Last updated: 2 November 2026
Smart grants are closed as of 2 November 2026, but 29 Innovate UK competitions are open. Apply through the Innovation Funding Service before each close date, checking eligibility for single applicants or collaborations.
Are Innovate UK Smart grants open?
No. On 2 November 2026 a search for “smart” on the Innovation Funding Service returned 0 competitions.
Innovate UK paused new Smart Grants competitions from January 2025 to develop tailored support, according to secondary sources, which also say there were no Smart rounds in financial year 2025/26. So the pause has already run through a full financial year with no rounds, and there is no Smart competition to apply to right now.
GOV.UK’s old collection says “Innovate UK Smart funding is the new name for the Open programme”. The collection was withdrawn on 31 January 2022. That page is years out of date, so beware of older pages and agents describing Smart grants as open. If someone tells you Smart grants are open, check the live Innovation Funding Service search yourself before spending time on an application.
What this means in plain English: there is no general, open-themed Innovate UK grant to apply for today. If you want Innovate UK money, you must match one of the themed competitions listed below.
What Innovate UK funding is open now?
All listed competitions are Innovate UK (UKRI) funded. There were 29 open on 2 November 2026. Most are themed by sector or technology, many require collaboration, and the dates change, so check the Innovation Funding Service before relying on this list.
| Competition | Up to | Opens | Closes | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems | £1.66 million | 12 Oct 2026 | 18 Nov 2026 | UK registered SMEs, single applicants |
| Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1 | £3.1 million | 1 Oct 2026 | 11 Nov 2026 | UK registered SMEs, single applicants |
| BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst (three tracks) | £5 million each | 21 Oct 2026 | 8 Dec 2026 | UK registered AI SMEs leading consortia with medium or large deployer organisations |
| FOAK Builder: Programme Entry EOI | £315,000 | 7 Oct 2026 | 5 Nov 2026 | UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprises, single applicants |
| Engineering Biology Investor Partnerships Round 1 | £8 million | 1 Oct 2026 | 2 Dec 2026 | UK SMEs seeking private financing at 2x the grant amount |
| Investor Partnerships – National Materials Innovation Programme 1 | Not stated | 2 Nov 2026 | 19 Jan 2027 | UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment |
| Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) 2026-2027 Round 4 | £12.5 million | 19 Oct 2026 | 27 Jan 2027 | Academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults collaborating with UK businesses |
The largest single pot in this table is the KTP round at up to £12.5 million. The smallest is FOAK Builder at up to £315,000. Between those two sits a spread of more than £12 million, which shows how different the scales are.
BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst has three tracks at up to £5 million each. Three tracks times £5 million gives up to £15 million in total across the programme. That is the largest combined figure in the table, even though each track is smaller than the KTP pot. In plain English: the money is spread across several themed routes, not one big open fund.
Engineering Biology asks for private financing at 2x the grant. If the grant is at the £8 million cap, the private financing needed would be 2 times £8 million, which is £16 million. So a full-size bid pairs £8 million of grant with £16 million of private money.
How do Investor Partnerships work?
Some competitions are open only to SMEs with private investment. The listing says “UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment”, and the Engineering Biology round asks for private financing at 2x the grant. So this route is not grant-only: you bring an investor, and the grant sits on top.
Battery Investor Partnerships are by invitation from selected investor partners. That means you cannot simply apply through the open listing; you are invited in by one of the chosen investors. In plain English: Investor Partnerships suit SMEs that already have, or can attract, private investment, not founders who only want grant money.
How do you apply?
Applications go through the Innovation Funding Service: find a competition, check “who can apply” (single applicant versus collaboration, SME versus any business), and apply before the close date. Each listing states eligibility; for example some are collaborations only.
Practical steps: read the scope and eligibility; check that your project fits; form a consortium if required; budget the project; apply before the close date. Do not start budgeting until you have confirmed you are eligible, because a consortium that does not meet the “who can apply” test wastes everyone’s time.
What this means in plain English: the application is a staged process. Eligibility comes first, then fit, then consortium, then budget, then submission before the close date. Skip a step and you risk a rejected or late application.
What else can fund a UK startup?
R&D tax relief (see our UK R&D tax credits guide) and SEIS/EIS for equity (see our SEIS vs EIS guide). Grants are not a substitute for planning runway (see our runway guide).
In plain English: Innovate UK is one of several routes. R&D tax relief rewards qualifying research spend, SEIS and EIS help raise equity, and runway planning keeps the business alive between grants.
Frequently asked questions
Are Innovate UK Smart grants open now?
No. A search on the Innovation Funding Service for “smart” returned 0 competitions on 2 November 2026. Innovate UK paused new Smart Grants competitions from January 2025, and secondary sources say there were no Smart rounds in financial year 2025/26.
How many Innovate UK competitions were open on 2 November 2026?
29 competitions were open on that date, according to the Innovation Funding Service listing read on 2 November 2026. The listed competitions are Innovate UK (UKRI) funded.
Can a single SME apply for an Innovate UK grant?
Yes, some competitions allow single applicants, such as Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems and Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1. Other competitions require collaboration, so check “who can apply” before starting an application.
What is an Investor Partnership?
It is a route where UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment. The Engineering Biology round asks for private financing at 2x the grant, and Battery Investor Partnerships are by invitation from selected investor partners.
Where should I check for the latest Innovate UK competitions?
Check the Innovation Funding Service search before relying on any list. Competitions open and close on stated dates, and the open list changes over time.
Sources
- Innovation Funding Service: competition search
- GOV.UK: Innovate UK Open funding programme (withdrawn)
Figures and prices were checked on 2 November 2026; check the linked sources before relying on them. This article is general information, not tax, legal or investment advice.
