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
Swiss-UK investigator-led randomised controlled clinical trials in areas of unmet clinical need
Funder: NIHR
Opens: 2 April 2025
Closes: 9 September 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the NIHR are looking to fund investigator-led randomised controlled clinical trials in areas of unmet clinical need.These should address research priorities in areas that can only be effectively tackled through collaborative cross-country efforts. Trials must be delivered through sustainable collaborations with joint leads based in Switzerland and the UK.
​
This funding opportunity is for late phase 2 or phase 3 applied randomised controlled clinical studies which address areas of unmet need both in Switzerland and the UK, and where there are benefits to conducting studies in multiple sites in Switzerland and the UK. Examples might include research in areas where the relevant population in each country is limited, such as for rare diseases; conditions with rare subgroups; studies evaluating precision medicine approaches in small populations; or other hard to recruit ​studies which require expanded recruitment beyond the UK or Switzerland alone.
For the purpose of this funding opportunity, unmet medical need arises where individuals have a serious health condition with limited satisfactory options for prevention, diagnosis or treatment to support improved health outcomes. Applications are welcomed across all areas of health which meet these criteria.
More information here.
i4i - Product Development Award, Call 30
Funder: NIHR
Opens: 9 April 2025
Closes: 28 May 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life sciences
The i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) support collaborative research and development projects of medical devices, in vitro diagnostic devices and high-impact patient-focused digital health technologies for use in the NHS or social care systems. The PDA are researcher-led and aim to de-risk innovations, supporting early product development through to real-world evaluations, to make innovations more attractive for follow-on funding and commercial investment. The expected focus of a project funded by PDA is one or more of the following:
-
Product development required to enable technologies for clinical use or use in social care
-
Clinical development of a laboratory-validated technology
-
Real-world evaluations to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative products, which already have demonstrated safety and efficacy
The aim is to achieve benefits to patients and end users, de-risk technologies and make them attractive to follow-on funders, investors and buyers, in particular NHS commissioners and national guidance bodies.
All proposals must involve one of the following, and you are expected to state the classification of your technology very clearly in the application:
-
Medical devices or in vitro diagnostic devices
-
Digital health technologies
-
AI as a medical device
Minimum number of co-applicants: 2
Funding level: No maximum, NIHR is encouraging ambitious projects with the potential to make a real impact.
Project duration: Up to 36 months
More information here.
​
i4i THRIVE - April 2025
Funder: NIHR
Opens: 14 April 2025
Closes: 1pm, 16 May 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
​The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme is accepting applications to their new researcher and clinician-led THRIVE (Translate Healthcare Research through InnoVation and Entrepreneurship) funding and training opportunity. Led by UK-based academics and clinicians.
​
THRIVE offers up to £150,000 over 9 months to support the development of the technology and a structured programme of entrepreneurial training, mentoring, peer support and networking. Through the programme the innovators will explore the market for their innovation and identify potential routes for commercialising (spin-out vs licensing) or sustaining their innovation (Intrapreneurship).
​
The programme supports innovations that can reduce health inequalities and meet needs in underserved communities. This is a one stage application process. The minimum entry point is Critical Function or Proof of Concept Established (TRL3).
​
More information here.
Mental Health Award: Leveraging longitudinal data to transform early intervention in mental health
Funder: The Wellcome Trust
Opens: 23 April 2025
Closes: 22 July 2025
Sector: Healthcare
£2m - £5m per project lasting 3-5 years.
This call will fund projects (led by a research organisation) that utilise existing longitudinal datasets and integrate experimental research to predict the onset or progression of symptoms of anxiety, depression or psychosis. You can explore thousands of longitudinal datasets through the Atlas of Longitudinal Datasets. Longitudinal datasets include, but are not limited to:
-
cohorts
-
electronic health records
-
data from experimental research collected over time
Projects will have the potential to enrich existing longitudinal datasets, including linkage to other sources, harmonisation and collection of additional data. Establishing entirely new cohorts will be out of scope.
More information here.​
​
EIC Pathfinder
Funder: European Commission - Horizon
Opens: 21 May 2025
Closes: 29 October 2025
Sector: ALL
There are two types of Pathfinder grants:
-
‘EIC Pathfinder Open’ open to support projects in any field of science, technology or application without predefined thematic priorities. The overall budget for the EIC Pathfinder Open in 2025 is €142 million.
-
‘EIC Pathfinder Challenges’ to support coherent portfolios of projects within predefined thematic areas with the aim to achieve specific objectives for each Challenge. The overall budget for the EIC Pathfinder Challenges in 2025 is €120 million.
Open Call: Grants up to EUR 3 million
Challenge Call: Grants up to EUR 4 million.
Higher amounts if duly justified. Projects to achieve the proof of principle and validate the scientific basis of breakthrough technologies (starting from early TRLs aiming at achieving TRL3 or 4).
Who can apply
Consortia from EU Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme:
-
Consortia of at least three different independent legal entities
-
At least one legal entity established in a Member State
-
At least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries
-
Additionally, single applicants, small and larger consortia (two partners) for EIC Pathfinder Challenges only.
Your proposal must meet all the following essential characteristics:
-
Ambitions long-term vision for a radically new technology that has the potential to create new market and provide solutions for global challenges
-
High-risk/high-gain breakthrough research that provides the foundations of the technology that you envisioning
EIC Work Programme 2025 - here
More information here.
EIC Transition
Funder: European Commission - Horizon
Opens: TBC
Closes: 17 September 2025
Sector: ALL
The EIC Transition is a funding programme under Horizon Europe targeting innovation activities that goes beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory. It supports both the maturation and validation of novel technologies from the lab to the relevant application environments.
The EIC Transition offers support to SMEs, start-ups and organisations that:
-
have identified EU-funded project result(s) with promising commercial potential that could be the basis for innovation and promising new businesses
-
envision novel promising technology that is ready for the next steps towards its maturation and validation, to be further developed and validated for some specific, high potential, commercial applications
-
have conducted a preliminary market research to identify potential markets for their innovation and explored potential competitors
-
envisage building a motivated and entrepreneurial team with a mix of skills, including researchers, business people, marketers etc. to develop and drive the idea towards commercial success
​
Grants of up to EUR 2.5 million to validate and demonstrate technology in application-relevant environment (starting at TRL 3/ 4 aiming at achieving TRL 5/ 6) and develop business and market readiness.
More information here. (2024 info, yet to be updated)
Current Funding Calls
i4i Connect, Call 9
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 18 February 2025
Closes: 1pm, 18 March 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life sciences
The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme Connect Call is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing medical technologies in need of a funding boost to reach the next stage in their development pathway (normally a PDA grant). i4i Connect is for SMEs developing medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, and digital health technologies for NHS or social care use.
​
Expression of interest applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
-
Clinical need, health economic case and impact on the NHS and patients
-
Level of innovation
-
Quality of the project plan, including the technological content, and risk mitigation strategy
-
Strength of the project team and management arrangements
-
Intellectual Property (IP) & commercialisation strategy
-
Value for money
-
Consideration of Patient and public involvement
On Call 8, the grant offered up to £150,000 over a 6-12 month period.
More information here.
Developmental pathway funding scheme: stage one
Funder: Medical Research Council
Opened: 21 November 2024
Closes: 4pm, 19 March 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life sciences
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions.
Your project can start and finish at any stage on the developmental pathway from early development, through pre-clinical refinement and testing to early-phase clinical studies and trials (up to phase 2a).
You must be based at a research organisation eligible for MRC funding.
There is no limit on the amount of funding you can apply for, but it should be appropriate to the project. The MRC usually funds 80% of a project’s full economic cost. Total fund is £30m.
This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every March, July and November.
​
You can apply for funding for work on novel:
-
candidate therapeutic entities (for example, drug discovery)
-
vaccines for infectious or non-infectious disease
-
biologics (antibodies, peptides, proteins)
-
advanced therapeutics (for example, gene therapy and cell therapy)
-
regenerative medicine approaches
-
repurposing clinical studies or using existing therapies for new indications
-
medical devices
-
digital healthcare, app development or artificial intelligence
-
diagnostics (including biomarker validation)
-
medical imaging technology
-
surgical techniques or tools
-
behavioural and psychological interventions
-
radiotherapy and radiation protocols
-
interventions that benefit health in low and middle-income countries
More information here.
Sandpit: moving respiratory health diagnosis into the 21st century
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Opened: 28 January 2025
Closes: 4pm, 20 March 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Apply for funding to develop new, innovative, multidisciplinary and transformative diagnostic and monitoring approaches to respiratory health and disease in community healthcare settings.
​
You must draw in part on engineering and physical sciences (EPS) principles and research.
​
The first stage is a ‘sandpit’ event. In this five-day in-person event, you will work with other stakeholders to develop ideas for proposals. The Funder expects to fund three to five collaborative projects for up to four years, sharing up to £4 million.
EPSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
More information here.
Decarbonising the health and social care system
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 27 November 2024
Closes: 26 March 2025
Sector:
NIHR is interested in building research capacity and generating high-quality research evidence into developing and evaluating innovations focussed on decarbonisation of the health and social care system.
​
From November 2024 NIHR will be welcoming applications for both:
-
new primary research studies to establish the effectiveness of new, promising, or existing interventions, and
-
evidence synthesis to support the translation of effective interventions into policy and practice.
It is anticipated that a range of projects in size and scope will be commissioned where possible. Those interested in this funding should note the following events.
​
-
Information webinar - Friday 16 August 2024, 12pm to 1pm. Please email sustainability@nihr.ac.uk to register your interest in this webinar by Wednesday 14th August.
-
In-person workshop (London) - Friday 27 September 2024 (venue and time tbc). Please email sustainability@nihr.ac.uk to register your interest in this event.
​More information here.
Artificial intelligence, engineering biology and quantum technologies
Funder: MRC
Opened: 1 April 2024
Closes: 4pm 31 March 2025
Sector: Healthcare and Life sciences
During the highlight period MRC particularly welcomes applications from teams that are applying AI, engineering biology or quantum technologies, to better enable them to meet relevant MRC board and panel and cross-cutting themes. MRC will usually fund up to 80% of your project’s full economic cost.
​
Artificial intelligence (AI) : You should be clear on the biomedical research challenge to be addressed, how use of AI will deliver impact beyond incremental optimisation of current systems, and where, if applicable complementarity exists with UKRI strategies (for example Transforming our World with AI) and existing investments in the same area (for example Responsible AI UK).
More information here.
Ambitious data-enabled ‘e-trials’
Funder: NIHR - HTA
Opened: 28 November 2024
Closes: 1pm, 2 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
This is a two-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.
​
The HTA Programme is inviting applications for studies using innovative data-enabled clinical trial designs to answer important research questions in health and social care.
​
Through this funding opportunity, the HTA Programme is hoping to attract ambitious data-enabled trial proposals (or “e-trials”) that can use routine data sources for key trial processes, such as patient identification, intervention delivery and for collecting outcomes in an efficient way. Proposed interventions need to be mature enough to be tested on a national scale. Applications should include an internal pilot to ensure that the study can accurately capture the data required to complete the trial.
​
Write a maximum of five A4 pages for your Research Plan. This should include the background, rationale and all figures. When reviewing applications, we will not consider any additional information over this five page limit. Please include the following information when writing your Research Plan.
More information here.
Therapies for women, children and others who experience domestic abuse
Funder: NIHR - HTA
Opened: 28 November 2024
Closes: 1pm, 2 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
This HTA programme is looking to fund research on therapies for women, children and others who experience domestic abuse.
​
This is a two-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.
​
The aim of the HTA Programme is to ensure that high quality research information on the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests are produced in the most efficient way for those who plan, provide or receive care from NHS and social care services. The commissioned workstream invites applications in response to calls for research on specific questions which have been identified and prioritised for their importance to the NHS, patients and social care.
This is a brief of broader scope from which the programme is interested in potentially funding more than one proposal.
HTA is interested in proposals for the evaluation of trauma-informed therapies for women, children and others who have experienced domestic abuse. Evaluated therapies can include those operating in local systems of social care or delivered through multi-agency working. Therapies may include, but are not limited to, NHS services.
Examples of topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
-
trauma-informed therapies in mental health; substance use; criminal justice settings; and the community
-
past and present focused therapies
-
therapies targeting diverse and marginalised groups, including programmes for those who have suffered multiple forms of abuse and those who are still experiencing it
More information here.
Discovery Award
Funder: Wellcome
Open
Closes: 8 April 2025
Sector: Various
Awards can be up to 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, and may be longer if held on a part-time basis. The average duration of a Discovery Award is 7 years, although Wellcome have supported awards from 3 to 8 years. You should ask for the resources you need for your research programme – see the 'Research costs we'll cover' section. You will need to justify this in your application. The average size of a Discovery Award is £3.5 million. Applications above £5 million will be subject to additional scrutiny.
​
Your research can:
-
be in any discipline - including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), experimental medicine, humanities and social science, clinical/allied health sciences, and public health
-
be in a single discipline or multidisciplinary.
The applicant organisation can be a not-for-profit:
-
higher education institution
-
research institute
-
non-academic healthcare organisation
-
charity or social enterprise.
​More information here.
​
NIHR/ NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity (EME Programme)
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 13 December 2024
Closes: 1pm, 8 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is accepting Outline Applications to this funding opportunity. The programme 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.
​
Proposals must be within the remit of the EME Programme and the primary outcome measure must be health related. This funding opportunity is also open to proposals within the remit of at least one of the following participating NIHR Programmes, and applications which span the remit of one or more programme are also welcome:
More information here.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2025 – 2026 Round 1
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 18 February 2025
Closes: 9 April 2025
Sector: ALL
UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £9 million to fund innovation projects with businesses or not for profits. The number of public sector management KTPs (which includes NHS organisations) is limited to a maximum of 10 applications per competition round. A project’s total eligible costs are £8,500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business or not for profit organisation, (referred to as the ‘business partner’) to partner with a ‘knowledge base partner’, which is either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.
​
The KTP partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner recruits the ‘associate’ to work on the project. The associate has the opportunity to lead a strategic development within the business, developing new skills and gaining valuable experience.
​
Scope
The application must be for a specific, strategic innovation project that tackles one or more challenges faced by the business partner.
It can be any kind of project and must show:
-
why the business needs this Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)
-
what new knowledge is required by the business
-
what new capabilities will be embedded as a result of the KTP
​
Eligible costs depend on a number of factors, including:
-
the duration of the project
-
where the project will be located
-
the size of the business or group
-
if your business operates virtually
For full details on what costs you can claim, see the KTP project costs guidance.
​
Successful applications are partially funded on the following basis:
-
large companies and eligible public sector organisations may receive a grant contribution of up to 50% of eligible project costs, with the business paying the balance.
-
micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) may receive a grant contribution up to 67% of eligible project costs, with the business paying the balance.
-
not for profit organisations, charities or charitable business may receive a grant contribution of up to 75% of eligible project costs, with the charity or charitable business paying the balance.
More information here.
Investor Partnerships – health technologies, West Yorkshire: Round 2
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 24 February 2025
Closes: 11am, 9 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority to invest up to £3.9 million in innovation projects.The projects will be led by ambitious UK registered (SMEs who will use the funding to grow their innovation activities in the health technology cluster in West Yorkshire, both during and after the project. Your project must help to grow your innovation activities in the health technology cluster in West Yorkshire, both during and after your project.
This could be demonstrated by:
-
your local innovation activities
-
the value that your innovation activities create in the cluster
-
your engagement with other innovation active organisations in the cluster, such as with Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, this Launchpad’s cluster management organisation
​
The aim of this competition is to provide you with support for research and development and access to the capital investment you need to develop and commercialise your innovations. You must have gained a level of traction with one of Innovate UK’s investor partners. Innovate UK will contact them to confirm they are likely to make an offer of investment if you have a successful application to Innovate UK.
Your proposal must have a clear route to market, a clear link to innovation and evidence that you can create a team to deliver your proposal.
You must demonstrate that if your project is funded, it will:
-
have significant market impact
-
be scalable
-
be attractive to equity investors
​
Your project must focus on human health technology innovation. You can address any human health challenges that include, but are not limited to:
-
overcoming health inequalities
-
global net zero challenges in healthcare
-
major health conditions
-
the prevention of disease
-
earlier and better detection and diagnosis of disease
-
other challenges that can be tackled with health technologies
All applications scoring over 70% will be reviewed by a panel including Innovate UK and local Launchpad partners.
​
Eligibility
For feasibility studies projects:
-
your total project costs must be between £50,000 and £300,000
-
your project duration must be between 6 and 12 months
For industrial research projects:
-
your total project costs must be between £100,000 and £1 million
-
your project duration must be between 6 and 12 months
For experimental development projects:
-
your total project costs must be between £250,000 and £2 million
-
your project duration must be between 12 and 18 months
For all projects, your project must:
-
not start before 1 September 2025
-
end by 31 March 2027
Feasibility studies and industrial research projects
For feasibility studies and industrial research projects, Innovate UK will fund:
-
up to 70% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
-
up to 60% for medium sized organisations
The aligned investment must always be at least equal to your grant funding request.
Experimental development projects
For experimental development projects Innovate UK will fund:
-
up to 45% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
-
up to 35% for medium sized organisations
The aligned investment must always be at least twice as much as your grant funding request.
More information here.
Investor Partnerships – digital technologies, North East: Round 2
Funder: Innovate UK
Opened: 24 February 2025
Closes: 11am, 9 April 2025
Sector: ALL
​Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with North East Combined Authority to invest up to £1.7 million in innovation projects. For this competition, North East England refers to the geography of the North East Combined Authority which includes Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham. This could be demonstrated by:
-
your local innovation activities
-
the value that your innovation activities create in the cluster
-
your engagement with other innovation active organisations in the cluster, such as with Innovation SuperNetwork, this Launchpad’s cluster management organisation
​
Your project’s total costs will depend on your research category and must be between £50,000 and £300,000 (lasting 6 to12 months) for feasibility studies, £100,000 and £1 million (lasting 6 to12 months) for industrial research, £250,000 and £2 million (lasting 12 to 18 months) for experimental development.
​
For all projects, your project must:
-
not start before 1 September 2025
-
end by 31 March 2027
​
Feasibility studies and industrial research projects
For feasibility studies and industrial research projects, Innovate UK will fund:
-
up to 70% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
-
up to 60% for medium sized organisations
The aligned investment must always be at least equal to your grant funding request.
Experimental development projects
For experimental development projects Innovate UK will fund:
-
up to 45% of eligible project costs for micro or small organisations
-
up to 35% for medium sized organisations
The aligned investment must always be at least twice as much as your grant funding request.
​
Your project must focus on digital technologies that can be applied in growing and emerging markets. Growing or emerging markets, include but are not limited to:
-
advanced manufacturing
-
agriculture and forestry
-
automotive and transportation
-
creative industries
-
culture, tourism, leisure and sport
-
green industries
-
health
-
offshore industries
-
retail and town centre
More information here.
Mental Health Award: Advancing target validation for novel mental health drug discovery
Funder: The Wellcome Trust
Opened: 10 February 2025
Closes: 15 April 2025
Sector: Life sciences
Funding up to £700,000 for a project duration of up to 2 years.
​
You can apply to this call if you are a team of researchers: 
-
from disciplines relevant to drug discovery and mental health science, including but not limited to genomics, computational psychiatry, molecular biology in psychiatry, medical chemistry, neuropharmacology, in-vitro/vivo/silico pharmacology and drug discovery
​
Commercial organisations are not eligible to apply as administering organisations for this call. However, commercial organisations can be added as consultants (service providers) or collaborators.
​
This call aims to support research activities to validate novel targets that have a clear therapeutic concept, a strong biological rationale and relevance to early intervention in anxiety, depression and/or psychosis.
More information here.
i4i FAST March 2025
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 11 March 2025
Closes: 16 April 2025
Sector: Paediatrics and Child Health
​​The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Funding At the Speed of Translation (FAST) programme, in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health, invites applications to support the development of health technologies to reduce community and hospital waiting lists for children and young people, including those with learning disabilities, seeking mental healthcare or neurodevelopmental assessment.
​
This is a one-stage commissioned funding opportunity. Applications need to be clearly aligned with the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC’s) area of research interest 1 to take early action to prevent poor health outcomes by developing effective prevention, early diagnosis, and intervention strategies that specifically support children and young people (up to 18 years of age) to enable the transfer of care from hospitals to the community and alleviate long-term burden on the NHS and social care system.
​
Awards made under FAST March 2025 may receive between £50k to £100k of funding for 6 to 12 months.
More information here.
​
Mass Media Content
Funder: NIHR
Open: 28 November 2024
Closes: 1pm, 25 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare and Communications
​The Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is looking to fund research which evaluates the health and health inequality impacts of mass media content. It is expected that there will be a focus on online/ digital content.
This is a two-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.
​
There is a webinar on Tuesday 11 February 2025, 1:15pm to 2:30pm, and will focus on each funding opportunity as well as general tips for applying. There will be a Q&A at the end. Please complete the online form to sign up.
​
Research specification here.
Suicide prevention
Funder: NIHR-HTA
Opened: 28 November 2024
Closes: 1pm, 25 April 2025
Sector: Healthcare
HTA's Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is looking to fund research which evaluates interventions aimed at reducing suicide attempts and suicide.
This is a two-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.
​
Which interventions are effective in reducing the rate of suicide and suicide attempts?
​
HTA is interested in commissioning research to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing suicide attempts and suicide. Please note that interventions aimed at non-suicidal self-harm, or interventions for people accessing NHS mental health services, are not in remit for this funding opportunity. HTA is predominantly interested in interventions operating at a population level rather than at an individual level, and interventions should aim to influence the wider determinants of suicide and suicide attempts.
Examples include (but are not limited to):
-
Multiagency interventions aimed at preventing suicide and/or suicide attempts.
-
Interventions to prevent suicide and/or suicide attempts by restricting access to the means and methods of suicide.
-
Interventions to increase levels of support to people in different forms of crisis which may put them at risk of suicide or suicidal ideation.
-
Interventions to prevent suicide and/or suicide attempts in people in contact with the criminal justice system (a single setting or a range of custodial settings may be considered)
-
Interventions for groups where there are evidence gaps, such as minority ethnic groups including Gypsy Roma traveller groups; refugees and asylum seekers, people who are LGBTQ+, people who have experienced domestic abuse and people who have experienced harmful gambling.
-
Interventions aimed specifically at a high-risk group. (For example, this may include, but is not limited to, people where financial difficulty/cost of living concerns or alcohol/substance use is increasing the risk of suicide/suicide attempt)
-
Interventions aimed at promoting online safety and content to reduce harms, improve support and signposting, and provide helpful messages about suicide.
More information here.
Innovation Grant
Funder: University Hospitals Birmingham Charity
Closes: 25 April 2025
If you are a member of staff at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and you are interested in applying for funding from the hospital charity to benefit your patients then please contact the Grants team on 0121 371 4852 or email charities@uhb.nhs.uk. They will only consider new grant applications.
Sector: Healthcare
Cyber Local 2025-2026
Funders: Innovate UK, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Opened: 17 March 2025
Closes: 11am, 30 April 2025
Sector: ALL
This competition is open to single applicants and collaborations. Can be led by an SME, academic institution, charity or public sector organisation. Award range: £25,000 - £150,000. Total fund is £1.8m.
​
The aim of this competition is to develop impactful regional activities and events that focus on supporting the growth of the cyber security sector and the development of cyber security skills. These projects will be to resolve geographical disparities in the development and growth of the cyber security sector and to reduce the skills gap in the sector.
​
Your project must:
-
be delivered in one of the nine specified geographical areas
-
demonstrate clear impact in the cyber security sector of the region through the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems or increasing opportunities for activities to reduce the skills gap
-
have endorsement of your area steering group
​
The nine specified geographical areas are:
-
North West England
-
South West England
-
Yorkshire and Humber
-
North East England
-
East Midlands
-
West Midlands
-
South East England
-
East of England
-
London
Specific themes
Your project must focus on one or more of the following:
-
strengthening the local cyber security sector through area partnerships and forging links between industry, public sector and academia
-
supporting the development of strong and innovative cyber security ecosystems
-
increasing opportunities for local people to pursue a career in cyber security, paying particular attention to underrepresented communities
-
cyber security skills for local people or communities to reduce the skills gap
-
upskilling underrepresented demographics in the cyber security sector
More information here.
Advancing Healthcare - Small Grants
Funder: Barts charity
Open
Closes: 15 May 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Barts charity's Advancing Healthcare Small Grants provides funding for its staff to pilot new ideas, technologies and ways of working within Barts Health NHS Trust that could advance healthcare delivery and improve the health of its local community.
​
Grants are for £5,000 up to £75,000. Projects can last up to 18 months.
​
More information here. This grant is run several times a year.
Japan-UK joint call for collaborations in advancing human-centred AI
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Open: 20 March 2025
Closes: 22 May 2025
Sector: ALL
Apply for funding to form world-leading partnerships with collaborators in Japan in the field of artificial intelligence and data science.
Your application must involve researchers from both Japan and the UK. UK applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding. Japan-based applicants must be eligible for JST funding.
You may request up to:
-
£1.5 million (80% full economic cost (FEC)) UK project component
-
¥280 million/project (incl. 30% overhead expenses) Japan project component
There will probably be funding for up to four projects for a duration of five years per project.
​​
All proposals must include plans for promoting international talent mobility and development of the next generation of AI researchers. Proposals are also expected to contribute to and demonstrate how collaborative efforts between the researchers in Japan and the UK will advance human-centred AI.
​
Proposals related to one or more of the following research topics are encouraged, but submissions are not limited to these areas:
-
next-generation AI: improving machine learning (deep learning) algorithms, establishing reliable AI and responsible AI systems, and applied research in areas such as computer vision and speech recognition and natural language processing
-
robotics: research on autonomous systems, autonomous driving, industrial robots, communication robots, companion robots, and robots capable of teaching advanced skills (for example, craftsmanship) (excluding purely control-based or mechanical engineering research)
-
AI for health: future predictive research for a healthier population, covering novel AI, automation and data science techniques to creating a healthier state. This includes advanced diagnostics, visualisation of invisible disease lesions and prediction and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, frailty and early detection of cognitive decline
-
human-computer interface: research related to novel technologies to allow humans to interact with digital technologies, for example through virtual reality (VR) and metaverse; and to enhance human physical and cognitive capabilities using information science technologies such as VR, AI, robotics and information communication technologies (ICT)
More information here.
​
Proof of Concept
Funders: Multiple agencies within UK Research and Innovation
Opened: 12 March 2025
Closes: 4pm, 29 May 2025
Sector: All
Apply for proof of concept to support the commercialisation of research to enable spinouts or social ventures, licencing or other commercialisation pathways.
Applications from any disciplines are welcomed. No pre-existing UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding is required. The programme will not support discovery-driven research. You must be based at a UK research organisation.
The full economic cost (FEC) can be up to £250,000 for 12 months duration with a minimum of £100,000 for 6 months. UKRI will fund 80% FEC. Only UKRI eligible research organisations can apply.
The intention to submit was a mandatory step and the deadline was 3 March 2025 at 4:00pm (UK time).
​​
More information here.
Advancing Healthcare - Large Grants
Funder: Barts charity
Open
Closes: 5 June 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Barts charity's Advancing Healthcare Large Grants provides funding for its staff to pilot new ideas, technologies and ways of working within Barts Health NHS Trust that could advance healthcare delivery and improve the health of its local community.
​
Grants are from £75,000 up to £500,000. Projects can last up to 36 months.
​
More information here. This grant is run several times a year.
Research Programme for Social Care (RPSC)
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 26 February 2025
Closes: 1pm, 25 June 2025
Sector: Social Care
​A two stage process, this is the first (outline application) stage. RPSC aims to fund research that generates evidence to increase the effectiveness of social care services, provides value for money and benefits people who need or use social care services, and carers. Research will cover both adults and children's social care.
​
Applications are invited from higher education institutions, charities, local authorities/governments and relevant third sector organisations across the UK.
There are three different funding opportunities with separate applications on the awards management system: RPSC researcher-led; RPSC Commissioned NIHR NICE Rolling Funding; RPSC Commissioned NIHR JLA Funding.
There is an online webinar on Monday 7 April, 10am - 12pm for potential applicants. Join to find out more about this funding opportunity. Register now.
More information here.
Advancing Healthcare - Small Grants
Funder: Barts charity
Open
Closes: 26 June 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
Barts charity's Advancing Healthcare Small Grants provides funding for its staff to pilot new ideas, technologies and ways of working within Barts Health NHS Trust that could advance healthcare delivery and improve the health of its local community.
​
Grants are for £5,000 up to £75,000. Projects can last up to 18 months.
​
More information here. This grant is run several times a year.
Australia-UK platform studies in areas of unmet clinical need
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 24 October 2024
Closes: 10am, 23 July 2025
Sector: Healthcare & Life Sciences
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australia and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UK are inviting applications for ambitious platform studies in areas of unmet medical need. The platform must be internationally collaborative, with joint leads based in Australia and the United Kingdom.
​
This call is for either Phase 2 or Phase 3 focused platforms, where there is a pipeline of technologies which justifies a platform approach. This call will not support funding for studies aiming to run platforms seamlessly from phase 2 into phase 3.
-
Phase 2 platforms should focus on establishing the efficacy of multiple interventions in a defined patient group or circumstance (which may include sub-groups). The study must focus on interventions with convincing human clinical proof of concept which suggests they may be efficacious. By robustly evaluating efficacy, the study should have the potential to inform future Phase 3 (comparative and cost-effectiveness) trials.
-
Phase 3 platforms should aim to efficiently generate high-quality evidence around the clinical and cost-effectiveness of multiple interventions in a defined patient group or circumstance. The focus must be on candidate therapies which have demonstrated some clinical efficacy but which require further testing in a multi-centre, pragmatic trial to compare against current best practice.
Interventions must have an appropriate level of supporting evidence for the phase of the platform, although it is recognised that there may be some variation in the amount of evidence for the interventions across a platform.
​
For the purposes of this call, unmet medical need arises where individuals have a serious health condition where there are limited satisfactory options for prevention, diagnosis or treatment to support improved health outcomes. Applications are welcomed across all areas of health which meet these criteria.
Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to:
-
Childhood, brain and prostate cancers
-
Stroke and traumatic brain injuries
-
Neurodegenerative diseases
-
Cardiometabolic conditions, including obesity
The total funding available through this funding opportunity is in the region of $30 million AUD/ £15.5 million GBP with contributions from each funder.
-
for the Australian-based component the maximum grant amount that can be requested is up to $5 million AUD over 7 years, with a total contribution of up to $15m AUD.
-
for the NIHR UK-based component, there is approximately £2.6m per award over 7 years, with a total contribution of up to £7.8 million GBP.
MRFF, NHMRC and NIHR are aiming to fund 1 to 3 platforms for up to 7 Years.
ore information here.
Novel non-pharmacological approaches for diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Funder: NIHR
Opened: 23 January 2025
Closes: 1pm, 5 August 2025
Sector: Healthcare
The MRC-NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme is inviting applications to evaluate the efficacy of novel non-pharmacological approaches to improve the diagnosis, treatment and/or management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults.
​
Under this funding opportunity, the EME Programme is interested in evaluating novel non-pharmacological approaches that focus on improving the diagnosis, treatment, and/or management of ADHD in children and adults. The funding opportunity will consider applications that target the core symptoms of ADHD, as well as those that focus on associated conditions, e.g. emotional dysregulation and common co-morbidities. For this funding opportunity, applications with significant industry involvement beyond monetary or in-kind contributions are particularly welcome.
​
All proposals submitted must describe an evaluation of an intervention or technology, which falls within the remit of the EME Programme. Applications are expected to detail the clinical need, scientific rationale and proof of concept for the intervention. Specifically, there must be convincing human, clinical evidence to suggest that the approach may be efficacious and beneficial to the proposed study outcomes. For proposals evaluating a diagnostic technology, this might be a promising signal in terms of sensitivity, specificity or predictive values in the target population.
​
Areas of interest include (but are not limited to):
-
psychological interventions
-
non-invasive brain stimulation (including peripheral nerve and sensory stimulation)
-
digital therapeutics
-
neurofeedback and cognitive training
-
technology to increase the speed and accuracy of diagnosis
-
remotely delivered interventions (where the intervention is scientifically novel)
-
transdiagnostic mechanistic approaches to treatment
-
precision medicine
-
exercise, e.g. use of VR exercise and exergaming
-
immersive extended reality, including virtual reality and augmented realised intervention approaches
-
role of remote measurement and wearables in assessment and management
-
combining AI/machine learning and biomarker approaches to assessment and diagnosis
More information here.
Innovation Grant
Funder: University Hospitals Birmingham Charity
If you are a member of staff at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and you are interested in applying for funding from the hospital charity to benefit your patients then please contact the Grants team on 0121 371 4852 or email charities@uhb.nhs.uk. They will only consider new grant applications.
Closes: 25 August 2025
Sector: Healthcare
EIC Accelerator
Funder: European Commission - Horizon
Open
Closes: 1 October 2025
Sector: ALL
The EIC Accelerator is a funding programme under Horizon Europe that offers support to start-ups and SMEs that:
-
have a innovative, game changing product, service or business model that could create new markets or disrupt existing ones in Europe and even worldwide,
-
have the ambition and commitment to scale up,
-
are looking for substantial funding, but the risks involved are too high for private investors alone to invest.
​
Grant: maximum €2.5 million.
Investment component: Between €0.5M and €10M. Applicants can choose to apply for a blend of grant and equity, grant only, grant first or equity only.
​
The grants application is a 3 stage process.
The first stage is a short proposal that can be done any time.
Next is the full proposal - deadline 1 October 2025
Lastly, interview rounds: They will be held approximately 8-9 weeks after the cut-off dates. Open to single SMEs and start-ups (and individuals intending to establish a start-up/SME) established in EU Member State Countries.
​
Titles of the five EIC Accelerator Challenges:
-
Acceleration of advanced materials development and upscaling along the value chain
-
Biotechnology driven low emission food production systems
-
GenAI4EU: Creating European Champions in Generative AI
-
Innovative in-space servicing, operations, space-based robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure
-
Breakthrough innovations for future mobility
More information here.
Innovation Grant
Funder: University Hospitals Birmingham Charity
Closes: 30 November 2025
If you are a member of staff at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and you are interested in applying for funding from the hospital charity to benefit your patients then please contact the Grants team on 0121 371 4852 or email charities@uhb.nhs.uk. They will only consider new grant applications.
Sector: Healthcare
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.
​
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.
​
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.
Catapult/RTO Grants
Funder: Innovate UK Business Growth
Open, no closing date
Sector: All
Up to £15,000 grants available for:
-
Sector specific advice on expertise;
-
Testing and/or development work;
-
Market analysis, cost modelling etc;
-
Identifying opportunities for R&D, partnership building & collaboration, and more.
More information.​