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Unclaimed
Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Grants

Innovate UK Smart Grants

Status

Usually opens in January and April and July and October

Suspended for now. Reopening projected from the months this call usually opens — not a date the funder has confirmed.

Paused by the funder

Projected from the pattern of past calls — confirm on the funder's page before planning around it.

Amount
£2,000,000

Historically GBP 25k-500k for single-company 6-18 month projects and GBP 25k-2m for collaborative 19-36 month projects; intervention rate 35-70% by company size and research category.

You must co-fund 30%. Work out the cash you need

Funder

Innovate UK (UKRI)

public · national

Deadline: Closed — No new rounds since the January 2025 pause. Historically ran open, sector-agnostic rounds roughly 2-4 times a year with an ~11-13 week window.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
major

Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.

You fund 30% yourself.

Who can apply

UK-registered business, must include at least one SME, project must be carried out in the UK.

How to apply

  1. Register on the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) portal
  2. Complete the application: business/financial details, project questions, finances and impact
  3. Three independent assessors score the application
  4. Funding decision and grant offer letter

What you will need

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work · The Companies House number, explained

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/guidance-for-specific-funds/smart-innovation-funding-guidance/

"From January 2025, Innovate UK is pausing Smart Grants to develop tailored support, with a new pilot launching in spring 2025."

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: www.ukri.org

Similar programmes

Innovate UK Launchpads

Status not published

Innovate UK (UKRI)

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Biomedical Catalyst

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Innovate UK (UKRI)

Made Smarter Innovation Challenge

Closed for now

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Innovate UK Investor Partnerships

Usually opens in March and September

Innovate UK (UKRI)

DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund

Closes in 35 days

Department for Business and Trade / Advanced Propulsion Centre / Innovate UK

Paid, separate from Unclaimed

Want a human to review your application?

Involve Consulting can help — a paid expert-review service run by the same person behind Unclaimed, entirely separate from this free check. A flat fee, agreed up front; never a cut of what you receive.

Talk to Involve Consulting