Key Features
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £38 million for creating one-stop shops to help end-users adopt robotics and autonomous systems with expert guidance. Funding is from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £38 million
Opens: 24th Feb 2026
Closes: 15th Apr 2026
Innovate UK is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to invest up to £38 million to help bridge the knowledge gap to impact productivity, safety and growth through accelerating adoption of robotics.
The aim of this competition is to bridge the knowledge gap to impact productivity, safety and growth. Hubs will be regional and are expected to build on strengths and capabilities within the existing ecosystem.
Projects must request between £2 million and £7.5 million in grant funding with projects lasting between 40 and 43 months. Projects must start by 1st September 2026 and end on 31st March 2030.
Any funded organisations need to carry out their project work within the UK and exploit the project results from or in the UK.
Lead: To lead a collaborative project your organisation must be registered in the UK and be a business of any size. A research and technology organisation, public sector organisation or academic institution. If the lead is an academic institution or RTO you must collaborate with at least one business of any size.
Project Teams: To collaborate with the lead your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not for-profit, public-sector organisation or a research and technology organisation.
Non-funded partners: Projects can include organisations who do not claim funding for work on the project. These costs need to be covered by their own resources and can include UK, EU and other non-UK organisations.
Businesses in Northern Ireland
Businesses in Northern Ireland that fall under the Windsor Framework cannot receive funding in this competition as there is no State aid equivalent.
Subcontractors: Subcontractors are allowed in the competition and can be from anywhere in the UK. If overseas subcontractors are used, you must make a case as to why UK subcontractors could not be used.
Number of Applications: A business, academic institution, research and technology organisation or public sector organisation can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in two further applications. If they are not leading any application, they can collaborate on any number of applications.
Previous applications: You can use previously submitted applications
The following projects are not being funded:
Up to £38 million in funding has been allocated to fund innovation projects. Funding will be in the form of a grant.
If your organisations 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.
Funding available for your eligible project costs of:
Research participation
Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 70% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 70% you can get funding for 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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