Investor Partnerships – ACT and Semiconductors

Key Features

UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £15 million

Opens: 1st Sep 2026

Closes: 14th Oct 2026

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Grant Overview

Innovate UK have allocated £15 million to fund innovation projects in this Advanced Connectivity Technologies and Semiconductors competition.

Grant Scope

The aim of this competition is to provide support for research and development and access to the capital investment needed to develop and commercialise innovations.

Projects must focus on one of the following specific themes:

  • Theme 1 – Advanced Connectivity Technologies
  • Theme 2 – Semiconductors (including AI Hardware)
  • Theme 3 – Convergence of ACT and Semiconductor technologies for use in connectivity networks

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria will depend on your research category. For industrial research, projects must have total project costs of between £250,000 and £1 million with projects lasting between 6 and 18 months. For experimental development projects, projects must have total project costs of between £500,000 and £2 million with projects lasting between 6 and 18 months.

Your organisation: This competition is open to single applicants only. To be eligible to apply your organisation must be a UK registered micro, small or medium sized business carrying out project work and exploiting results within the UK. You must be invited to apply by your investor partner and have discussed and agreed your proposal with your investor partner before submitting an application.

Subcontractors: Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and can be from anywhere in the UK. Overseas subcontractors can be used, but you must state why UK subcontractors could not be used in your application.

Number of applications: An SME can only submit one application into this round of the competition.

Previous applications: Previously submitted applications can be used in this competition.

Grant Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding the following projects:

  • Projects that are not carried out by SMEs
  • Collaborative R&D projects
  • Projects no part of a company’s growth plan
  • Projects that are unable to prove there is a potential for return on investment and growth
  • Large capital infrastructure
  • Projects that are not invited by a specified investor partner

Grant Funding

Innovate UK have allocated up to £15 million to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

You will only receive grant funding if you also secure aligned investment at or above the minimum required for the relevant research level.

Innovate UK will decide which projects are eligible and in scope to receive grant funding.

The decision will be based on three factors:

  1. Innovation: Assessed by independent assessors based on your application.
  2. Additionality: Based on the impact of the grant in accelerating your innovation and leveraging the aligned investment. Assessed by the Investor Partnerships Team based on information provided by your named Investor Partner.
  3. Traction: Based on the likelihood of the investment completing within a reasonable timeframe. Assessed by the Investor Partnerships Team based on information provided by your named Investor Partner.

All recipients must act commercially, and your funding request must not exceed the limits specified.

Industrial research projects

For 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 absolute minimum aligned investment led by the Investor Partner must always be at least equal to the grant funding.

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 absolute minimum aligned investment led by the Investor Partner must be at least twice as much as the grant funding.

For further information on this competition, please see full details.

Full competition details