Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is launching a funding competition with a total allocation of up to £8.5 million from the UKRI’s Engineering Biology Programme. This initiative is designed to support UK registered businesses in developing and scaling Engineering Biology platforms, products, and services. The competition aims to foster business-led research and development that results in new products, processes, or services, and de-risks the adoption of novel engineering biology technologies with significant market potential.
Program Details and Key Dates
• Opportunity Type: Collaboration and Funding
• Total Funding: A share of up to £8.5 million is available.
• Award Amount: Total eligible project costs must be between £750,000 and £2.5 million. The grant can cover up to 70% of these costs, contingent on the size of the business.
• Application Period: The competition opens on August 9, 2026, and closes at 11:00 AM on November 3, 2026.
• Project Timeline: Projects must be between 12 and 36 months in duration, starting no earlier than April 1, 2027, and concluding by March 31, 2030.
Eligibility and Consortium Requirements
• Lead Organisation: A project must be led by a UK registered business of any size.
• Consortium Structure: Projects must be collaborative and include at least one UK registered micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as a grant-claiming partner.
• Collaborating Partners: Eligible collaborators include UK registered businesses of any size, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations, and research and technology organisations (RTOs).
• Application Limits: An organisation may lead on only one application but can be a collaborator in up to two additional applications. Organisations not leading a project may collaborate on any number of applications.
• Funding Constraints: No single organisation is permitted to claim more than 70% of the total project costs.
• Geographic Focus: All project work must be conducted within the UK, with the intention to exploit the results domestically. The majority of the funding must be spent within the UK.
Project Scope and Focus
• Core Objective: To support business-led research and development that accelerates the creation and adoption of engineering biology technologies, driving economic growth and addressing societal challenges.
• Definition of Engineering Biology: For this competition, engineering biology is defined as the purposeful engineering of biological systems to create new or enhanced functions not found in nature or achievable through conventional methods.
• End-User Involvement: A critical requirement is the validation of the supply chain through the active involvement of at least one named end user, such as an OEM or Tier 1 supplier. The end user must have a clearly defined role in the project.
• Innovation Focus: Projects must demonstrate how the proposed innovation addresses a tangible commercialisation constraint in the UK and is centered on engineering biology. Supported activities include translation, validation, scale-up, manufacturing, and commercial deployment, provided they are directly enabled by the core engineering biology innovation.
Specific Themes and Technologies
• Application Themes: Projects must focus on developing or applying engineering biology solutions within one or more of the following areas: Health; Agriculture and Food; Chemicals and materials; Low Carbon fuels; Waste and environment; or Cross-cutting technology and service development.
• Relevant Technologies: Solutions can be built on various technologies where the core innovation is in engineered biological systems, including but not limited to: Biosensors and Diagnostics, Biomanufacturing Systems, Biocatalysis, Engineered Biomaterials, Metabolic Engineering, Nucleotide synthesis, Engineered Proteins and Enzymes, Cell and Microbe Engineering, Synthetic Biology Platforms, Gene Editing, and AI and Computational Biology.
Program Exclusions
• Projects that are not primarily focused on engineering biology or do not align with the specified competition themes.
• Initiatives involving the clinical development of any biologic, vaccine, or engineering biology-derived small molecule.
• Proposals for clinical trials or the preclinical evaluation of therapeutics.
• Projects classified as fundamental research, feasibility studies, or discovery-based science.
Application Process and Support
• Assessment Process: Applications will undergo a two-stage assessment. Successful applicants from the first stage may be invited to an interview and presentation.
• Success Probability: Based on similar competitions, the estimated success rate for applicants is up to 20%.
• Informational Briefing: Innovate UK Business Connect will host an online briefing event on Monday, September 14, at 11:00 AM. A recording will be available for those unable to attend.
• Collaboration Support: Organisations seeking partners can contact the Innovate UK Business Connect’s Biotechnology team for assistance.
• Alternative Funding: For projects focused on scale-up or validation that are not yet ready to involve an end user, the Engineering Biology Access to Infrastructure Pilot competition is an alternative option.
This funding opportunity represents a significant platform for businesses operating in the engineering biology space to secure substantial investment and collaborative support. By focusing on market-led innovation and supply chain validation, the program is structured to help translate UK research strengths into tangible economic growth and solutions to pressing global challenges.