Thinking of Applying for Innovate UK Funding? Read This First
Applying for funding through Innovate UK can be a game-changer for your business, but it’s not something to leave until the night before the deadline. With thousands of applicants and only a handful of successful awards, preparation and alignment are everything. Having recently been through the process ourselves, here’s what we’ve learned.
Start with the Right Opportunity
Innovate UK runs a wide range of funding competitions, but not every one will be the right fit for your project, and trying to force an idea into a call that doesn’t quite match rarely ends well.
📍 You can browse open and upcoming competitions here:
💡 Our advice? Look for a competition that naturally aligns with your innovation’s aims and outcomes. If you’re bending your idea to fit a funding theme, it might not be the right opportunity.
Stay in the Loop
New funding calls are announced regularly. One of the easiest ways to stay up to date is to subscribe to the Innovate UK newsletter.
📬 Sign up here:
Being early to spot a suitable competition gives you more time to plan—and a much better chance of writing a strong application.
Understand the Application Criteria
Each competition comes with a detailed guidance document and a set of assessment criteria. These are not just formalities, they are the exact benchmarks assessors will use to score your bid.
Before you start writing:
Read the full competition brief
Download the "How to apply" and "Applicant guidance" PDFs
Use the assessment criteria as a checklist - if your application doesn’t clearly address all of them, you’ll lose marks
These criteria often include:
✔️ Project summary
✔️ Description of the innovation
✔️ Market need and opportunity
✔️ Project plan and milestones
✔️ Team capabilities
✔️ Risk and mitigation strategy
✔️ Route to commercialisation
✔️ Value for money
Give Yourself Enough Time - Weeks, Not Hours
A strong Innovate UK application is not something you can write in a weekend. The process typically involves:
Coordinating multiple contributors (technical leads, finance, marketing, academic partners)
Getting internal sign-off from partners or universities
Developing a coherent, well-structured argument with evidence and costing
Start early. You’ll want at least three to four weeks to write, revise, and finalise a high-quality submission.
Working with Academic Partners? Plan Ahead
If your project includes an academic institution, factor in their internal approval processes. Universities often require additional time for sign-off from contracts or research offices, and this can’t be rushed at the last minute.
Engage your academic partner as early as possible. Share the timeline, division of work, and what you’ll need from them well in advance.
Have a Plan B
Even with a brilliant idea and a great application, funding isn’t guaranteed. Innovate UK competitions are highly competitive, and not all strong proposals will receive funding.
It’s smart to ask yourself:
Can part of the project proceed without funding?
Are there other sources of finance you can explore?
How will delays in funding affect your overall R&D roadmap?
Hope for success, but plan for resilience.
Final Thoughts
Getting Innovate UK funding isn’t easy, but it is possible with a clear project, a strong team, and the right approach. Don’t rush it. Don’t try to shape your innovation to match the funding. Instead, find the right competition for your vision, and build a compelling, complete case that speaks directly to the assessors.
Good luck and give yourself the time and space to do it justice.
📩 Want to know more about our experience with BridgeAI? Read our case study or get in touch to talk about collaborating on future innovation projects.
