Investor Partnerships – Battery Innovation Programme

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 £5 million

Opens: 5th Oct 2026

Closes: 25th Nov 2026

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Grant Overview

Innovate UK has selected investor partners with aligned investment interests and capacity to lead investments in the Battery Innovation Programme.

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.

Proposals can address one of more of the following areas:

  • raw materials
  • advanced cell materials
  • cell design and components
  • process and manufacturing tools
  • quality control and diagnostics
  • testing, simulation and digital tools

Projects can target performance requirements for at least one of the listed sectors and support emerging use cases or cross sector applicability. Sectors include – automotive, aerospace, defence, battery energy storage systems, rail, maritime, personal mobility.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria will depend on your research criteria. For feasibility studies projects your total project costs must be between £50,000 and £300,000 with project duration being between 6 and 12 months. For industrial research projects your total project costs must be between £100,000 and £1 million with project duration being between 6 and 24 months. For experimental development projects, total project costs of between £250,000 and £2 million with project costs of between 12 and 24 months.

Organisation: This competition is open to single applicants only. Organisations must be a UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise carrying out work in the UK and intend to exploit results from or in the UK. You must be invited by an investment partner, having discussed and agreed your proposal with your investor partner before submitting your 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 competition round.

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

Exclusions

Innovate UK will not fund the following projects:

  • Projects that are not collaborative R&D projects
  • Projects not part of a company’s growth plan
  • Projects that are unable to prove there is potential for return on investment and growth
  • Projects that are large capital infrastructure
  • Projects that have not been invited by a specified investor partner

Funding Costs

Innovate UK has allocated a minimum of £5 million to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

Grant funding will only be awarded if you also secure aligned investment at or above the minimum required for the relevant research level. Investment partners must also submit a ‘Declared Minimum Aligned Investment’ which must be confirmed with your investment partner.

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.

To be successful in this competition, you must score strongly across all three factors.

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

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 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 always be at least twice as much as the grant funding.

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

Full Competition Details