Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is launching a funding competition for UK registered businesses to collaborate with Singaporean enterprises on innovative research and development projects. Innovate UK will invest up to £3 million in business-led collaborative R&D projects focused on industrial research, subject to receiving a sufficient number of high-quality applications.
Program Aim and Thematic Scope
• Objective: To fund business-led collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused specifically on industrial research.
• Total Funding: Up to £3 million has been allocated by Innovate UK, subject to sufficient high-quality applications being received.
• Focus Sectors: Proposals must focus on one of the following areas:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy
- Life Sciences
- Digital and Technologies, specifically frontier technologies including Semiconductors, Quantum, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Advanced Connectivity Technologies, and Engineering Biology.
Innovate UK intends to support a portfolio of projects across different technologies within these areas.
Eligibility Criteria for Applicants
• Collaboration Requirement: Applicants must form a UK-Singapore collaboration. The consortium must include at least one Singapore registered business that is a separate legal entity and is not linked to the UK project partners.
• Lead Organisation Requirements: To start and lead an application through the Innovation Funding Service, the lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.
• UK Collaborator Eligibility: UK registered collaborators may include:
- Businesses of any size
- Academic institutions
- Research and technology organisations (RTOs)
• Singapore Partners: Singapore partners do not need to be added as project partners in the UK Innovation Funding Service application. They must submit a parallel application to Enterprise Singapore and will be funded separately under the Singapore programme.
• Application Limits: An eligible organisation can lead only one application. An organisation leading an application may also participate as a collaborator in up to two additional applications. Organisations that are not leading can collaborate in any number of applications.
Project Requirements
• Grant Funding Request: The UK partners' Innovate UK grant request must be between £100,000 and £900,000 per project.
• Project Duration: Projects must last between 24 and 36 months.
• Project Timeline: Projects must not start before 1 May 2027 and must end by 30 April 2030.
• Project Location: The majority of project activity must take place in the UK and Singapore. UK project partners must carry out the majority of their work in the UK, spend most of their Innovate UK funding in the UK, and intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
• Consortium and Cost Distribution: At least one non-linked Singapore registered business must participate. No individual project partner or either country may represent more than 70% of the total project costs.
• Technological Contribution: Projects must demonstrate a balanced technological contribution from participants in both countries and be of comparable significance to the UK and Singapore partners.
• Commercial Exploitation: Applicants must demonstrate a clear intention to commercially exploit the project results domestically or globally.
• Subcontracting: Subcontractors are permitted, but subcontracting must not exceed 20% of the total eligible costs of the UK participation.
• Research Organisation Participation: Research organisations conducting non-economic activity may account for up to 30% of the project's total eligible costs.
Application and Funding Process
• UK Application: UK registered organisations must submit their application to Innovate UK through the Innovation Funding Service (IFS).
• Singapore Application: Singaporean project partners must submit a parallel application to Enterprise Singapore for the Singapore component of the project.
• Joint Approval: A project must be independently selected for funding by both Innovate UK and Enterprise Singapore before an award can be made.
• Funding Allocation: Innovate UK funding is available only to eligible UK participants. Singapore partners are funded separately by Enterprise Singapore in accordance with its own eligibility and funding rules.
• UK Business Funding Rates: For industrial research, eligible UK business costs may be funded at:
- Up to 70% for micro or small organisations
- Up to 60% for medium-sized organisations
- Up to 50% for large organisations
• Success Rate: Innovate UK states that experience from similar competitions suggests applicants could have approximately a 15% chance of success. This is an indicative figure rather than a guaranteed success rate.
Briefing and Partnering Support
• Online Briefing Event: An online briefing event will be held on 27 August 2026 at 11:00 UK time. Briefing slides are expected to be made available through the competition's supporting information after the event.
• Partner Search Support: Organisations seeking a project partner can contact Innovate UK Business Connect for assistance.
• Matchmaking Platform: Innovate UK Business Connect and Enterprise Singapore are providing a B2Match business matchmaking platform to support UK organisations seeking suitable Singaporean collaboration partners.
Key Dates
• Competition Opens: 24 August 2026
• Online Briefing: 27 August 2026 at 11:00 UK time
• Application Deadline: 16 December 2026 at 11:00 UK time, equivalent to 12:00 GMT+1
• Applicants Notified: 26 February 2027
• Earliest Project Start: 1 May 2027
• Latest Project End: 30 April 2030
The UK-Singapore CR&D 2026 competition provides an opportunity for UK and Singapore businesses to jointly develop commercially focused industrial research projects in strategically important technology sectors. Applicants should carefully coordinate their UK and Singapore submissions, ensure that their consortium meets the bilateral participation and cost-sharing requirements, and demonstrate a balanced collaboration with a credible route to commercial exploitation.