Unlock investment
Securing grant funding can give your R&D project the boost it needs. Whether you’re a scaling start-up or a growing SME, the UK and EU offer a wealth of grant opportunities across a range of industries and technologies.
At Wilson Partners, we guide you through the full lifecycle of applying for R&D grants. From identifying the right funding to preparing robust applications and ensuring your grant strategy aligns with R&D tax reliefs, we’ll help you unlock the full potential of grant support.
Innovate UK grant applications
Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency, supporting businesses across all sectors and regions. It runs a number of grant competitions throughout the year, including:
Open to all sectors, these competitive grants typically provide between £25,000 and £2 million for R&D projects. Currently paused as Innovate UK undertakes a broader review of how it supports SMEs.
Part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, these grants target specific national priorities such as clean growth, AI, and future mobility.
Aimed at UK start-ups (projects from £50k to £1m) and scale-ups with late stage R&D projects (up to £2m) and suited to businesses seeking a mix of grant funding and private investment. Grant funding of up to £900k is available but businesses must have a project in one of the following high growth areas identified in the Industrial Strategy:
- Advanced manufacturing (including batteries)
- Clean energy industries
- Creative industries
- Defence
- Digital and technologies (including AI and quantum tech)
- Life sciences
Grants are awarded through open and competitive calls, and the application process can be highly competitive. Our team provides insight into what assessors are looking for, ensuring your application is clear, technically sound and commercially viable.
Horizon Europe (EU innovation funding)
EU grant funding is also available via the current programme of Horizon Europe which has a budget of 93.5b Euros and will run to 2027. The UK government has agreed a deal to associate to Horizon Europe enabling UK-based innovators to apply for funding for most opportunities on the same terms as EU-based applicants. Grants are offered through a mixture of open and competitive calls with funding available for individual SME research through to large multi nationals and for larger multiple stakeholder, cross-border collaborative projects. There are 5 main mission areas being:
- Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation
- Cancer
- Climate-neutral and smart cities
- Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters
- Soil health and food
Whether you’re a small business applying for individual research funding or a larger organisation involved in a multi-partner project, we’ll help you navigate the Horizon application process and connect you with the right expertise.
How Wilson Partners supports your grant application
Applying for grant funding is more than just filling in forms. It requires technical clarity, commercial rationale, and financial accuracy. We can:
- Identify suitable UK or EU grant opportunities
- Prepare or review funding applications
- Provide budget and financial planning to support submissions
- Advise on structuring collaborative projects
- Provide guidance on grant terms and compliance requirements
- Manage the interaction between grant funding and R&D tax relief
Emma Richards, Innovations Director, Wilson Partners
