Funding
Listed below are some of the Past Funding Calls (mainly grants) that have been available to companies in UK healthcare.
Future and Current Funding Calls can be found here.
For more information, please contact us.
Past Funding Calls
Studies seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of women
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 26 July 2024
Closed: 1pm 8 January 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
This is stage one of a two stage process. Successful stage one applications received will then be invited to submit a stage 2 application. Applicants will have 8 weeks to complete and submit their Stage 2 application form, which will then be considered at the following HTA funding committee meeting.
The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme is inviting applications for studies that aim to improve the health and wellbeing of women. This could include, but is not limited to, trials investigating conditions that only affect women, or conditions that affect both men and women but may affect women either disproportionately or in a different way.
All proposals submitted must describe an evaluation of an intervention or technology which falls within the scope of the HTA programme. Applicants should clearly define and justify their choice of patient group, study design and outcome measures, and explain how the research will fit into the remit of the HTA programme. Primary research (including randomised and observational studies) and evidence syntheses will be considered.
Under this call, the HTA programme is interested in all conditions and areas of research that focus on improving the health and wellbeing of women. Applications are particularly encouraged in the following areas:
-
Areas of research within which women have been historically under-represented.
-
Topics that are under-represented in the HTA portfolio (applicants can undertake searches of the funded portfolio on the NIHR Funding and Awards website).
-
Research into conditions that affect both men and women – but may affect women either disproportionately or in a different way.
-
Rare diseases that affect women.
Out of scope: Applications seeking to tackle maternity disparities should instead refer to the NIHR Challenge – Maternity Inequalities.
More information here.
Research in Mental Health Nursing (HSDR Programme)
Funder: NIHR
Open: 24 July 2024
Closed: 8 January 2025 (stage 1)
Sector: Healthcare
NIHR is interested in funding high quality applied health and social care research to increase and improve the evidence base about mental health nursing and the mental health nursing workforce. The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is accepting Stage 1 applications to this funding opportunity.
There are no fixed limits on the duration of projects or funding, and proposals should be tailored to fully address the research problem. Research costs are the costs of the research activity itself. These include data collection, analysis, other activities needed to answer the research questions, trial registration (if required) and the salary and indirect costs of staff employed to carry out the research.
More information here.
Behavioural overweight and obesity management interventions that include long term support in achieving and maintaining weight loss in children and young people
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 9 July 2024
Closed: 1pm 13 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life sciences
This is a two stage process.
All primary research projects are expected to establish a programme appointed Study/Trial Steering Committee and it is important that you read the Research Governance Guidelines before completing your application. Costs incurred by this committee should be included in the budget as appropriate.
For the purpose of this research, longer term interventions are those with a duration greater than six months, with follow up support lasting more than six months. Longer term support may include support from a registered dietitian or registered nutritionist, youth worker, school nurse, family support worker, local support group, online groups or networks, friends and family, free healthcare-endorsed apps, national programmes, charities, helplines, and community groups (such as local leisure services or sports clubs).
The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme wishes to commission research evaluating existing population level interventions delivered in non-NHS settings aimed at achieving and maintaining weight loss in children.
The Programme is predominantly interested in the evaluation of interventions operating at a population rather than an individual level, and their impact on health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. We recognise that interventions are likely to impact different (sub)populations in different ways. Applicants should explain and justify their choice of (sub)population.
Of particular importance to the PHR Programme is an understanding of inequalities in the impact of interventions on people from ethnic minority backgrounds and other vulnerable risk groups in the UK. Evaluations of interventions seeking to reduce health inequalities experienced by people from ethnic minority backgrounds are also of specific interest to the PHR Programme.
More information here.
Workforce health
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 9 July 2024
Closed: 1pm 13 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare
This is a two stage process.
Research question: What are the most effective interventions that organisations can adopt to improve the physical and mental health of the UK workforce?
Successful workforce health interventions are typically implemented through committed organisational leadership and take a preventive and proactive approach. Whilst the range of studies and the volume of literature on interventions is substantial, the current evidence base is fragmented, often of poor quality, and not necessarily generalisable across different workplaces and environments. Robust evidence of what works for whom and in which workplace contexts is needed.
The PHR Programme would like to fund new research to enhance this evidence base. It is predominantly interested in the evaluation of interventions operating at a population or organisational-wide level, which should address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health.
More information here.
Healthcare Technology Translation Partnership Scheme Outline
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Opened: 19 September 2024
Closed: 4pm, 12 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Award range: £400,000 - £1,500,000
Apply for funding to progress basic and fundamental engineering and physical sciences research towards proof of concept and validation through partnering with clinical and healthcare professionals, and industrial partners.
Projects will address unmet clinical needs, offer significant added value or both over current health solutions. Applications will provide detailed translation plans and show how the project has been co-developed in partnership to maximise the impact in healthcare.
This funding opportunity is intended to support the progression of basic and fundamental research towards application and impact within one of the following three challenges:
-
improving population health and prevention of ill health
-
transforming prediction and early diagnosis
-
discovering and accelerating the development of new interventions
The full economic cost (FEC) of projects can be up to £1.88 million. EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
More information here.
Investor Partnerships in health technologies, West Yorkshire: Rd 1
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 4 November 2024
Closed: 11am, 11 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare
Your project’s total costs will depend on your research category and must be between £50,000 and £300,000 for feasibility studies, £100,000 and £1 million for industrial research, or £250,000 and £2 million for experimental development.
You must demonstrate that if your project is funded, it will:
-
have significant market impact
-
be scalable
-
be attractive to equity investors
Your project must focus on human health technology innovation. You can address any human health challenges that include, but are not limited to:
-
overcoming health inequalities
-
global net zero challenges in healthcare
-
major health conditions
-
the prevention of disease
-
earlier and better detection and diagnosis of disease
-
other challenges that can be tackled with health technologies
Following the independent assessment, all applications scoring over 70% will be reviewed by a panel including Innovate UK and our local partners for this Launchpad.
More information here.
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland – Rd2 CR&D
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 4 November 2024
Closed: 11am, 11 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Your project’s total grant funding request must be between £150,000 and £1 million.
and it must also:
-
last between 6 and 18 months
-
carry out all of its project work in the UK
-
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
-
not start before 1 May 2025
-
end by 31 December 2026
This competition is split into two strands:
-
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland, Round 2 Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) (this strand)
-
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland, Round 2 De minimis or Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA)
It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your application to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope.
Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
Diagnostics, therapeutics and biomarkers
-
multi-omics
-
medical imaging
-
liquid biopsy
-
biomarker or genetic testing
-
diagnostic or therapeutic development
Data, digital and medical devices
-
point-of-care testing
-
wearable or ambient sensors
-
clinical trials decision support
-
augmented reality
-
digital health
Innovations in healthcare service delivery
-
health service productivity
-
integrated care platforms
-
remote rehabilitation
Your project can also consider the following enabling areas:
-
artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum
-
advanced therapies, novel formulation or delivery
-
regulation or ethics
-
supporting innovation in skills development
These lists are not exhaustive.
More information here.
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland – Rd2 MFA
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 4 November 2024
Closed: 11am, 11 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £4.3 million for projects that grow their innovation activities in the life and health sciences cluster in Northern Ireland. Your project’s grant funding request must be between £25,000 and £100,000.
The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must use the funding to grow your innovation activities in the life and health sciences cluster in Northern Ireland both during and after your project.
Your proposal must align to the scope criteria for this competition.
This competition is split into two strands:
-
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland, Round 2 De minimis or Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) (this strand)
-
Launchpad: life and health sciences, Northern Ireland, Round 2 Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D)
Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
Diagnostics, therapeutics and biomarkers
-
multi-omics
-
medical imaging
-
liquid biopsy
-
biomarker or genetic testing
-
diagnostic or therapeutic development
Data, digital and medical devices
-
point-of-care testing
-
wearable or ambient sensors
-
clinical trials decision support
-
augmented reality
-
digital health
Innovations in healthcare service delivery
-
health service productivity
-
integrated care platforms
-
remote rehabilitation
Your project can also consider the following enabling areas:
-
artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum
-
advanced therapies, novel formulation or delivery
-
regulation or ethics
-
supporting innovation in skills development
These lists are not exhaustive.
More information here.
Efficacy studies seeking to improve the health and wellbeing of women
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 27 August 2024
Closed: 1pm, 10 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
A 2 stage process. There is no set upper limit for the duration or cost of applications, however value for money will be a key consideration.
The MRC-NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is inviting applications for efficacy trials that aim to improve the health and wellbeing of women. This could include, but is not limited to, trials investigating conditions that only affect women, or conditions that affect both men and women but may affect women either disproportionately or in a different way.
Applications are particularly encouraged in the following areas:
-
Areas of research within which women have been historically under-represented.
-
Topics that are under-represented in the EME and HTA portfolios. Applicants can undertake searches of the funded portfolio on the NIHR Funding and Awards website.
-
Hypothesis-testing mechanistic studies to examine a differential response to a treatment between men and women (“mechanism of action” research). This may be embedded within an efficacy study, or make use of patients or samples from an existing NIHR study or other completed study, with the same eligibility criteria as a mechanistic study application to the current EME Researcher-Led funding opportunity.
-
Rare diseases that affect women.
More information here.
Innovation Accelerator
Funder: Alzheimer's Society
Open
Closed: 06 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Do you have a business that will transform the lives of people living with dementia?
You may be creating a product or service that makes an everyday task easier for a person living with dementia. You may be using novel technologies to unblock challenges in the dementia pathway. Or you could be giving an existing product, a new purpose in the dementia space.
To accelerate your business, The Alzheimer's Society's programme offers a 12-month partnership including: up to £100K of funding.
In return, The Alzheimer's Society will look for a return on investment, the terms of which they'll negotiate if you're successful. This could include a percentage return on product revenue, equity investment or other another mechanism depending on various factors.
UK – Germany Bilateral: Collaborative R&D Round 4
Funder: Innovate UK, The (German) Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs And Climate Action
Opened: 30 September 2024
Closed: 11am 6 December 2024
Sector: ALL
UK registered organisations (a UK SME must be involved) can apply for grant funding of up to £500,000 per project to enhance UK and German collaborations in emerging fields of technology. Organisations must collaborate with at least one German SME applying under the equivalent German ZIM programme.
The aim of this competition is to enhance UK and German collaborations and capabilities in the emerging fields of technology in our society. This is to develop and deliver new innovations and applications of the technologies across a broad range of sectors.
A variety of projects across a range of sectors and technology areas may be funded. Applications are encouraged from the following emerging technology areas:
-
Quantum
-
AI
-
Semiconductor Applications
-
Engineering Biology
-
Future Telecommunications
-
Green Technologies including hydrogen and battery technologies
This list is not exhaustive.
German partners must apply to and will be funded by AiF, acting as an agent for BMWK, for the German component of the project set out in this application.
More information here.
Invention for Innovation (i4i) Product Development Awards (PDA) Call 29 Stage 1
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 10 October 2024
Closed: 1pm, 5 December 2024
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) supports collaborative research and development of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for use in the NHS or social care systems. PDA are researcher-led and support early product development and real-world evaluation.
The expected focus of a project funded by PDA is one or more of the following:
-
Product development required to enable technologies for clinical use or use in social care
-
Clinical development of a laboratory-validated technology
-
Real-world evaluations to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative products, which already have demonstrated safety and efficacy
The aim is to achieve benefit to patients and end users, de-risk technologies and make them attractive to follow-on funders, investors and buyers, in particular NHS commissioners and national guidance bodies. Projects must have demonstrated proof-of-concept as a minimum, which is generally described as TRL3.
More information here.
Eureka Globalstars Japan round three
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 9 September 2024
Closed: 11am 4 December 2024
Sector: ALL
UK applicants can apply for total grant funding of up to £600,000 for each project.
Your project can last between 12 and 36 months and is expected to start by 1 June 2025 and end by 31 May 2028. Projects must be collaborative. No more than 70% of the total eligible project costs can be claimed by a single partner or by all partners from a single participating Eureka country collectively.
To be eligible for grant funding from Innovate UK your collaboration:
-
must be led by a UK registered business of any size
-
must partner with a Japanese registered SME which must be a separate non-linked entity to the UK project partners
-
can include other UK registered organisations.
Your project must have high market potential and develop at least one of the following:
-
innovative products
-
technology-based applications
-
technology-based services
More information here.
Knowledge transfer partnership (KTP): 2024 to 2025 Round 4
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 30 September 2024
Closed: 11am, 4 December 2024
Sector: ALL
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business or not for profit organisation ('business partner'), to partner with a ‘knowledge base partner’, which is either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.
The KTP partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner recruits the ‘associate’ to work on the project. The associate has the opportunity to lead a strategic development within the business, developing new skills and gaining valuable experience. Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner and supported by a knowledge transfer adviser.
A project’s total eligible costs are £8,500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months. A proportion of the knowledge base partners costs will be funded by Innovate UK. The rest of the eligible project costs are paid by the business partner.
More information here.