, customer communication, sales pipelines, and engineering processes.
UK residential (July 2026)
- In-person training, network building, and investor pitching in the UK.
- International flights, UK transfers and travel, hotels, and meals covered by the Academy. Insurance, visas, and other personal expenses are the participant’s responsibility.
Alumni access
- Ongoing access to the LIF community, mentoring, training, and networking via the LIF Innovators platform.
Program structure at a glance
Phases and modules
- Pre-programme diagnosis, challenge identification, and business model validation.
- Three modules: 1) Business model deep-dive, 2) Stakeholder mapping and strategic partnerships, 3) Storytelling and soft-skill enhancement.
Schedule
- Cohort onboarding in January 2026, mixed online and in-person delivery February to June 2026, UK residential in July 2026.
Eligibility and readiness
Core criteria
- Innovation aligned with the 2026 theme and at least TRL 7, with a prototype demonstrated in an operational environment, initial customer engagement, and proof of business concept.
- An established business around the innovation, with the applicant as the original innovator and majority owner. Evidence of incorporation is required.
Inclusion and adjustments
- Applications welcomed from under-represented backgrounds, with reasonable adjustments available to remove participation barriers, including childcare and accessibility needs.
Application process
- Read the Advance 2026 Guidance Notes.
- Register or log in to the RAEng Grants Management System.
- Submit under “LIF Advance 2026.”
Track record and impact
- Advance has run annually since 2020, supporting innovators across Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, and Vietnam.
- From 2020 to 2024, 56 entrepreneurs completed the programme, with 70 percent holding patents, more than £4 million raised post-programme, average £120,000 annual revenue, 1.4 UK partnerships per innovator, three relocations to the UK, and an average of nine jobs created.
Advance 2026 is a targeted opportunity for scale-ready innovators building accessible and inclusive technologies to strengthen strategy, partnerships, and market access. All dates, criteria, and logistics are set by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and applications are handled directly through its systems.