UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £12 million to support collaborative research into advanced materials and help move new technologies towards commercial use.

The funding is available through the first collaborative research and development competition under Innovate UK’s National Materials Innovation Programme.

Four advanced materials research themes

Projects must focus on at least one of four themes:

• Future healthcare solutions, including biomaterials, medical devices, diagnostics and bioelectronics

• Structural materials, including specialist metals, composites, ceramics, polymers and coatings

• Power electronics and connectivity, including semiconductor, photonic, RF and thermal-management materials

• Metamaterials and metasurfaces for applications such as telecommunications, sensing, healthcare, aerospace and energy

Projects must demonstrate how the materials innovation will improve performance, functionality, productivity or sustainability. Applications must also identify a route to commercialisation and involve a named end user.

Who can apply?

Projects must be led by a UK-registered business and include at least one UK-registered SME claiming funding. Other eligible partners include businesses, universities, charities, public-sector organisations and research and technology organisations.

Each project can request between £500,000 and £1 million in grant funding and must last between 18 and 30 months.

The competition is relevant to NETPark businesses and partners working across advanced materials, semiconductors, photonics, healthcare technologies, electronics, sensors and communications.

Applications close at 11am on 28 October 2026.

Read the full competition guidance and apply.