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
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
Rapid transfusion diagnostics: optimising safety on deployed operations
Funder: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
Opened: 10 March 2026
Closes: 12pm, 2 June 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Medical Services (DMS), is seeking innovative solutions to improve the safety and availability of blood transfusions in deployed and operational environments. The competition is focused on developing rapid, portable blood testing technologies that can be used in the field by non-specialists.
The aim is to reduce the logistical burden associated with collecting, testing and administering blood during military operations and emergency situations. Proposed technologies should support rapid testing for ABO blood grouping and/or blood-borne viruses, ideally both, while being suitable for use in challenging operational settings.
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Up to £3 million (excluding VAT) is available through the competition. UKDI expects to fund between 4 and 6 projects, with individual awards likely to range from approximately £500,000 to £700,000, although projects outside this range may also be considered.
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Projects are expected to run for up to 24 months. Solutions should begin at a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and progress by at least one TRL during the project, with a maximum end point of TRL 8.
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Eligibility: the competition is open to SMEs, academic institutions, technology developers and industry partnerships.
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UKDI is looking for proposals that demonstrate:
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Innovative or novel approaches to blood testing in operational environments
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Potential for translation into practical demonstrations or proof-of-concept systems
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Relevance to defence and security contexts
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Solutions that are logistically light, accurate and suitable for point-of-care use by non-specialists
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.​
Healthcare Implementation Fund
Funder: British Heart Foundation
Open
Closes: 12pm, 8 June 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding Level: Up to £500,000 per project
Project Duration: Not specified; awards expected within approximately 3 months of deadline
Eligibility: NHS organisations and UK-based academic institutions, supported by regional Health Innovation Networks. Applicants must demonstrate strong multidisciplinary collaboration and meaningful patient involvement.
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The BHF Healthcare Implementation Fund supports the early-stage testing and scaling of innovative solutions that address unmet needs in cardiovascular disease care. This round, open in spring 2026, invites proposals that will drive measurable improvements in cardiovascular care delivery across real-world NHS settings. The fund is designed to bridge the gap between a promising innovation and sustainable, system-wide adoption.
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Projects are expected to demonstrate a clear, systematic approach to evaluation, with robust evidence that the proposed solution addresses a genuine gap in current cardiovascular care. Successful applications will show how the innovation will be integrated into existing NHS pathways, identify measurable patient outcome improvements, and articulate a credible plan for broader rollout beyond the funded period.
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.
Contracts for Innovation: Cyber scale in critical sectors
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 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.​
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.
​Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme – Commissioned Workstream
Funder: NIHR
Open
Closes: 1pm, 5 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​Funding level: Not explicitly stated but substantial, typically £1m–£3m per study
Project duration: Typically 36–60 months
Eligibility: UK academic and NHS research teams, with industry co-applicants permitted. Studies must address a topic in the published EME commissioned brief.
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The EME Programme funds clinical trials and evaluative studies that test efficacy, effectiveness and mechanisms of action of interventions where there is sufficient evidence to justify a confirmatory study. The commissioned workstream lets NIHR direct funding towards strategically important questions identified by clinical and public stakeholders, rather than relying purely on investigator-led submissions.
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The 5 July deadline applies to the current commissioned brief. EME is increasingly receptive to studies of digital therapeutics, AI-enabled clinical decision support, and combination interventions where the mechanism of action is novel or contested. The two-stage process (outline then full) means applicants should begin scoping immediately.
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.
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 6 (AKT 6)
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 26 May 2026
Closes: 11am, 15 July 2026
Sector: ALL
Funding level: Up to £35,000 per project (90% grant rate);
Project duration: 3 months only
Eligibility: Applications must be led by a UK Knowledge Base (HE/FE institution, RTO or Catapult), partnering with a UK-registered business with 4+ FTE. The Knowledge Base is the sole grant recipient. Third-sector and public-sector bodies are excluded as Business Partners.
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Projects are open in scope but must first demonstrate alignment with one of six Industrial Strategy priority sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, or Life Sciences. Scoring (max 40 marks) covers innovation, challenges and risks, the need for a business-academic partnership, and projected business outcomes.
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This is suitable for health tech and digital health SMEs that have an innovation challenge; a prototype to validate, a workflow to optimise, an algorithm to develop. Also, those companies with a concept/ solution which would benefit from a 3-month structured engagement with a university or Catapult to accelerate it. The £35,000 grant goes to the academic partner, but the commercial benefit accrues to the Business Partner, making this a low-cost route to accessing research expertise.
More information here.
​Early Detection and Diagnosis Programme Award
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Open
Closes: 21 July 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding level: Up to £2.5 million
Project duration: Up to 5 years
Eligibility: UK-based academic and clinical investigators, with strong support for industry co-investigators bringing diagnostic technologies.
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CRUK's Programme Award is a substantial multi-year award supporting ambitious, programmatic research into the early detection and diagnosis of cancer. It is one of the largest non-commercial grants available for early-detection technology development in the UK and explicitly welcomes proposals that build, validate or deploy novel diagnostic platforms, AI tools, imaging modalities, biomarker panels and population screening strategies.
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Awards typically combine technology development with prospective clinical validation in primary care or population screening cohorts. Successful applicants usually bring together a multidisciplinary team spanning data science, clinical specialty, behavioural science and health economics.
More information here.
Translational Award
Funder: British Heart Foundation (BHF)
Open
Closes: 5pm, 5 August 2026 (preliminary stage)
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​Funding Level: No upper limit specified - applicants should request the resources needed and justify them. Projects typically range from £500,000 to £3 million+.
Project Duration: Up to 3 years (with defined progression milestones)
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The principal investigator (PI) must be a researcher working at an established UK research institution. Individuals or teams from commercial organisations may apply as collaborators, not as PI. Projects must address cardiovascular health broadly defined, including heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, and circulatory conditions. Two-stage application: preliminary application reviewed first; shortlisted applicants are then invited to submit a full application with a separately notified deadline.
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BHF places strong emphasis on intellectual property position and commercial development potential; proposals should demonstrate a clear IP strategy and a pathway to attracting follow-on investment or clinical adoption. Technologies across all cardiovascular modalities are eligible: medical devices, AI diagnostics, digital monitoring tools, novel biomarkers, drug delivery systems, and digital therapeutics for cardiac conditions. Projects must define clear scientific and/or value inflection milestones at which continued funding will be assessed.
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.
James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships rolling funding opportunity
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 7 May 2026
Closes: 1pm, 2 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
NIHR's Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme is inviting outline applications (two stages) to their commissioned workstream. They are interested in receiving applications that address research priorities identified by the James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnerships (PSP).
Key priorities for this call relate to addiction healthcare goals.Published in May 2025, the the JLA's top 10 research priorities ranked ‘identifying the best approaches to reducing drug-related deaths’ as the leading priority. Other key areas for further research include:
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Treatment and therapeutics – including identifying effective interventions to treat trauma alongside addiction (priority 2) and co-existing mental health conditions (priority 5), identifying effective psychological therapies (priority 9) and interventions to prevent relapse (priority 10)
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Health services – including effective interventions or approaches to address stigma and discrimination within health services (priority 3), deliver personalised, culturally responsive treatment (priority 7) and improve the integration of addiction and mental health services (priority 8)
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Public health and harm reduction – identifying the most effective harm reduction approaches (priority 4)
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Supporting children affected by people with addiction (priority 6)
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Patient and public involvement must be included within the application and study design to ensure the research is relevant and appropriate to patients and the public.
More information here.
Researcher-Led Primary Research
Funder: NIHR - HTA
Opened: 7 May 2026
Closes: 1pm, 2 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding Level: Sized to project requirements. HTA programme awards typically range from £500,000 to £3 million+ for primary research studies. No formal upper limit for justified projects.
Project Duration: Typically 3 – 5 years
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Eligibility: Open to UK-based researchers and research organisations able to deliver high-quality health technology assessment studies. This is a researcher-led (open) workstream; proposals may address any health problem in areas not otherwise well covered in the HTA Programme portfolio. The programme is particularly interested in proposals using rigorous primary research methods (randomised trials, large cohort studies, or equivalent). This is a two-stage process: outline application reviewed first; invited teams complete a full application. Academic-industry partnerships are welcomed.
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The NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme funds independent research on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for the NHS and social care system. The researcher-led primary research workstream is the open, unsolicited stream where researchers can propose their own questions - in contrast to commissioned calls targeting specific topics.
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HTA primary research typically involves trials or large-scale evaluation studies that generate the definitive evidence needed for NHS adoption decisions. Technologies undergoing HTA-style evaluation include diagnostics, medical devices, digital health tools, AI-assisted clinical decision support, surgical technologies, screening programmes, and pharmaceutical interventions. The HTA Programme is the primary route through which NICE makes evidence-based recommendations for NHS adoption, meaning a successful HTA study can directly unlock NHS commissioning for the technology evaluated.
This round is explicitly seeking proposals that address health problems not currently well covered in the existing HTA portfolio, meaning novel or emerging health technologies are actively encouraged. For health tech companies, partnering with an academic clinical trials unit on an HTA study of their product is one of the highest-impact routes to NHS adoption and NICE recommendation.
More information here.
​NIHR/ NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 7 May 2026
Closes: 1pm, 2 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​The Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA) is inviting outline applications via the commissioned workstream. NIHR is 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:
More information here
​Treatments for Gambling Harms (Commissioned Call)
Funder: NIHR - HTA
Opened: 27 March 2026
Closes: 1pm, 2 September 2026
Sector: Addictions
​Funding level: HTA-scale - up to several £m per study
Project duration: Typically 24–48 months
Eligibility: UK-based research teams with academic, NHS or industry partnerships. Lead applicant must hold a relevant contractual relationship with an eligible UK institution.
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This is a specific commissioned HTA call inviting research on the best treatments for gambling that harms. The scope spans pharmacological, psychological and digital interventions and is explicitly open to comparative effectiveness studies, real-world evaluations and implementation research. It sits alongside the broader Government strategy on gambling harms released in late 2025.
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The HTA Programme typically funds the most policy-relevant clinical trials and economic evaluations in the NIHR portfolio. A successful application would directly inform NICE guidance and NHS commissioning for gambling-related harms - an area where the evidence base is currently thin.
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).
​Cluster 1 Health (2026 Calls)
Funder: Horizon Europe
Open
Closes: 15 September 2026 (single-stage destination calls)
Sector:
Funding level: Typically €4m–€15m per project
Project duration: Usually 36–60 months
Eligibility: Consortia of at least three independent legal entities from three different countries, including at least one EU Member State. UK organisations are eligible as Associated Country partners (cannot fulfil the Member State requirement but can be funded participants).
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Cluster 1 of Horizon Europe is the principal EU funding stream for health research and innovation. The 2026 work programme covers six Destinations, including 'Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden', 'Ensuring equal access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality healthcare', and 'Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society'. The 15 September 2026 deadline applies to a large tranche of single-stage calls across these destinations.
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Topics in this round include AI-enabled clinical decision support, real-world evidence platforms, secondary use of health data, digital mental health, cancer interception, and value-based procurement of health technologies. Project funding is generous and UK-led consortia have been successful in recent rounds, particularly where the UK partner brings an NHS deployment pathway or unique data asset.
More information here.
​Early Detection and Diagnosis Primer Award
Funder: Cancer Research UK
Open
Closes: 17 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding level: Up to £100,000
Project duration: Typically 12–24 months
Eligibility: UK-based investigators (academic or clinical), often with industry collaborators. Designed for early-stage, novel ideas needing pilot data.
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The Primer Award is CRUK's seed-stage early detection scheme. It supports highly novel, exploratory approaches to early cancer detection and diagnosis - including unconventional biomarker classes, sensor-based monitoring, AI-driven signal extraction from routine data, and population-scale risk-stratification tools.
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Awards are deliberately small and short, but Primer projects are widely used as the evidence-generating step before a larger CRUK Project or Programme Award. Successful applicants typically present a clear hypothesis, a credible feasibility plan, and a route to clinical validation.
More information here.
Discovery Awards
Funder: Wellcome
Open
Closes: 22 September 2026
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Funding level: Up to £10 million (average ~£3.5m)
Project duration: Up to 8 years
Eligibility: Established researchers and multidisciplinary teams worldwide. Eligible UK institutions can host the award.
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The Wellcome Discovery Awards provide major, long-term funding to support ambitious discovery research that advances understanding of human life, health and wellbeing. The scheme is deliberately broad - proposals are judged on intellectual ambition, the team's track record, and the likelihood of transformative insights.
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Recent cohorts have included projects in computational biology, AI-driven understanding of mental health, microbiome science, and societal determinants of health. The eight-year horizon enables genuinely programmatic work that would be impossible to fund through shorter awards.
More information here.
​​Experimental medicine stage one
Funder: MRC
Opened: 30 April 2026
Closes: 4pm, 7 October 2026
Sector: Life Sciences
Apply for funding to investigate the causes, progression and treatment of human disease.
Your project must:
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focus on a mechanistic hypothesis
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include an experimental intervention or challenge in humans
You must be a researcher based at a research organisation eligible to apply for MRC funding. If you are taking the next step towards becoming an independent researcher, you may be eligible to apply as a ‘new investigator’.
There is no limit to the amount of funding you can apply for or the length of your project. The MRC will fund 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. There are two stages.
Apply here.
​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.