CfI: Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) – Call 1

Key Features

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of £15 million, including VAT, to develop near term, testable solutions that advance the UK’s Secure & Resilient and Sustainable Network Grand Challenges through deployable prototypes on UK testbeds.

Programme:     Innovate UK

Award:     Share of up to £15 million

Opens: 1st Apr 2026

Closes: 3rd Jun 2026

TBAT

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Grant Overview

Innovate UK and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology will invest up to £15 million to fund advanced connectivity technologies.

Grant Scope

The aim of this competition is to develop near-term, testable solutions that advance UK capability in the 2 Grand Challenge areas of the Secure and Resilient Networks and Sustainable Networks. The 2 challenge areas cover the following specific themes:

  • Grand Challenge 1: Secure and Resilient Networks –
    • AI-Enabled Network Resilience and Automation
    • Seamless Integration of Terrestrial and Non‑Terrestrial Networks
  • Grand Challenge 2: Sustainable Networks
    • Seamless Integration of Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks
    • Improving Spectrum Efficiency and Fair Access

 

Eligibility Criteria

When applying for funding, your project must have total costs of between £200,000 and £2 million. Projects must start by 1st September 2026 and end by 31st August 2027, lasting between 3-12 months.

Lead: To lead a project, organisations must be a UK registered business of any size with plans to carry out and exploit project work and results in the UK. You can work alone or with subcontractors from businesses, research organisations, research and technology organisations or charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.

Grant Exclusions

The following projects cannot be funded:

  • Projects not original or in scope or duplicates someone else’s work
  • Project focussed purely on research with no realistic commercial opportunity
  • Projects aimed at commercialising or exploiting the technology outside the UK
  • Projects that directly duplicate other UK government or EU funded initiatives you have already been funded to deliver
  • Projects covered by existing commercial agreements to deliver the proposed solutions

Grant Funding

Innovate UK are funding up to £15 million for innovation projects. Funding will be in the form of a contract.

VAT

You must select whether you are VAT registered before entering eligible project costs. VAT is the responsibility of the invoicing business.

VAT Registered

If you select you are VAT registered, you must enter eligible project costs exclusive of VAT. Your total eligible project costs inclusive of VAT must not exceed £2 million.

Not VAT registered

If you have selected you are not VAT registered, you must enter your eligible project costs exclusive of VAT and no VAT will be added. Total project costs must not exceed £2 million.

Research & Development

Applications must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design. R&D can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service.

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

Full competition

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