Key Features
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for creating a central convening body to coordinate the robotics adoption hubs. Funding is from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £2 million
Opens: 10th Jun 2026
Closes: 8th Jul 2026
Innovate UK alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will invest up to £2 million to support the creation of a central convening body for the Robotics Adoption Hubs that are being allocated through a separate competition.
The aim of this competition is to close the knowledge gap that slows down the adoption of robotics. The convening body should help improve productivity, safety, competitiveness and sustainability whilst supporting better health outcomes, stronger infrastructure and contributing to economic growth.
To be eligible for this grant, projects must have a total grant funding request of between £500,000 and £2 million with projects lasting up to 42 months. Projects must stary by 1st October 2026 and end by 31st March 2030.
Lead organisation: To lead a collaborative project, organisations must be a UK registered business of any size, research and technology organisation, public sector organisation or an academic institution. If the lead organisation is an Academic institution, it must collaborate with at least one business of any size. Organisations working alone must be a UK registered business of any size, RTO or public sector organisation.
Project team: To collaborate with the lead, organisations must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation.
Non-funded partners: Projects can include organisations who do not claim funding for work on the project. These costs must be covered from 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 country and exploit results outside the UK.
Businesses in Northern Ireland: Businesses in Northern Ireland that fall under the Windsor Framework cannot receive funding for this competition.
Subcontractors: Subcontractors are allowed in this competition and can be used from anywhere in the UK. Overseas subcontractors can be used but you must state why UK subcontractors could not be used.
Number of applications: Eligible organisations can only lead on one application. Further applications by the same organisation will be made ineligible. Eligible organisations leading an application can be included as a collaborator in two further applications if not leading and can collaborate in any number of applications.
Previous applications: Previous applications can be used in this competition.
Innovate UK will not fund projects that are dependent on export performance or dependent on domestic inputs usage.
Innovate UK will invest up to £2 million to fund innovation projects. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below.
The balance between your total eligible project costs and the amount of grant awarded must be funded by the organisation receiving the grant.
You can get funding for your eligible project costs of:
Research participation
The research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 100% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 100% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:
Eligibility criteria for claiming 80% of FEC funding
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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