Key Features
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £500,000 for a phase 1 project to establish the Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute (MMDI). This funding is from Innovate UK.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £500,000
Opens: 7th Sep 2026
Closes: 14th Oct 2026
Innovate UK will invest up to £500,000 from the UKRI Life Sciences Growth Sector in this Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute Phase 1 competition.
The aim of this phase 1 competition is to provide seed funding to establish a consortium and prepare a case for an award in phase 2 to establish the Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute.
Phase 1 and phase 2 proposals must align with relevant UK Government priorities for growth, productivity and innovation, demonstrating how it supports the ambitions of the UK Industrial Strategy, the Life Sciences Sector Plan and wider UK priorities.
To be eligible for this competition, projects must have a grant funding request of between £50,000 and £100,000 and last between three and six months. The grant funding request must match your total project costs. Projects must start before 1st January 2027 and end by 30th January 2027.
Lead Organisation: To work alone or lead a collaborative project, organisations must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, research and technology organisation, charity, not for profit or public sector organisation. The lead applicant in phase 1 must be an organisation who can convene the full medicines manufacturing ecosystem and enable industry to drive the strategic direction, setting priorities, defining use cases.
Project team: To collaborate with the lead in phase 1, organisations must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institute, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation
Non-funded partners: Projects can include organisations that do not claim funding for their work on the project. These costs will be covered by their own resources and can include UK, EU and other non-UK organisations. Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit results outside the UK.
Subcontractors: Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and can be from anywhere in the UK. Overseas subcontractors can be used, but you must state by UK subcontractors could have be used in your application.
Number of applications: Eligible organisations can only lead on one application. If leading an application, eligible organisations can be included as a collaborator in two further applications. If not leading, they can collaborate in any number of applications.
Previous applications: Previous applications cannot be used in this competition.
Innovate UK are not funding the following projects in phase 1:
Innovate UK have allocated up to £500,000 to fund innovation projects in this competition Funding will be in the form of a grant.
Your total project costs will be eligible for up to 100% funding subject to MFA subsidy rules. You must apply for 100% funding. Total project costs detailed within your application must be between £50,000 and £100,000. Costs must not be below the minimum of £50,000 or exceed the maximum project size of £100,000. If your total project costs do exceed the maximum then your application will be made ineligible.