Key Features
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1.1 million for innovative feasibility studies in novel, sustainable, low carbon materials and manufacturing.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £1.1 million
Opens: 22nd Sep 2025
Closes: 3rd Nov 2025
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £1.1 million in innovative feasibility projects. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received.
Innovate UK reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.
The UK has clear potential to become a world class destination of choice for advanced and sustainable manufacturing.
The three strategic imperatives for this vision are that UK materials and manufacturing will be:
The Innovate UK materials and manufacturing vision 2050 provides background for the three strategic imperatives.
The aim of this competition is for UK materials and manufacturing organisations to be net zero and resource efficient. Innovate UK encourage simultaneous demonstrations on how the sectors will be more resilient, sustainable or technologically advanced. Innovate UK also encourage proposals for innovation in seaweed processing.
Your project must focus on one or both of the following themes.
Theme 1: Resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing
You must aim for a significant improvement of resource efficiency and sustainability in UK materials and manufacturing, including increasing the use or re-use of bio-based feedstocks, chemical replacements, and circular products.
Your project must focus on two or more of these five areas:
Theme 2: Seaweed processing
Your project must seek to test new technologies that aim to deliver a significant improvement in the yield, efficiency or value per tonne of algae processed using material (macroalgae, seaweeds, and microalgae), that has either been harvested or cultivated in the UK and its territorial waters.
Your project must focus on one or more of the following activities:
Only lab-scale, small volumes of processing for testing or R&D purposes are in scope.
Portfolio approach
Innovate UK want to fund a variety of projects across different themes, locations, technologies, markets and technological maturities. Innovate UK call this a portfolio approach.
If your application passes the technical assessment, any awards given to primary agricultural producers are subject to the green box exemption under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.
See further guidance on green box subsidies WTO Guidance for support in Agriculture. Applicants receiving this type of support must ensure that there is minimal to no distortion of trade and comply with the requirements of Annex 2 of the Agriculture Agreement.
Your project
Your project must:
Any funded organisation needs to carry out their project work in the UK and must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. 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.
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
Your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.
More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and are limited to no more than 50% of the project’s total eligible costs.
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 organisation can lead on one application only.
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.
Theme 1: Resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing
Innovate UK are not funding projects that focus on:
Theme 2: Seaweed processing
Innovate UK are not funding projects that are seeking to process species of algae not commonly found in UK waters.
For clarity, the use of captured carbon as a feedstock is in scope for both themes.
Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:
Up to £1.1 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
Innovate UK reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.
Your total project costs will be eligible for 100% funding subject to MFA subsidy rules. You must apply for 100% funding. Total project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the maximum project size. If your total project costs do exceed the maximum then your application will be made ineligible.
You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution in your application answers. It must not be detailed in the finance section.
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.
Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.
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