The Infrastructure Productivity Scale-Up Programme is a four-month initiative designed to provide UK businesses with the industry connections, market insight, and tailored support needed to scale proven productivity solutions. Led by Connected Places Catapult and supported by the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership (i3P), the programme is seeking high-potential UK SMEs with established solutions that address pressing productivity challenges within the infrastructure sector. Its focus is on overcoming barriers to adoption and accelerating deployment rather than supporting new technology development.
Programme Overview
• Programme Duration: Four-month programme, with programme activities taking place between October 2026 and March 2027.
• Target Audience: Up to ten UK-registered small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Core Mission: To help businesses with proven solutions at TRL 8 or above overcome adoption barriers and accelerate deployment across the UK infrastructure sector.
• Support Provided: Participants receive tailored support to strengthen their evidence base, improve procurement readiness, build strategic industry relationships, and develop a clear route to market.
Funding and Demonstration Opportunities
• Demonstration Funding: Cohort members can apply for up to £8,000, including VAT, to support the costs of demonstrating their solution to potential buyers.
• Application Requirement: Applicants must submit a high-level demonstration plan setting out the intended activity, expected evidence and outcomes, and a broad cost breakdown.
• Allocation Details: Final funding allocations will be agreed after selection and will depend on the quality and suitability of each proposal and the overall funding available.
Eligibility Criteria
• Company Status: Must be a UK-registered small or medium-sized enterprise.
• Technology Readiness: Must have an innovative technology or solution at TRL 8 or above.
• Solution Maturity: The solution must have moved beyond research and development and have been proven in real-world conditions.
• Challenge Alignment: The solution must address at least one of the four published challenge areas.
• Track Record: Applicants must have tested, demonstrated, or deployed the solution in a relevant environment and be able to provide evidence from at least one real project.
• Commercial Viability: Applicants must be able to demonstrate commercial potential.
• Sector Experience: Applicants must already operate within construction or infrastructure, or be seeking to transfer a proven solution from another sector.
Participant Expectations
• Collaboration: Be willing to work collaboratively with Connected Places Catapult and programme partners.
• Commitment: Be able to commit appropriate time and resources to the programme.
• Availability: Be willing to travel occasionally for face-to-face meetings, including the Welcome Day, programme workshops, and showcase events.
• Active Engagement: Be available to participate actively in programme activities between October 2026 and March 2027.
Programme Benefits
• Build Your Productivity Case: Gain a deeper understanding of infrastructure productivity challenges, procurement requirements, and emerging standards such as PAS 4010 through expert-led industry insights and mentoring.
• Access Expert Guidance and Networks: Connect with infrastructure owners, operators, contractors, investors, and other key stakeholders, with opportunities for introductions that may lead to commercial opportunities and strategic partnerships.
• Develop Your Adoption Strategy: Receive tailored support to strengthen your commercial proposition through business needs assessments, growth planning, and investor engagement opportunities.
• Validate and Showcase Your Solution: Demonstrate your solution's real-world impact in front of relevant industry audiences, helping to build confidence among potential customers and support wider adoption and procurement.
Challenge Areas
• Challenge 1: Integrated Productivity Visibility: How might we create integrated productivity visibility across the supply chain, where client, design, contractor, and site systems often operate in isolation?
• Challenge 2: Scaling Waste and Delay Reduction: How could we prove and scale methods that reduce waste and delay on infrastructure sites when conventional specifications and standards can inhibit adoption?
• Challenge 3: Improving Project Confidence: How might we improve confidence in infrastructure project costs and delivery programmes by improving visibility of the factors driving schedule and cost variance?
• Challenge 4: Integrating with Existing Systems: How might we integrate productivity solutions with infrastructure clients' existing systems and workflows to reduce adoption and integration risk?
Application Support
• Application Support Webinar: Connected Places Catapult will host an online session to help prospective applicants understand the programme offer and the application and assessment process.
• Purpose: The webinar will provide further information about the programme and give applicants an opportunity to learn more about the application process.
• Date and Time: 3 September 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00. The current official Connected Places Catapult opportunity page lists this updated date; the Innovate UK Business Connect listing still shows the earlier date of 19 August 2026.
Key Programme Dates
• Applications Open: 5 August 2026.
• Applications Close: 28 September 2026 at 12:00 GMT+1.
• Shortlist Interviews: 12–15 October 2026.
• Successful Candidates Notified: 21 October 2026.
• Welcome Day: 28 October 2026.
• Programme Delivery: October 2026 to March 2027.
The official Connected Places Catapult page currently states that applications close at 12:00 on 28 September 2026, although an older timeline on the same page and the Innovate UK Business Connect listing still display 14 September 2026. The live application section and open-call closing date therefore provide the most current deadline.
Through its four pillars of support, the Infrastructure Productivity Scale-Up Programme is designed to help SMEs move beyond proving that their technology works and towards repeatable commercial deployment across the UK infrastructure sector. By strengthening evidence, improving procurement readiness, developing industry relationships, and creating demonstration opportunities, the programme aims to help participating businesses secure customers, build credibility, and scale their impact.