2025 Antibacterial Therapeutics

Key Features

PACE provides funding and support for innovative, high value, high risk, early phase drug discovery and diagnostic projects.

Programme:     PACE

Award:     Share of up to £6 million

Opens: 1st Oct 2025

Closes: 5th Nov 2025

Overview

PACE provides funding and support for innovative, high value, high risk, early phase drug discovery and diagnostic projects. PACE want to smooth your path to progress. PACE blend the right funding with the right advice and the right people to give your idea the best chance of success.

PACE are helping to create and advance an exciting and diverse pipeline of therapeutics aimed at treating bacterial infections with high unmet need. Our third funding round focuses on early-stage, novel, antibacterial therapeutics.

  • Up to £6 million is available to support up to 8 projects, with a maximum of £1 million available per project.
  • Projects are expected to last for up to two years.
  • PACE welcome applications for projects seeking maximum award and for smaller-scale, innovative or higher-risk projects requiring less funding.
  • Innovators worldwide are eligible to apply, and there is no requirement for a UK-based partner.

Expressions on interest are invited by 23:59 (GMT) on 5 November. An informational webinar will be held on 8 October at 15:00 (BST) – you can register using the link here.

Scope

PACE are looking for projects, in Hit-to-Lead or Lead Optimisation phases, seeking to treat Gram-negative bacterial infections associated with the highest burden of AMR, as highlighted by the Lancet studies. Indications in scope are: lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), blood stream infections (BSI) and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI). Therapeutics must target one or more drug-resistant priority Gram-negative pathogens: Enterobacteriaceae (prioritising E. coli and K. pneumoniae), A. baumannii and/ or P. aeruginosa.  

PACE are seeking the most innovative and differentiated projects with the potential to address drug-resistant infections where treatment options are limited. Funded projects will be expected to demonstrate strong potential to meet the WHO innovation criteria (a new chemical class; a new target; a new mechanism of action; the absence of cross resistance), focusing on candidates with the greatest likelihood of delivering meaningful clinical benefit.

Eligibility

  • Our funding is open to researchers in academia and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide, including consortia (large pharma partners permitted, but must cover own costs).
  • Applications should have a single lead applicant; however, co-applicants are welcome.
  • There is no requirement for a UK-based partner.

What is in scope:

  • Hit-to-Lead and Lead Optimisation phase projects.
  • Any novel targets OR novel chemical classes including but not limited to the following mechanisms; direct-acting and non-direct acting antimicrobials, anti-virulence approaches, immunomodulatory agents, and potentiators.
  • Any modality, including but not limited to small molecules, natural products, peptides, nucleic acid-based, antibodies, proteins, complex/targeted modalities, phage; the therapeutic must have an antimicrobial effect.

What is out of scope:

  • Target Identification, screening and Hit Identification. 
  • Projects focussed on late-stage pre-clinical/IND-enabling studies.
  • Clinical Phase R&D.
  • Antibiotics based on iterations of existing therapeutics e.g. β-lactams.
  • Vaccines.
  • Interventions focussed exclusively on mycobacteria (including TB), fungal infections, Gram-positive pathogens or Gram-negative pathogens that fall outside the scope of the call’s Target Product Profiles (TPPs).
  • Therapeutics solely focussed on out-of-scope indications with no potential to pivot (e.g. topical treatments for skin infections).
  • Projects not directly focused on antimicrobial development (e.g. diagnostics, delivery methods, biomarkers, standalone technology or model development).

Interested in applying for this competition?

Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.