Funding
We have listed below some of the key funding calls (mainly grants) that are applicable to companies in UK healthcare. For more information, please contact us.
Past funding calls can be viewed using these links:
Upcoming Funding Calls
Contracts for Innovation: Cyber scale in critical sectors
Funder: Innovate UK
Open: 01 May 2026
Closes: 11am, 10 June 2026
Sector: Selected industrial sectors
​This single stage opportunity offers up to £300k per organisation to deploy and scale near‑market cyber security solutions in real operational environments across UK critical sectors, under a 12‑month R&D services contract fully funded by Innovate UK. Up to 100% of eligible project costs can be covered and the competition is not subject to subsidy control. The lead applicant can be an organisation of any size, working alone or with UK‑based subcontractors providing specialist skills; the contract is awarded to a single legal entity. All project work and key deliverables must be done in the UK, by the applicant, with any subcontractors also UK‑based.
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The aim is to help promising cyber security organisations prove and scale solutions by operating them in real environments within critical sector organisations.Target solutions should be at Technology Readiness Level 7 at entry and reach TRL 8 or above by project end.
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Your project must focus on one or more of these challenge areas:
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Proactive cyber defence of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) systems, including operations and incident response.
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Advanced solutions for detecting and evicting sophisticated actors from CNI networks.
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Innovative threat hunting solutions for CNI organisations.
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Advanced solutions addressing legacy system vulnerabilities in CNI.
Key requirements for what you do in the project:
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Deploy and run your solution in a real operational environment of a critical sector organisation.
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Work closely with potential end users and customers, using their feedback to improve the product.
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Have at least 50% of contract value directly and exclusively on R&D (exploration, design, prototyping, field‑testing).
More information here.​
Developmental pathway funding scheme: stage one
Funder: MRC
Opens: 2 July 2026
Closes: 9am, 18 November 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions.
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Your project can start and finish at any stage on the developmental pathway from prototype development, through pre-clinical refinement and testing to early-phase clinical studies and trials (up to phase 2a).
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You must be based at a research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding.
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There is no limit on the amount of funding you can apply for, but it should be appropriate to the project. We usually fund 80% of a project’s full economic cost (FEC).
More information here.
Current Funding Calls
Artificial intelligence (AI) champions: frontier AI phase one
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 17 March 2026
Closes: 11am, 29 April 2026
Sector: ALL
The aim of this competition is to advance the development of state of the art artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the UK. Innovate UK will fund UK SMEs to validate the technical feasibility of ambitious AI, and ML innovations that could deliver step-change improvements in capability and enable new products, services or platforms.
In this competition series, Frontier AI refers to be any AI and ML systems that deliver state of the art benchmark performance against or genuinely new to the world capability in a clearly specified area.
This advance must be attributable to innovation in one or more of the following:
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model, system architecture
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training methodology
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core control or learning algorithm
This is a three-phase stage-gated funding pipeline approach, Innovate UK will support the next wave of UK AI Champions, from early technical validation through to scale-up. Experience from similar competitions suggests that you could have 2% chance of success.
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Your project’s total eligible costs must be between £150,000 and £250,000.
More information here.
Secure Software for Resilient Growth
Funders: Innovate UK / Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Opened: 16 March 2026
Closes: 11am, 29 April 2026
Sector: ALL
Collaborative R&D funding to enable UK organisations to adopt the Government's Software Security Code of Practice (SSCoP), driving growth of secure and resilient software supply chains. Focus areas include tools or systems to incentivise adoption, engagement and training, metrics and testing to improve understanding of cyber resilience in complex software systems, and sector-specific guidance for supplier management. The NHS Cyber Security Charter for Suppliers already references SSCoP, making this directly relevant to health tech suppliers. Projects must begin by August 2026 and run for 12–18 months. £250,000 – £750,000 per project (share of £5 million)
Eligibility: UK registered organisations (companies of any size, research organisations, universities). Must be collaborative - lead organisation plus at least one business partner. Grant covers up to 70% of eligible costs (50% for large companies).
More information here.
i4i FAST - April 2026
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 8 April 2026
Closes: 1pm, 29 April 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life sciences
​FAST is aimed at innovators in need of a small amount of funding to answer a specific question or to fund a single piece of activity to advance healthcare technologies and interventions for increased patient benefit. Awards are designed to address an evidence gap and innovations must have demonstrated experimental proof of concept as a minimum.
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This single stage funding opportunity provides the critical bridge for proven technologies in a community/primary care setting (TRL5) to move beyond standalone pilots and become embedded, interoperable components in community care.
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Key features of FAST
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Simple application process, fast response
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Funding a single activity to address an evidence gap
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Applications between £50k and £100k over 6 to 12 months
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i4i FAST April 2026 launch webinar on 23 March 2026, 12pm - 1.15pm. Register here.
More information here.
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Advancing innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 16 February 2026
Closes: 11am, 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare
This funding is for pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital interventions that can show real world effectiveness and progress towards UK market use. Projects must also secure the regulatory approvals or certificates needed for rollout. By the end of the funded project, innovations should have achieved:
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necessary regulatory approvals and certification, or work already underway to get them
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full market readiness analysis and clear plans for manufacturing and UK rollout
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If your proposal is technological you must include the design and features of your solution and how it will be applied.
This AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards scheme and the funding is split into two strands:
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CR&D industrial research for industry led R&D projects: grants to support projects with total eligible costs up to an expected £10 million (this strand)
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Contracts for Innovation for industry led R&D projects: up to an expected £1.5 million funding per project, inclusive of VAT
More information here.
Contracts for Innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 16 February 2026
Closes: 11am, 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare
​Innovate UK, on behalf of the Office for Life Sciences Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, will award up to 8 SBRI-style contracts (£200,000 to £1.5 million each) as part of a £20 million AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards scheme to develop pharmaceutical, MedTech and digital solutions that improve treatment outcomes, support recovery and reduce harm and deaths from drug and alcohol addiction. Projects can be up to £1 million for MedTech/digital, up to £1.5 million for pharmaceutical solutions. Project start/end: Start 1 October 2026, end by 30 September 2028, up to 24 months’ duration.
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Aim and scope
Projects must develop addiction-focused pharmaceutical, digital health or MedTech solutions that, by the end of the contract, reach TRL 6–7, show user acceptability and UK market fit, and have a clear plan for IP, regulation, certification and commercialisation. They must address illicit drug or alcohol use (e.g. opioids, stimulants, cannabis, GHB, ketamine, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids) and target improved treatment outcomes, recovery, or harm and overdose prevention.
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Proposals must work closely with people with lived experience and treatment or service providers, and engage statutory bodies to map regulatory and adoption pathways. Strong bids will align with the James Lind Alliance addiction priorities, Addiction Healthcare Goals, the UK 10‑year drugs strategy From Harm to Hope and relevant devolved strategies, and show clear commercial potential and UK route to market.
More information here.
​Improving mobility and quality of life after stroke
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 4 December 2025
Closes: 1pm, 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare
The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is looking to fund research into improving mobility and quality of life after stroke.
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This is a 2-stage, commissioned funding opportunity. To apply for the first stage you should submit an outline application. If invited to the second stage, you will then need to complete a full application. This is a focused funding opportunity where the intention is to fund a single study.
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Research question
What is the clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve mobility on the quality of life of people who have had a stroke?
More information here.
​James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships rolling funding opportunity
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 8 January 2026
Closes: 1pm, 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​​The JLA Priority Setting Partnerships facilitate patients, carers and clinicians to work collaboratively to identify research priorities in particular areas of health and care.
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Write a maximum of 5 A4 pages for your research plan. When reviewing applications, NIHR will not consider any additional information over this 5 page limit.
Applicants should clearly state how their proposed research addresses a current evidence gap and how the research adds value to the existing NIHR research portfolio.
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The top 10 priorities (for multiple years and countries) of the JLA priority setting partnerships are shown here. 2025 priorities include:
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Bone marrow transplantation in paediatrics
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Burn injury
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Co-existing dementia and hearing conditions
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Diverticular disease
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East London Pandemic PSP for Ethnic Minority Communities
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Epidermolysis Bullosa
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Faecal Incontinence in Adults
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Mental Health and the Body Clock
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Midwifery Practice and Maternity Care
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Palliative and End of Life Care Refresh
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Perianal Crohn’s Disease
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Prehabilitation for Hip & Knee Replacement Surgery
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Premature Babies born <25 weeks' gestation
More information here.
NICE rolling funding opportunity
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 8 January 2026
Closes: 1pm, 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA) is inviting outline applications via the commissioned workstream. We are interested in receiving applications to meet recommendations in research identified in NICE guidance that has been published or updated in the last 5 years.
Applications must be within the remit of the HTA Programme, and the primary outcome measure must be health related. The following research programmes are also participating in this funding opportunity:
After checking the programme remit, you should apply directly to the relevant programme funding opportunity.
This is a 2-stage funding opportunity. To apply for the first stage you should submit an outline application. If invited to the second stage, you will then need to complete a full application.
More information here.
​EIC Accelerator 2026 (Open Call)
Funder: European Innovation Council
Open
Closes: 6 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding Level: up to EUR 2.5 million grant (UK applicants: grant only; equity component not available). Project Duration - typically 12–24 months
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The EIC Accelerator Open calls have no predefined topic. This call is for innovations in any field of technology and innovations that cut across different scientific, technological, sectoral and application fields. The EIC Accelerator is Europe's flagship funding instrument for breakthrough innovators, providing high-risk, high-reward funding to individual SMEs with world-class potential. Unlike collaborative research programmes, the Accelerator is designed for single companies pursuing disruptive innovation - meaning UK health tech scale-ups can apply directly without needing a consortium partner.
The programme covers a wide range of technology domains highly relevant to health tech: Health and Medical Technologies, AI and Robotics, Digital and Data technologies, and advanced diagnostics. Projects funded have included AI-driven diagnostics, digital therapeutics, wearable health monitors, and next-generation medtech devices. The EIC particularly values innovations with potential for global market disruption and clear routes to commercialisation.
Eligibility Summary
UK-registered SMEs and start-ups (including spin-outs and scale-ups with fewer than 250 employees). UK is an Associated Country to Horizon Europe, making UK organisations fully eligible for the grant component. Stage 1 (short application) can be submitted at any time; Stage 2 (full proposal) is submitted by one of the fixed cut-off dates after a successful Stage 1.
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More information here. ​
UK 2026 Grants Programme: Solutions for Healthy Communities 2026
Funder: MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) UK
Open
Closes: 5pm, 7 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
MSD UK's annual grants programme - 'Solutions for Healthy Communities' - funds practical, real-world initiatives that improve health outcomes and system efficiency. For the 2026 round, the programme is particularly interested in projects that align with a community and neighbourhood care model, that are prevention-focused, or that harness digital innovation to enable healthy living and behaviours.
The programme has a track record of funding digital health implementations that drive measurable results. Previous awards include AI-based tools for improving cervical screening access (resulting in a 160% increase in booking rates), digital navigation services, and community health tech pilots. The focus is on initiatives that can demonstrate tangible health or operational impact within 12 months.
Grants are structured as arm's-length financial awards - MSD provides funding but does not direct project activities. Applications are reviewed by a grants committee (Grantscommittee@msd.com), and successful projects must submit regular progress reports. While the individual grant amounts are relatively modest, MSD's imprimatur can add credibility and support further commissioning or scale-up funding.
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Eligibility: UK-registered healthcare and patient organisations. Applications via MSD grants portal. You need to demonstrate alignment with the MSD grant programme goals:
• Addresses health inequalities
• Delivers patient and population impact
Funding Level: Healthcare organisations: £15,000–£25,000; Patient organisations: £5,000–£15,000​
Apply here.
Commercialising Knowledge Assets Fund (CKAF) Spring 2026
Funders: Government Office for Technology Transfer / Innovate UK
Opened: 17 December 2025
Closes: 11am, 7 May 2026
Sector: Public sector
​Funding Level: £50,000–£250,000 (UKRI funds 80% of FEC; 20% co-funding required). Project Duration: typically 6–18 months.
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The Commercialising Knowledge Assets Fund (CKAF) is a targeted government programme that helps public sector research organisations translate their intellectual property and research outputs into commercially viable products and services. The Spring 2026 round is open to NHS research bodies and other public sector health research institutions seeking to move proven innovations closer to market.
Eligible activities include prototype development, market validation, regulatory pathway assessment, IP strategy development, user-centred design, and expert business or investor advisory services. The fund specifically targets the 'valley of death' between research outputs and commercial products — making it particularly well-suited to health tech innovations that have promising evidence bases but need support to reach market.
For NHS trusts with research arms, innovation hubs, or HINs operating as PSREs, CKAF provides a direct funding route to commercialise digital health tools, diagnostics, care pathway innovations, and other health technologies that have been developed within public sector settings but lack the commercial development support to reach patients at scale. Applicants must demonstrate a viable public-sector knowledge asset ready to move towards commercial readiness.
More information here.
Mental Health Data Prize UK 2026
Funder: Wellcome Trust
Open
Closes: 12pm, 8 May 2026
Sector: Mental Health
​The Mental Health Data Prize UK is an open challenge for teams with a bold idea for a new digital tool or application that uses existing mental health data in innovative ways.
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It brings together people from academia and industry, offering funding, tailored support, and a vibrant learning community to help transform great ideas into scalable solutions that improve early intervention for anxiety, depression, and psychosis.
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Delivered by Social Finance in partnership with Wellcome, the programme supports Wellcome’s mission to transform early intervention in mental health.
The prize will support the development of data tools that contribute to improving early intervention for anxiety, depression and psychosis.
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Six teams will be selected from shortlisted applications and will each receive up to £100,000 to develop and test their prototypes. After nine months, three teams will be chosen to receive up to an additional £300,000 each to continue developing their tool or application for a further nine months.
More information here.
EIC Pathfinder Open
Funder: EU - Horizon
Open
Closes: 12 May 2026
Sector: ALL
Funding: Up to €4 million per project (consortium total)
Duration: Typically 3–4 years
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The EIC Pathfinder Open supports visionary, high-risk/high-gain research aimed at producing technology breakthroughs with the potential to create entirely new markets. There are no predefined thematic areas – any domain is eligible provided the science is sufficiently ambitious and novel. Areas of particular relevance include AI-enabled diagnostics and health tools, novel therapeutics, medical devices based on emerging physical or biological principles, and digital health infrastructure.
The EIC Pathfinder is an early-stage research grant (typically TRL 1–4), so it is well-suited to academic-led consortia exploring genuinely new science with commercial partners.
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This grant is a strong fit for UK health tech companies partnering with European universities on cutting-edge AI, diagnostics, or medical device research. The large funding envelope and long project duration make it attractive for ambitious collaborations.
More information here.
​Sandpit: AI-Supported Research Using Social Science Data
Funders: UKRI, ESRC
Open: 23 March 2026
Closes: 4pm, 12 May 2026
Sector: AI
​Funding: up to £230,000 FEC. Total fund available is £875,000.
Project Duration: up to 36 months
Eligibility: collaborative consortia comprising:
(1) an analytical partner as lead applicant,
(2) a technology partner (the product provider), and
(3) at least one NHS adopting site or service.
Applications must address a product that has received a NICE recommendation for early use (including Early Value Assessment or Medtech Innovation Briefing). UK-registered organisations only. Two-stage process: outline applications at this stage. Full application closes 23 September 2026; funding decision expected from December 2026.
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Smart Data Research UK, ESRC, Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) and DARE UK are running a two-day residential sandpit to generate collaborative research projects that harness artificial intelligence to unlock insights from UKRI-funded social science datasets. The event will convene researchers from AI, data science, social science, and domain expertise (including health) to co-produce feasible, high-impact project ideas.
One of four explicit research themes is health and wellbeing, encompassing mental health monitoring, chronic disease management, and health-service utilisation patterns. Participants will form new cross-disciplinary consortia during the sandpit, and the most promising ideas will be developed into full proposals worth up to £230,000 FEC. UKRI covers 80% of the full economic cost.
This sandpit is part of a broader Smart Data Research UK initiative to position the UK at the forefront of responsible AI-driven social science, directly complementing the government's AI Opportunities Action Plan and the UKRI AI Research and Innovation Strategic Framework.
More information here.
UKRI Translation: Proof of Concept
Funder: UKRI
Opened: 4 March 2026
Closes: 4pm, 13 May 2026
Sector: All
Apply for funding for research commercialisation activities to develop new products, processes, and services via future venture creation, licensing or other commercialisation routes.
Applications are welcomed from any discipline. The programme will not fund discovery or curiosity-driven research.
You must be based in a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.
The full economic cost (FEC) can be up to £250,000 up to nine months duration.
UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC. They aim to support a range of projects across both the cost, length and remit permitted.
More information here.
Programme Development Grant
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 25 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 20 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Apply for up to £250,000 (projects lasting 12–24 months).
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The PDG programme helps research teams prepare for Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) applications. This call invites applications on researcher-led topics as well as those related to NICE and James Lind Alliance (JLA). The programme runs three funding opportunities per year. Awards support targeted work that strengthens and makes PGfAR proposals more competitive, including stakeholder engagement, feasibility work, and methodology development.
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Eligibility: UK-based research teams (HEIs, NHS organisations, social care providers). Lead applicant must be based in England. Suitable for multi-disciplinary teams with a clear pathway to a full PGfAR application.
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This is a strong entry-point for health and care organisations looking to develop the evidence base for complex interventions before committing to a full programme grant. Particularly relevant for care providers, charities and social enterprises building research capacity.
More information here.
Prosperity Partnerships 2027
Funder: EPSRC
Opened:12 March 2026
Closes: 4pm, 21 May 2026
Sector: ALL
The EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships 2027 funding call supports ambitious, collaborative research programmes designed to create long-term prosperity for the UK through business-led innovation. The scheme specifically targets projects that will catalyse lasting benefits, such as job and revenue growth or the tackling of broad societal and sustainability challenges.​
Scope
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Proposals must be for substantial, collaborative research partnerships between businesses and academic institutions.​
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The projects must be co-created and co-delivered by both types of partners, with a strong focus on delivering impact that is aligned with UK priorities.​
Eligibility
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Projects must be business-led and involve one or more academic partners.​
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Both business and academic partners must play significant roles in shaping and delivering the work.​
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The business partner’s cash contribution must at least match the amount funded by EPSRC.​
Process, Value & Timings
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EPSRC will fund up to 80% of the full economic cost (FEC) of the academic portion of the project.​
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The business cash contribution is required to match the EPSRC funding, ensuring substantial co-investment from the private sector.​
This scheme is designed to foster large-scale, sustainable business–academic collaboration aligned with national prosperity and innovation goals.
More information here.
Frontier AI Benchmarking Datasets
Funder: Innovate UK
Opens: 21 April 2026
Closes: 11am, 27 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​Funding Level: Up to £4.5 million total; £500,000–£750,000 per project
Duration: TBC
Eligibility: UK registered organisations must lead the project – collaborative projects only. Must align with one of two eligible themes: (1) AI-Enabled Health and Life Sciences, or (2) Advanced Materials.
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Part of Innovate UK's broader Frontier AI programme, this competition funds the creation, curation, annotation and exploitation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) datasets and benchmarks to fuel AI industry growth. Specifically, for the Health and Life Sciences theme, successful projects will create high-quality benchmarks and large annotated datasets to enable evaluation of AI models in: drug discovery and development; medicines manufacturing; clinical trials; and healthcare delivery applications.
Projects must demonstrate how their datasets will enable meaningful evaluation of new frontier AI models.
More information here.
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Medicines Manufacturing: Labs of the Future
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 13 April 2026
Closes: 11am, 27 May 2026
Sector: Life Sciences
​Apply for £500,000 – £1.5 million (share of £7.5 million).
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Collaborative R&D projects supporting development and use of digital, automated, and robotic technologies to improve speed and efficiency of pharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. Focus includes laboratory automation, digital twins, advanced process control, and other 'labs of the future' technologies improving productivity, sustainability, or time-to-patient. Projects run from August 2026, with interviews in July 2026. A competition briefing webinar will be held online on 17 April 2026 (11am–12pm). Briefing slides will be available to download from Supporting Information after the event.
Eligibility: UK registered businesses; must be collaborative (lead organisation plus at least one other UK registered entity).
More information here.
Product Development Awards (PDA) NICE Early Use — April 2026
Funder: NIHR - i4i
Opened: 8 April 2026
Closes: 1pm, 27 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​Funding: no fixed upper or lower limit, costs must be justified and offer value for money.
Project Duration: up to 36 months
Eligibility: collaborative consortia comprising:
(1) an analytical partner as lead applicant,
(2) a technology partner (the product provider), and
(3) at least one NHS adopting site or service.
Applications must address a product that has received a NICE recommendation for early use (including Early Value Assessment or Medtech Innovation Briefing). UK-registered organisations only. Two-stage process: Full application closes 23 September 2026; funding decision expected from December 2026.
The NIHR i4i Programme is inviting outline applications for its Product Development Awards (PDA) NICE Early Use round, a distinct funding stream that targets innovations already identified by NICE as showing promise for NHS adoption.
Unlike the general i4i PDA (also listed on the Bidshaper funding page), this call specifically requires that the technology has received a NICE recommendation for early use, and the funded work must generate the real-world evidence defined in the NICE evidence generation plan.
Eligible products include medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices, and digital health technologies. The programme supports collaborative real-world evaluation studies, with a clear exit point of generating evidence sufficient to support a NICE full evaluation and widespread NHS adoption. Consortium leadership is expected to sit with an analytical partner (e.g. a university or CRO), with the technology company as a named partner.
A webinar for prospective applicants is scheduled for 15 April 2026 (1:00–2:30 pm). Register now. Please use access code NIHR to reserve your ticket.
Funding decisions are expected from December 2026, with projects commencing early 2027. There is no prescribed budget cap, awards are sized to meet the evidence needs defined by NICE.
More information here.
​i4i Product Development Awards (PDA)
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 8 April 2026
Closes: 1pm, 27 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme is inviting outline applications to its Product Development Awards (PDA) funding opportunity. This is a two-stage funding opportunity. To apply for the first stage you should submit an outline application. If invited to the second stage, you will then need to complete a full application.
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Please upload your research plan as a PDF. It should clearly include these sections:
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Background and rationale
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Aims and objectives
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Methodology/plan
and not be longer than 5 pages (Arial font, size 12).
Application form template.
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i4i PDA is participating in the following funding opportunities with separate applications on the awards management system. Applicants should read each one carefully before applying to the relevant one.​
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i4i PDA researcher-led (2026/396)
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Main areas of focus: ​
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Brain tumours
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Invasive lobular carcinoma (lobular breast cancer)
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i4i will hold a webinar about this funding opportunity on 15 April 2026, 13:00-14:30.
Reserve a place here.
More information here.
Diet and health: collaborative research and development grants: full stage
Funder: BBSRC
Opened: 26 March 2026
Closes: 4pm, 27 May 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
These BBSRC–Defra collaborative R&D grants fund partnerships developing novel products and innovations that deliver healthy, sustainable and resilient diets for the UK population, with projects required to include industry co-funding and start by 31 October 2026.
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Submission of a Notification of Intent (NOI) is mandatory; applicants who do not submit an NOI cannot submit a full application. Proposals must clearly articulate industry need, pathways to impact in the UK food system, and how collaboration will deliver benefits that could not be achieved by either party alone.
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There is a focus on collaborative R&D that translates UK bioscience into innovative foods, ingredients and diet solutions that improve nutrition, support sustainability and strengthen resilience of the UK food system.
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Priority areas include improving nutritional quality for at‑risk groups, understanding health impacts of processing and formulation, and improving environmental outcomes (for example, circular economy approaches to food loss and waste).
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Eligibility: Lead applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding (for example, HEIs and approved research institutes). Projects must be collaborative and include at least one industry partner providing a minimum 30% contribution to the 100% full economic cost (FEC).
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The FEC of each project can be up to £800,000, with BBSRC and Defra funding 80% of FEC (industry cash/in‑kind is additional to this and must cover at least 30% of the FEC). Projects must start by 31 October 2026 and end no later than November 2029.
More information here.
Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme
Funders: DSIT/ Innovate UK
Opened: 16 April 2026
Closes: 2pm, 5 June 2026
Sector: ALL
Funding: £1,000,000 – £9,000,000 per grant
Duration: Project-dependent (linked to asset development timeline)
To be eligible for this scheme the lead applicant must be a UK-registered company or organisation including companies, charities, universities, research organisations and other UK-registered bodies. Consortia may apply. The project must be located and delivered in the UK.
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The Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme is the grants arm of the UK Government's new £500 million Sovereign AI Fund, launched in April 2026. Two eligible asset classes are currently defined: high-value AI datasets and autonomous or automated laboratory infrastructure. Within the Health & Life Sciences priority area, the programme explicitly targets drug discovery, clinical trials AI, NHS operational AI, health and social care applications, and health data platforms - covering AI applied across the full discovery, development, validation, and deployment pipeline.
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Expressions of Interest (EOIs) can be submitted on a rolling basis and are assessed within three working days, with successful EOI applicants then invited to submit a full application. Applicants are advised to submit EOIs as early as possible given the 5 June 2026 full application deadline. Eligible costs include equipment, infrastructure, capital expenditure, intangible asset development, and limited commissioning activity.
More information here.​
Frontier AI Discovery
Funder: Innovate UK
Open
Closes: 11am, 10 June 2026
Sector: ALL
Funding Level: £25,000 – £50,000 per feasibility study (Phase 1).
Phase 2 demonstrator projects up to £10 million
Project Duration: Phase 1 feasibility studies (short duration). Phase 2 demonstrators are a separate competition.
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Eligibility: Open to all UK organisations: businesses (including SMEs), universities, research and technology organisations, charities, and public sector bodies.
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Frontier AI Discovery is Innovate UK's open competition for feasibility studies advancing frontier artificial intelligence and foundation model technologies. It is the first phase of a two-stage programme: Phase 1 provides £25,000–£50,000 grants to enable teams to scope and validate an innovative application of frontier AI, with successful Phase 1 recipients eligible to compete for Phase 2 demonstrator funding of up to £10 million - one of the largest single Innovate UK awards currently available. The total Phase 1 envelope is at least £2.5 million, with Phase 2 targeting at least £50 million investment.
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Health and life sciences is an explicitly supported sector within this competition, encompassing AI-enabled diagnostics, clinical decision support, drug discovery acceleration, genomic analysis, and population health management tools. For health tech SMEs and academic-industry consortia, Frontier AI Discovery provides a low-barrier entry point to UKRI's frontier AI investment pipeline, with Phase 1 acting as a structured gateway to the transformative Phase 2 funding. The broad eligibility - covering universities, SMEs, charities, and public bodies - means consortia of varied composition can apply.
More information here.
Research Programme for Social Care
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 4 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 17 June 2026
Sector: Social Care
​Apply for programme grants (typically up to £750,000 over 3 years). This is a two-stage funding opportunity
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The RPSC funds research to improve outcomes and quality of life for people who use social care services and their carers. This call invites applications on researcher-led topics, as well as topics related to Area of Research Interest 3, NICE recommendations, and James Lind Alliance (JLA) priorities. Highly relevant to organisations working across the boundary of health and social care. The programme explicitly seeks to build the evidence base that informs social care policy and practice.
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Eligibility: UK-based researchers at HEIs, NHS organisations, local authorities, social care providers, and independent research organisations. Multi-disciplinary teams with social care involvement are particularly encouraged.
More information here.
​Quarterly Research Grant Funding Programme
Funder: Cure Parkinson's
Open:
Closes: 22 June 2026
Sector: Healthcare
This scheme is providing grants for scientists and clinicians from universities, hospitals and commercial organisations to help them fund preclinical and clinical research focused on slowing, stopping, or reversing Parkinson’s.
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There are grants of up to £250,000 which prioritise projects that are likely to lead to clinical trials in people with Parkinson’s within 5 years. For clinical research, CP funds clinical trials and sub-studies of trials in people with Parkinson’s. The grant amount is flexible but please contact CP ahead of submission if you are thinking of applying for a clinical trial.
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2025/2026 application deadlines:
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Monday 3 November 2025
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Monday 12 January 2026
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Monday 13 April 2026
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Monday 22 June 2026
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Monday 12 October 2026
More information here.
BMBR Programme researcher-led
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 31 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 23 June 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​​Funding: up to £625,000 (100% FEC); NIHR/MRC fund up to 80% of FEC
Project Duration: variable - as long as needed to complete the research
Eligibility: researchers employed by eligible UK research organisations (universities, NHS trusts, research institutes).
The proposed research must develop generalisable methods applicable to biomedical, health or social care research, not specific to a single application, location, or team. Applications developing exclusively lab-based methods or applying existing methods to answer new research questions (without methodological development) are ineligible. One-stage full application process; funding decision expected November 2026.
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The Better Methods Better Research (BMBR) Programme is a joint MRC–NIHR initiative that funds the development of research methods which improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of biomedical, health, and care research. This researcher-led call accepts proposals in any area of methodology within the programme's broad remit, including statistical methods, trial design, evidence synthesis, digital and remote data collection, AI-assisted analysis, and health economic methodology.
Projects valued up to £625,000 (100% FEC) are invited, with NIHR and MRC jointly funding up to 80% of the full economic cost. Open-source software and code outputs are encouraged, and methodological sub-studies nested within existing trials or reviews are explicitly eligible. A webinar for prospective applicants will be held on 6 May 2026 (1:30–2:30 pm).
The programme is particularly interested in methods that strengthen randomised controlled trials, improve systematic review quality, advance the use of routine health data, and support the evaluation of complex interventions - all areas of direct relevance to digital health and AI in healthcare.
More information here.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2026 – 2027 Round 2
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 20 April 2026
Closes: 11am, 24 June 2026
Sector: ALL
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business, which is referred to as the business partner from now on, to partner with a knowledge base partner. This can be either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.
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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.
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Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner and supported by a Knowledge Transfer Adviser. If you are a business and do not yet have a relationship with a knowledge base partner, the Knowledge Transfer Adviser can help you to identify one.
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All projects should align with one of six Industrial Strategy sectors which have been selected for KTP, which Innovate UK interprets as the application of technologies, for example, a business using AI, as well as developing AI tools. The sectors include Creative Industries, Digital and Technologies, and Life Sciences. Digital and Technologies includes Artificial Intelligence, Engineering Biology, Advanced Connectivity Technologies, Quantum Technologies, Semiconductors, and Cyber Security. If your project does not align with one of the six priority sectors, it may still be eligible if it is exploiting a novel area of research and the business partner meets the criteria for a high growth potential. Priority will be given to projects that align with the Industrial strategy.
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A project’s total eligible costs are typically £8,500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months. Some 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.
EIC Accelerator 2026 (Grant Component — UK SMEs)
Funder: EIC - Horizon
Open
Closes: 5pm CET, 8 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding Level: Grant component: up to €2.5 million (UK SMEs are eligible for grant only; the blended finance/equity component is not open to UK applicants)
Project Duration: Variable; typically 12–24 months of grant-funded activities.
Open to all technology sectors including Health/Medical Technologies, Digital, AI, and Quantum. Short proposals can be submitted at any time; GO decisions allow full proposal submission ahead of a batching date.
UK SMEs participate under the associated country arrangement and can access the non-dilutive grant component of up to €2.5 million - an exceptionally large grant award for a single SME - though the blended finance/equity arm remains unavailable to UK entities.
The application process operates on a rolling basis: short proposals (a 5-page summary plus pitch video) can be submitted at any time and are evaluated monthly. If awarded a 'GO' decision, the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal before one of the 2026 batching deadlines. The next full-proposal batching dates that fall more than three weeks from the date of this report are 8 July 2026, 2 September 2026, and 4 November 2026.
Health technology is one of the EIC's explicitly prioritised domains, with Medical Technologies, Digital Health, and AI all featuring in the 2026 work programme.
The EIC Accelerator suits health tech SMEs that are already beyond TRL 5–6, have developed a minimum viable product or clinical prototype, and are seeking funding to scale towards commercialisation or market access. Given the stringent evaluation criteria and the competitive success rates (typically 5–10%), strong application support from experienced bid writers is highly valuable, particularly in framing the market breakthrough narrative and the financial sustainability case.
More information here.
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Research for Patient Benefit - March 2026
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 11 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 8 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme is inviting outline applications for research proposals that are concerned with the day-to-day practice of health service staff, and that have the potential to have an impact on the health or wellbeing of patients and users of the NHS.
As a researcher-led programme, RfPB does not specify topics for research but instead encourages proposals for projects that address a wide range of health service issues and challenges.
The programme aims to fund high quality quantitative and qualitative research with a clear trajectory to patient benefit. It particularly encourages applications that have a strong element of interaction with patients and the public and that have been conceived in association with a relevant group of service users.
There are three funding opportunities with separate applications on the awards management system. Applicants should read each one carefully before applying. The main RfPB relates to building a health and social care system fit for the future. The main areas of research interest are:
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Early action to prevent poor health outcomes: This area focuses on research into prevention, timely diagnosis, and appropriate intervention for populations at increased risk of poor health.
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Reduction of compound pressures on the NHS and social care: This priority aims to address challenges that strain the health system simultaneously. For example, this could be seasonal spikes in demand, increase in multiple long-term conditions, and events such as pandemics. Research is needed to make routine care more efficient, cut down on waiting times, and be better prepared for surges in demand.
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Shaping and supporting the health and social care workforce of the future: This is dedicated to optimising the public health, NHS, and social care workforce. It calls for research into how the workforce is structured, trained, deployed, and supported, ensuring it is equipped to deliver future effective and efficient models of healthcare that meet the changing needs of the UK's ageing population.
More information here.
NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (HSDR)
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 30 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 8 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The NIHR NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity is a 2 stage grant funding call that supports high-quality research that addresses evidence gaps highlighted in recent NICE guidance, with a specific focus on improving health and social care delivery across the NHS and social care system.
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Eligibility: UK-based research teams working in health and social care delivery, including collaborations between NHS, social care providers, academia and other partners.
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Scope and themes
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Research to generate actionable evidence that supports managers and leaders in the NHS and social care to improve services, models of care and outcomes.
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Proposals must clearly reference and address one or more research recommendations from NICE guidance issued or updated within the past 5 years.
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Methodological sub-studies (Studies Within A Trial/Review/Project) are eligible and encouraged where they will improve the design and conduct of current and future research.
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The same NICE rolling opportunity is also open via other NIHR programmes, including EME, HTA, i4i, PGfAR (via Programme Development Grants), PHR, RfPB and RPSC. Applicants must check remit carefully and apply directly to the most appropriate NIHR programme-specific NICE rolling call.
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There is no fixed maximum grant value per applicant for this call. Instead, teams are expected to request a realistic budget that is fully justified and proportionate to the proposed HSDR research.
More information here.
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​Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Researcher-Led
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 30 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 8 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme Researcher-Led call is currently open and funds high-quality, applied research that meets the real-world needs of NHS and social care managers and leaders. Unlike NIHR commissioned calls (which focus on pre-specified topics), this researcher-led strand allows applicants to propose their own research questions - provided they fall within HSDR's broad remit of improving service delivery, quality, and efficiency.
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Funding Level: no fixed upper limit; project-appropriate (typical awards: £200,000–£2 million depending on scope). Project Duration: typically 2–4 years
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The programme is particularly relevant for digital health and social care technology research: how are technology-enabled services being implemented? What are the barriers and facilitators to digital health adoption? How can AI or data-driven tools improve care pathways for complex populations? Research into social care innovation, integrated care, digital inclusion, and technology-assisted service delivery all fall clearly within scope.
Applications follow a two-stage process, an outline application is submitted first and assessed for strategic fit, after which shortlisted teams are invited to submit a full application.
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Eligibility: UK research teams including universities, NHS organisations, local authorities, social care providers, and third sector organisations. Projects must address health and social care delivery; how services are organised, delivered, and experienced. Digital health, technology-enabled care, and AI-assisted service delivery are within scope.
More information here.
Mental Health Award: Using physical activity and circadian-based interventions to reduce anxiety and depression in young people
Funder: Wellcome Trust
Opened: 13 April 2026
Closes: 3pm, 14 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare
​This award will fund mechanistically informed trials of interventions for anxiety and depression in young people aged 10-18 years. Successful teams will build on existing mechanistic evidence to develop more precise and effective early interventions that have the potential to scale.
£1-4 million per grant, research should last 3-4 years.
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This funding call focuses on interventions that improve youth mental health by targeting circadian rhythms (such as, but not limited to, sleep timing, sleep quality and daily light exposure) and/or physical activity (such as, but not limited to, aerobic exercise, dance classes, walking programmes and app-based exercise programmes). This is because these interventions are accessible, cost effective and straightforward to deliver, yet their mechanisms remain underexplored in this group. Interventions may primarily address either circadian functioning or physical activity or may combine both approaches.
More information here.
Target trial emulation: utilising routine data to answer key health and care questions
Funder: NIHR - HTA
Opened: 27 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 15 July 2026
Healthcare & Life Sciences
​This NIHR HTA two stage call funds target trial emulation (TTE) studies that use existing routine health and social care data to answer important effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness questions where randomised trials are difficult, slow or not feasible. It aims to unlock the value of UK routine data assets and support NHS strategic shifts towards community care, prevention and digital delivery.
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Eligibility: UK‑based research teams eligible for NIHR HTA funding, typically collaborations between universities, NHS or social care providers and data custodians.
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Scope and themes
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TTE studies using existing routine datasets only; no new participant recruitment or prospective data collection is allowed.
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Priority areas include:
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Questions where randomisation is not feasible due to lack of equipoise.
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Evaluations of fast‑moving technologies needing rapid evidence.
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Complex questions and under‑served populations often excluded from RCTs (e.g. multimorbidity, rare diseases, paediatrics, social care).
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Proposals must remain within HTA remit (effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of health technologies) rather than service‑delivery‑only studies.
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Strong emphasis on robust design to minimise bias (e.g. eligibility criteria, treatment strategies, follow‑up and analysis plans mirroring a pragmatic trial).
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No fixed funding cap is stated; applicants must justify costs and demonstrate clear value for money, making efficient use of existing data resources.
More information here.
What is the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of specialist palliative care support in care home settings?
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 27 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 15 July 2026
Sector: Care homes
​This NIHR HTA two stage call funds research to determine the effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of providing specialist palliative care support in UK care home settings, with a particular focus on “Palliative Care Needs Rounds” for older residents at risk of dying without a plan in place. It aims to inform commissioners and providers on whether and how such models should be implemented at scale in UK care homes.
Scope and population
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Primary research question: what is the effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of providing specialist palliative care support (Palliative Care Needs Rounds) in UK residential care homes?
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Target group: residents at risk of dying without a plan in place in residential care homes for older people, and their paid carers; applicants are encouraged to include populations and regions with high need that have been historically underserved by research.
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Designs should generate decision‑grade evidence on outcomes such as symptom burden, place of death, unplanned hospital use, carer outcomes and costs to health and social care.
No explicit maximum award stated; applicants should propose a justified HTA‑standard budget and duration proportionate to their design and objectives.
More information here.
EME Programme researcher-led
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 2 April 2026
Closes: 1pm, 5 August 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding: no fixed limit, sized to the research needs; typical awards range from £500,000 to £2 million.
Project Duration: no fixed time limit - funded for as long as needed to complete the study.
Eligibility: UK-based researchers at universities, NHS trusts, and eligible research organisations. Studies must test whether health interventions work (efficacy) and/or investigate the biological, psychological, or social mechanisms by which they produce their effects.
The NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme funds definitive, rigorously designed studies that test whether health interventions are effective and illuminate the biological, psychological, or social mechanisms underlying that effectiveness.
The programme is distinct from the Experimental Medicine programme (Biomedical Catalyst), it focuses on later-phase, powered trials and mechanistic add-on studies rather than early-phase experimental work.
EME-funded studies span a wide range of intervention types, including digital health technologies, AI-assisted diagnostics, psychological interventions, medical devices, and complex health service models. The researcher-led strand (this call) allows academics and clinicians to propose studies in any area within the EME remit, rather than responding to a commissioned topic.
More information here.
Women’s health communication
Funder: NIHR
Open: 24 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 18 August 2026
Sector: Women's Health
​This two stage NIHR PHR call funds research on how to improve communication about women’s health across the life course, focusing on the effectiveness of public health messaging in improving outcomes for women and girls and reducing health inequalities.
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The focus is on evaluating how different approaches to women’s health communication influence knowledge, behaviours, health outcomes and inequalities among women and girls.
It aims to generate evidence that can inform national and local public health policy, campaigns and services relating to women’s health (e.g. menstrual health, reproductive health, menopause, sexual health, mental health).
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Eligibility: UK-based teams eligible for PHR funding, including universities, local authorities, NHS/public health bodies and other organisations working in population health.
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Scope and themes
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Research on the effectiveness of communication and messaging strategies targeting women and girls, including underserved and marginalised groups.
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Potential settings and channels include schools, workplaces, community and digital platforms, and health or social care interfaces, provided interventions are primarily public health in nature.
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Outcomes of interest include changes in awareness, help‑seeking, access to care, behaviours, health outcomes and inequalities relating to women’s health across the life course.
No fixed maximum award stated; applicants should propose a justified budget and duration appropriate to the PHR remit and design.
More information here.
Small molecule high throughput screen using AstraZeneca facilities
Funder: MRC
Opened: 30 January 2026
Closes: 4pm, 9 September 2026
Sector: Life Sciences
​Apply for funding to run a high throughput screen (HTS) using AstraZeneca’s compound library and screening robots. There are two funding opportunities per year, which remain open to all targets.
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Research Aims
The scheme aims to support discovery of potential starting points for small molecule medicinal drugs against novel targets. AstraZeneca provides technical input for assay optimisation, investigation of alternative readout technologies, and pilot HTS screening before platform transfer. Depending on optimisation results, compound sets of between 100,000 and 1,000,000 molecules will be screened.
Thematic Focus
While the opportunity remains open to all targets, this round prioritises mental health or dementia (including Parkinson's and Huntington's disease). Applications in these strategic areas receive ranking uplift during assessment.
Lead Organisation Eligibility
Project leads must be based at UK research organisations eligible for MRC funding. Commercial entities cannot lead applications, and collaborations with additional commercial parties are prohibited. International researchers may participate as co-leads or collaborators.
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Funding and Duration
Projects receive up to £270,000 full economic cost (FEC), with MRC contributing £250,000. Duration typically spans 15 months, ranging from 12 to 18 months. Funding covers: £20,000 (100% FEC) for HTS optimisation and establishment; £150,000 (100% FEC) for HTS execution; travel, accommodation and subsistence for researchers embedding at AstraZeneca for up to three months (80% FEC); screening cascade elements conducted at host organisations (80% FEC); and minimal project lead time (80% FEC).
More information here.
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Virtual Human Twin (VHT) Models for Cancer Research
Funder: Horizon Europe
Opened: 10 February 2026
Closes: 5pm (CET), 15 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Proposals under this single stage topic should aim to deliver results that are directed and tailored towards and contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
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Researchers of different disciplines use advanced multiscale Virtual Human Twins (VHTs) to expand the knowledge and understanding of cancer onset and progression
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Healthcare professionals and researchers have access to advanced VHT-based solutions that model cancer onset and progression over time, contributing to improve personalised treatments
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Researchers, healthcare professionals, innovators and citizens have access to cancer VHTs through the UNCAN.eu and the advanced Virtual Human Twin platforms
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Successful proposals will be asked to join the 'Understanding' project cluster of the EU Cancer Mission and should include a budget for networking, attendance at meetings and joint activities. The Commission will facilitate coordination of this activity. Collaboration is encouraged also with Horizon Europe projects supporting the VHT initiative, as appropriate.
More information here.
Microbiome for early cancer prediction before the onset of disease
Funder: Horizon Europe
Opened: 10 February 2026
Closes: 5pm (CET), 15 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
This single stage topic will contribute to the achievement of the EU Cancer Mission’s objective to achieve better cancer prevention and early detection. The focus is on the development of validated microbiome tools, an assessment of predispositions, the comparison with other predictive tools and risk modelling approaches.
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Proposals should address all of the following:
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Development of microbiome tools for earlier, better and personalised prediction and prevention of cancer before the onset of the disease; if possible 2 years before the onset of the disease. Proposals should deal with several types of cancer if possible.
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Assessments of predispositions, AI risk modelling approaches and organ/body simulations.
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Collaboration with large cohorts/registries from different communities, usage of existing microbiome and clinical data in combination with and generation of new data. These data could include other predictive signs such as sensations of fatigue, unusual pain, weight loss or other body changes.
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Citizen engagement could be included with data and sample collections as well as educational programmes.
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Comparison with other minimally invasive liquid biopsy and other tests concerning their predictive power, simplicity, cost-benefits and potential for commercialisation.
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Validation of the tests in an independent cohort. Development of guidelines that help to manage risk factors such as lifestyle or diet. The outcome and expertise of ongoing EU and International initatives and the International Cancer Microbiome Consortium could be considered for the reliability of the tests and guidelines to be developed. Age, sex and gender differences should be duly considered.
More information here.
European Partnership on Rare Diseases
Funder: Horizon Europe
Opened: 10 February 2026
Closes: 5pm (CET), 15 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”. To that end, proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed at, tailored towards and contributing to all the following expected outcomes:
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The EU is reinforced as an internationally recognised driver of research and innovation in Rare Diseases (RD) and thereby substantially contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to rare diseases.
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Research funders align, adopt and implement their RD research policies allowing for the optimal generation and translation of knowledge into meaningful health products and interventions responding to the needs of people living with a rare disease across Europe and globally.
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The RD research community at large benefit from and use an improved comprehensive knowledge framework and cross-border FAIR[1] data access and analysis, including rare diseases registries, by integrating the EU, national/regional data and information infrastructures to improve translational research.
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People living with a rare disease, including those from underrepresented communities, benefit from a more timely, equitable access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality healthcare including novel diagnosis and treatments, taking stock of highly integrated research and healthcare systems.
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Researchers, innovators -as well as people living with a rare disease and their advocates (as co-creators)- effectively constitute and operate into an integrated research and innovation ecosystem to deliver cost-effective diagnosis and treatments.
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Public and private actors, including civil society (e.g. Non-Governmental Organisations, charities), establish coordinated and efficient multi-stakeholder collaborations at EU and national (including regional) levels, allowing for more effective clinical research, for example aiming at improved success rates of therapeutic development.
More information here.
The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 91.3 million committed in annual instalments over the two years, 2026 and 2027 (EUR 48.7 million from the 2026 budget and EUR 42.6 million from the 2027 budget).
​Quarterly Research Grant Funding Programme
Funder: Cure Parkinson's
Open:
Closes: 12 October 2026
Sector: Healthcare
This scheme is providing grants for scientists and clinicians from universities, hospitals and commercial organisations to help them fund preclinical and clinical research focused on slowing, stopping, or reversing Parkinson’s.
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There are grants of up to £250,000 which prioritise projects that are likely to lead to clinical trials in people with Parkinson’s within 5 years. For clinical research, CP funds clinical trials and sub-studies of trials in people with Parkinson’s. The grant amount is flexible but please contact CP ahead of submission if you are thinking of applying for a clinical trial.
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2025/2026 application deadlines:
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Monday 3 November 2025
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Monday 12 January 2026
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Monday 13 April 2026
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Monday 22 June 2026
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Monday 12 October 2026
More information here.
Pathfinder Challenges 2026: Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
Funder:EIC - Horizon
Open
Closes: 5pm (CET), 28 October 2026
Sector: Biotech
​Funding Level: Up to €4,000,000 per project (EU contribution); total Challenge budget: €32,000,000
Project Duration: Typically 3–4 years.
Eligibility: UK applicants are eligible as a Horizon Europe Associated Country. For Pathfinder Challenges, single applications and 2-member consortia (including UK-only) are permitted. Multi-country consortia also welcome. Applicants should be research institutions, SMEs, or collaborative partnerships.
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The EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026: Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing is one of three challenge themes under the EIC Work Programme 2026. The Challenge targets breakthrough proof-of-concept research into biotechnology and pharmaceutical interventions that can prevent, delay, or reverse age-related diseases - a rapidly growing priority given demographic trends across Europe.
Projects are expected to deliver proof of concept in one of three areas:
(a) a biotechnology or pharmaceutical intervention to prevent, delay, or reverse the onset of a specific age-related disease;
(b) a biomarker-based tool to support the responsible deployment of ageing-related interventions; or
(c) a novel New Approach Methodology (NAM) that advances the state of the art and enables future development of healthy ageing interventions. Digital health, AI-driven biomarker discovery, and precision diagnostics approaches are strongly aligned with option (b).
Unlike EIC Pathfinder Open (see above on this page), this Challenge stream allows single-entity applications, making it significantly more accessible for UK health tech companies without a pre-existing European consortium.
More information here.
Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 16 December 2025
Closes: 16 December 2026
Sector: Healthcare
The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme funds research to generate evidence to inform the delivery of non-NHS interventions, intended to improve the health of the public, and reduce inequalities in health.
The Rapid Funding Scheme (RFS) was launched in March 2018 and offers researchers the opportunity to apply for funds to conduct rapid baseline data collection, as well as other feasibility work, prior to intervention implementation, for unique, time-limited opportunities such as a natural experiment or similar evaluations of a new public health intervention.
This scheme is not intended to fund studies which provide definitive answers to questions to inform service provision – it is to prepare for such studies.
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Funding is a maximum of £50,000 for a duration of 6 months.
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More information here.
Research grant: applicant-led
Funder: MRC
Opened: 7 April 2026
Ongoing
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​Funding Level: Typically 80% of Full Economic Cost (FEC); project values vary
Project Duration: Usually up to 5 years
Eligibility: UK-based researchers at eligible research organisations; projects must fall within MRC remit (human health and disease). Industry partners can collaborate but a UK academic institution must lead.
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The MRC Research Grant (Applicant-Led) is one of MRC's flagship discovery research awards, supporting ambitious, researcher-driven projects that transform understanding of human health and disease, accelerate diagnosis, advance treatment, and prevent illness. The programme re-opened on 7 April 2026, with applications submitted in April and May 2026 expected to be considered in a shortlisting process concluding in July 2026.
Grants support high-quality basic and translational research across the full MRC remit, including infection and immunity, neuroscience, population health, mental health, and biomedical data science. Projects involving novel digital health approaches, computational medicine, or AI-driven biomarker discovery are particularly encouraged where they address fundamental biological questions.
Applications can involve more than one research group or organisation, making this an excellent vehicle for academic-industry partnerships. Shortlisted applications from the first phase are invited for interviews during November–December 2026, with award decisions anticipated in December 2026.
More information here.
AI Futures Fund
Funder: Google
Ongoing
Sector: ALL
Google has launched its AI Futures Fund, a new initiative that seeks to invest in startups that are building with the latest AI tools from Google DeepMind, the company’s AI R&D lab.
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The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degrees of support, including allowing founders to have early access to Google AI models from DeepMind, the ability to work with Google experts from DeepMind and Google Labs, and Google Cloud credits. Some startups will also have the opportunity to receive direct investment from Google.
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“The AI Futures Fund doesn’t follow a batch or cohort model,” a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch. “Instead, we consider opportunities on a rolling basis - there’s no fixed application window or deadline. When we come across companies that align with the fund’s thesis, we may choose to invest. We’re not announcing a specific fund size at this time, and check sizes vary based on the company’s stage and needs - typically early to mid-stage, with flexibility for later-stage opportunities as well.”
More information here.
Apply here.
Rolling opportunity seeds
Funder: ARIA
Ongoing
Sector: Mathematics for Safe AI
Breakthroughs require finding people who think differently about what’s possible – and empowering them to follow their vision. To support scientific and technological breakthroughs, ARIA Programme Directors can award funding to small but highly ambitious projects, “opportunity seeds”, to support ambitious research aligned to their opportunity spaces. To understand how opportunity seeds work within ARIA's broader funding model and complement its programme funding, see ARIA's research model.
For opportunity seed projects, ARIA's Programme Directors are looking for bold ideas that could change the conversation about what is possible or valuable and provide steps towards new capabilities. If you have an important idea you’re obsessed with, but you don’t currently have the resources or support to take it forward, ARIA would like to hear from you. Ideas could come from anywhere, so they welcome proposals from individuals and teams who are early in their career or who have atypical backgrounds. They care more about your idea and your intrinsic motivation than they do about your CV.
More information here.
Impact in Healthcare Fund
Funder: Peter Sowerby Foundation
Ongoing
Sector: Healthcare
Initial discussions with prospective organisations will take place before an invitation to submit a formal application is made. If you believe that you have an idea for a project that is closely aligned with the Foundation's aims and recent grants, please submit a brief synopsis, including a summary budget and proposed timeline, using the form here. The Foundation cannot respond to all the ideas it is sent, but they do read all proposals and get in touch with those they feel could be a good fit.
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The Foundation is currently seeking to fund projects which:
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Tackle a clear and demonstrable need* across a range of health condition
AND
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Are proven to be impactful and where additional funds could EITHER increase the scale or depth of impact OR sustain projects ‘at risk’.
The Foundation will prioritise applications which focus on:
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outreach and delivery in the community, as opposed to formal healthcare settings OR
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work with a digital or data focus OR
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preventative health care to improve patient well-being.
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The Foundation is seeking projects where:
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there is clear evidence of the need for a specific health intervention OR
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there is a gap in the availability of treatment or support OR
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the quality of support available is not up to a required standard.
Applicants may look to evidence need in different ways. This might include empirical evidence, academic or sector-led research or consultation (for example, with beneficiary groups or health professionals).
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There are two strands of grants:
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Grant 1
Grants of up to £500,000, potentially over multiple years - for projects which are (projects must fit all of the below):
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proven
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ready to scale
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run by organisations with compelling track records and an established leadership team.
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backed by clear evidence of need.
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sustainable in the long-term following the Foundation’s investment.
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Grant 2
Substantial Grants ~£2-3million over multiple years.
From time to time, the Foundation will invite organisations to develop projects which are impactful in a specific area of the Foundation’s interest, and which align with the aims and objectives of the Impact in Healthcare Fund.
It is envisaged that funds could be spent in a range of different ways for example:
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supporting infrastructure OR
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core staffing posts OR
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existing impactful initiatives and which could be sustained over a long-term period thanks to funds from the Foundation OR
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scale-up of pilot activities which show proven impact OR
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other means suggested by the applicant.
Impact Jersey Innovation Programme
Funder: Impact Jersey
Open
Closes: Ongoing
Sector: Healthcare
Whether you’re developing a pilot, a proof of concept, or a scalable solution, the programme offers:
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Applications open all year round
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Flexible funding aligned to Jersey’s strategic priorities
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1-to-1 support to shape stronger proposals
From application guidelines to funding info and FAQs, everything you need is now live on the application page.
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Up to £500,000 will be available per quarter (with a maximum of £1 million available in 2025 and £2 million during 2026).
Impact Jersey focuses on funding a range of technology solutions to key issues and addressing strategic priorities defined by the Government of Jersey. To delve deeper into Ministerial Priorities click on pages 6 & 7 of the Impact Jersey Strategic Programme Proposal.
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Key health ones are:
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Ageing Population - How can we help people live independently for longer?
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Health & Wellbeing - How can we monitor and identify hazards to health and provide interventions at the earliest opportunity?
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Global Innovation Fund- Grants
Funder: Global Innovation Fund
Open, no closing date
Sector: All
The Global Innovation Fund is a non-profit, impact-first investment fund headquartered in London with offices in Washington, D.C. and Nairobi. It invests in the development, rigorous testing, and scaling up of new products, services, business process, or policy reforms that are more cost-effective than current practice and targeted at improving the lives of the world's poorest people.
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It accepts applications from organisations working in any sector in any developing country. Any type of organisation may apply. This includes social enterprises, for-profit companies, non-profit organisations, government agencies, international organisations, and research institutions in any country. It is recommended that individual innovators, entrepreneurs, or researchers apply through an affiliated organisation.
Big Ideas
Funder: CW+
Open, no closing date
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
If you're an employee of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, then you can apply for this grant.
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The programme is designed to: promote innovation, transformation and new service development; support staff in the delivery of front line patient care. Awards are usually up to £50,000.
More information here.
Pre-Seed Challenge Fund
Funder: Lyva Labs
Ongoing
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Businesses and start-ups working in the Diagnostics/Med Tech/Health Tech/Digital Health space can apply for funding to support idea development and commercialisation.Innovative businesses and start-ups across the region (Liverpool City) can apply for investment of £25,000 to £250,000 for idea development and commercialisation. Total fund of £6m. Businesses must be based or willing to relocate to Liverpool City Region.
More information here.
Catapult/RTO Grants
Funder: Innovate UK Business Growth
Open, no closing date
Sector: All
Up to £15,000 grants available for:
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Sector specific advice on expertise;
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Testing and/or development work;
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Market analysis, cost modelling etc;
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Identifying opportunities for R&D, partnership building & collaboration, and more.
More information.​
Partnership Grant (Applicant-Led)
Funder: MRC
Opened: 7 April 2026
Closes: No closing date
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding level: not stated, but historically varies (typically £300,000 – £2 million+; industry co-investment required). Funding is available for between 18 months and five years.
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The MRC Partnership Grant supports biomedical and health sciences research conducted in partnership with industry or other non-academic organisations. The scheme is designed to enable translation and application of basic research insights, with industry or commercial partners contributing to project costs. Like the Research Grant, applications are accepted on a rolling basis from 7 April 2026, with shortlisting in July 2026 and decisions in December 2026.
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Eligibility: Lead applicant must be a UK-based researcher at an eligible research organisation. A confirmed non-academic partner (industry, NHS, charity, or other) is required, with the partner contributing to project costs. Falls within MRC scientific remit.
More information here.