Key Features
UK registered micro and small businesses can apply for a share of up to £10 million to develop affordable, adoptable and investable innovations in the five critical technologies.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £10 million
Opens: 7th Jul 2025
Closes: 6th Aug 2025
The Innovate UK Growth Catalyst is an integrated package of funding and support, designed to accelerate high potential start-ups on their journey to becoming scale-ups and beyond. For this pilot, we are targeting early stage start-ups and the funding element will be through our proven New Innovators model, with expert support from our Innovate UK Innovation and Growth Specialists and Innovate UK Business Connect.
Our Suitability Checker can help if you are unsure whether this is the right opportunity for you. It is not part of the application process and only takes five minutes to complete.
The aim of this competition is to provide a package of targeted support to enable ambitious UK registered micro and small businesses to develop highly innovative ideas that have a clear route to commercialisation and business growth across one or more of the five critical technologies.
Your project must focus on at least one of the following critical technologies:
Artificial intelligence
Innovate UK will support projects that:
Semiconductors
Innovate UK will support projects that are:
Advanced connectivity technologies
Innovate UK will support projects that accelerate the development of advanced connectivity technologies. Projects must focus on one or more of the following key technology domains as they apply specifically to the telecoms sector:
Projects should demonstrate openness (e.g. use of open standards), embed cyber security best practices, and consider quantum-safe readiness. Contributions to open standards and Open Radio Access Network (RAN) development are strongly encouraged.
Quantum technologies
Engineering Biology
Synthetic Biology is the design, engineering and re-engineering of biologically based parts, devices and systems. As an emerging technology it has the potential to transform many sectors and help address major economic and societal challenges. Engineering Biology encompasses the wider capabilities and ecosystem that supports the exploitation of synthetic biology for economic and public benefit. Innovate UK will support projects that:
Your innovation can lead to new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of others currently available, or propose an innovative use of existing products, processes or services. It can also involve a new or innovative business model.
In your application, you must demonstrate that you:
Innovate UK are particularly interested in how your proposal will help you:
Innovate UK want to fund a variety of projects within New Innovators. Where funding is limited, we may make a funding decision based on the project type and size, grant requested, location, markets, technology and sector or theme within the scope criteria. Innovate UK call this a portfolio approach.
Your project must focus on one or more of the five critical technologies:
Your project must:
Projects must always start on the first of the month. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.
You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs. For specific guidance, see the eligibility section in this competition.
If you exceed the total project costs of £50,000 you will be ineligible and your application will not be sent for assessment. If your grant funding request does not equal your total project costs, you will be ineligible and your application will not be sent for assessment.
You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application.
Lead organisation
To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered micro or small business.
New Innovators is a product to encourage new businesses into Innovate UK support.
If your business has been funded directly by Innovate UK previously, you are not eligible to apply for this competition. However, you are eligible to apply if you have only received funding:
Businesses with directors who have previously received a grant or Innovation Loan from Innovate UK as part of a different company, are eligible to apply but will be considered on a case by case basis.
A business with a previous award to a parent or subsidiary would also be eligible to apply, but the parent company must be classified as a micro or small business. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis.
If you are unsure, contact our customer support team by email at least 10 working days before the submission deadline.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.
Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK.
You must also provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you.
Innovate UK expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. Innovate UK will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
Number of applications
An eligible UK business can submit one application only. Innovate UK will only award grant funding to one project per business.
Sanctions
This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.
Use of animals in research and innovation
Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.
You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
Innovate UK are not funding projects that:
Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:
Innovate UK have allocated up to £10 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.
Your total project costs will be 100% funded. Total project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the maximum project size. If your total project costs are below the minimum of £25,000 or exceed the maximum of £50,000 then your application will be made ineligible.
Your grant funding request must match your total project costs. If your grant funding request is not 100% of your total project costs then your application will be made ineligible.
Innovate UK will aim to pay:
For more information on company sizes, please refer to the Company accounts guidance.
If you are applying for an award funded under European Commission Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.
Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.