GrantUp funding directory
UK grant finder: business and innovation grants
Find and compare innovation funding for UK start-ups, SMEs and growing businesses. Browse Innovate UK, UKRI, Horizon Europe, regional and sector opportunities, plus innovation loans, for new products, processes and technologies rather than general running costs.
Founders, R&D leads and research partners can shortlist by sector, stage, region and award size. Choose Open now or Closing soon to narrow the listings, then compare funders, typical awards, applicant fit and published deadlines. Each call has its own eligible costs, match funding and partner requirements.
GrantUp curates these 248 listings from its funding records and programme summaries, with links to official funders. Coverage is selective and closed rounds remain for reference. Open rounds appear first; a missing deadline does not confirm availability. Always verify the current scope, eligibility and deadline with the funder before applying.
- Filter by your sector and stage, then choose Open now.
- Compare the funder, typical award and who each call suits.
- Open a listing to check eligible costs, match funding and partner rules.
Not sure where you fit? Use the eligibility checker, read the Innovate UK funding guide or see how to write a winning application.
Find your grant
Showing 1–12 of 248 programmes
- Closes today
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Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Accessible and available travel facilitation
Open to legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (and certain non-associated countries with specific funding provisions); entities controlled by China are not eligible. Proposals must include at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities as beneficiaries from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries, and participation of Customs Authorities is welcome.
Max award€4MDeadline5 Nov 2026Defence & securityIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Advanced border surveillance and situational awareness
Open to legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (per Annex B eligibility rules); entities controlled by China or a Chinese legal entity are not eligible. Proposals must include, as beneficiaries, at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated countries.
Max award€6MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Climate security and civil preparedness – new ways to develop pre- and post-crisis climate…
Open to legal entities (including research organisations, public bodies and international organisations with HQ in an EU Member State or Associated Country) eligible under Horizon Europe rules; consortia must include at least 3 national authorities in charge of disaster risk management as beneficiaries, each from a different EU Member State or Associated Country.
Max award€4.5MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Crime prevention approaches, online and off-line, tackling the nexus between addictions an…
Open to consortia of legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries; the consortium must include at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or NGOs) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Max award€3MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Designing new ways of risk awareness and enhanced disaster preparedness
Open to consortia of legal entities from EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries; the project must include at least 3 organisations from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries, with mandatory participation of at least one civil society organisation, one national authority in charge of disaster risk, and one organisation representing local or regional authorities.
Max award€3MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Development of ecosystem and next-generation capabilities for a secured European Critical…
Open to legal entities (including first responders' organisations, research bodies and companies) established in EU Member States or Associated Countries eligible under Horizon Europe; entities directly or indirectly controlled by China are excluded. Consortiums must include at least 3 first responders' organisations as beneficiaries.
Max award€3MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Development of innovative tools, processes, equipment and technologies through responses t…
Open to entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries (with some non-associated countries also eligible under special provisions); entities controlled by China are excluded. Proposals must include at least 2 practitioner organisations (first responders) and 2 medical emergency authorities as beneficiaries, from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Relevant international organisations headquartered in a Member State or Associated Country are also exceptionally eligible.
Max award€4MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Enhancing the security of citizens against terrorism and lone-actor violence in confined s…
Consortia must include at least 3 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations or Non-Governmental Organisations, drawn from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Proposals should also involve a balanced mix of IT specialists, psychologists, sociologists and other relevant security practitioners and SSH experts.
Max award€4.835MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Improving capabilities of law enforcement to counter climate-related challenges
Consortia applying to this Horizon Europe call must include, as beneficiaries, at least 2 Police Authorities from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries; other security practitioners (e.g. civil security services, Border Guard or Customs Authorities) are encouraged but not mandatory. Applicants must be from EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, per the standard Horizon Europe eligibility rules referenced in the Work Programme General Annexes.
Max award€4MDeadline5 Nov 2026Clean energy & net zeroIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Missing persons: prevention and investigation
Consortia must include at least 3 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or Non-Governmental Organisations) as beneficiaries, drawn from at least 3 different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries; entities controlled by China are not eligible to participate.
Max award€5MDeadline5 Nov 2026Defence & securityIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Multi-hazard approach and cumulative / cascading impacts
Open to multi-partner consortia under Horizon Europe eligibility rules (Annex B), including entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with certain non-associated international organisations headquartered in these countries exceptionally eligible. Proposals must include as beneficiaries at least 2 national authorities in charge of disaster risk or crisis communication and 2 local/regional authorities in charge of disaster response, drawn from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Max award€4MDeadline5 Nov 2026Defence & securityIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details - Closes today
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Open topic on driving innovation uptake of disaster risk solutions
Open to legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (per Horizon Europe General Annex B eligibility rules); entities directly or indirectly controlled by China are not eligible. Proposals must include at least 3 first responders or national authorities in charge of disaster risk management as beneficiaries, from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries.
Max award€3MDeadline5 Nov 2026AI & softwareIndustrial R&DUK-wideView grant details
Want to apply for more than one grant?
Our retainer clients get a dedicated grant pipeline: we track deadlines, match competitions to your roadmap, and manage multiple applications at once so nothing is missed.
Unsure where to start?
Tell us what you are building and we will point you to the competitions where you are genuinely competitive, before you spend time on an application.
How UK business grant funding works
Innovate UK
The largest source of competitive innovation grants for UK businesses, run through the Innovation Funding Service. Most competitions fund a share of R&D costs, so companies co-invest the rest.
Horizon Europe and the EIC
UK companies can bid for Horizon Europe collaborative projects and the EIC Accelerator, which suit ambitious, high-risk innovations with international reach.
UKRI, ESA and sector funders
Research councils, the European Space Agency, defence and health funders run targeted programmes for specific technologies and missions, often with fewer applicants.
Regional and local funds
Devolved governments and local growth programmes offer smaller grants for capital, productivity and early-stage innovation, sometimes alongside national competitions.
Innovate UK grants for businesses
Innovate UK grants fund feasibility studies, industrial research and experimental development, for single companies or collaborative consortia. Each competition publishes its own scope, award range and funding rate, with listed rounds shown alongside the specialist programmes in this directory. Our Innovate UK grant writers can tell you which round fits your project.
Almost every competition expects match funding, a clear technical advance and a credible route to market. Use the filters above to shortlist programmes, then check your eligibility before you commit time to an application.
Building a funding strategy from this directory
Balance national and regional funds
Flagship Innovate UK and Horizon Europe competitions attract the most applicants. Pairing one national bid with a regional or sector fund, where the field is smaller, spreads risk and can bring in earlier wins while larger decisions are pending.
Sequence by deadline and effort
A strong application typically takes 100 or more hours of specialist work. Shortlist two or three competitions whose deadlines are at least six weeks apart, so each bid gets proper technical and financial preparation rather than a rushed submission.
Match the funder to your stage
Early feasibility work suits smaller, faster competitions; later-stage development and demonstration suit larger awards with match funding. Filtering by stage and award size above keeps your shortlist realistic for where your technology actually is.
Companies that treat grants as a rolling portfolio, rather than a single bet, win more consistently. If you are planning several applications over the year, our GrantPartner programme covers a pipeline of bids for one monthly fee, and our case studies show how funded clients structured theirs.
Planning more than one bid this year?
The GrantPartner programme is a monthly retainer covering a rolling portfolio of applications from this directory, with no separate writing fee per bid. Suited to UK businesses with an active R&D roadmap and match funding in place.
Deadline tracker
What is open right now, and how long you have left
Funder dates move, and the best applications are the ones started early. These are the UK and EU windows we are actively writing toward, with how much is on the table and a live clock to the cut-off.
Updated automatically from our live grant directory
| Programme | Funding available | Deadline | Time left | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [IUK] FOAK Builder: Programme Entry Expression of InterestInnovate UKOfficial page | If a FOAK Support plan is agreed, in-kind support can be up to £315,000. Successful EOIs may be invited to Phase 2 grant.Per successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Innovate UK Climate Tech FOAK Builder programme-entry EOI. UK SMEs apply as a single applicant for in-kind support of up to £315,000. This is not the same competition as Contracts for Innovation: FOAK26. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Climate security and civil preparedness – new ways to develop pre- and post-crisis climate…Horizon EuropeOfficial page | €4.5MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Open to legal entities (including research organisations, public bodies and international organisations with HQ in an EU Member State or Associated Country) eligible under Horizon Europe rules; consortia must include at least 3 national authorities in charge of disaster risk management as beneficiaries, each from a different EU Member State or Associated Country. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Crime prevention approaches, online and off-line, tackling the nexus between addictions an…Horizon EuropeOfficial page | €3MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Open to consortia of legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries; the consortium must include at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations (or NGOs) from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Prevention and mitigation of misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposesHorizon EuropeOfficial page | €3MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-CL3-2026-01-FCT-06). Applicants must be legal entities established in the eligible countries described in Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes; consortium and other participation rules also follow General Annex B. Projects using satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Accessible and available travel facilitationHorizon EuropeOfficial page | €4MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Open to legal entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (and certain non-associated countries with specific funding provisions); entities controlled by China are not eligible. Proposals must include at least 2 Border or Coast Guard Authorities as beneficiaries from at least 2 different EU Member States or Associated Countries, and participation of Customs Authorities is welcome. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Development of ecosystem and next-generation capabilities for a secured European Critical…Horizon EuropeOfficial page | €3MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Open to legal entities (including first responders' organisations, research bodies and companies) established in EU Member States or Associated Countries eligible under Horizon Europe; entities directly or indirectly controlled by China are excluded. Consortiums must include at least 3 first responders' organisations as beneficiaries. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Targeted innovative capabilities for the resilience of critical entities to natural and hu…Horizon EuropeOfficial page | €4.5MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (per Horizon Europe eligibility rules), excluding organisations directly or indirectly controlled by China; proposals must include at least 3 relevant practitioner organisations as beneficiaries (e.g. critical infrastructure operators, civil protection authorities, first responders, or security providers) from EU Member States or Associated Countries. |
| [Horizon - Civil Security for Society] Enhancing the security of citizens against terrorism and lone-actor violence in confined s…Horizon EuropeOfficial page | €4.835MPer successful application | 5 Nov 2026 | Closes todayEvery day counts, speak to us today. | Consortia must include at least 3 Police Authorities and at least 2 Civil Society Organisations or Non-Governmental Organisations, drawn from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Proposals should also involve a balanced mix of IT specialists, psychologists, sociologists and other relevant security practitioners and SSH experts. |
Always confirm dates on the funder page before you plan around them. Competitions are amended and cycles shift.
Not sure which of these fits you?
Picking the wrong programme costs months. Our specialist team maps your technology, stage and timeline against live competitions and tells you honestly where you are competitive, and where you are not.
Guides to go with the directory
Pair your grant with R&D tax credits
R&D tax relief can recover part of the match funding a grant asks you to cover. Our R&D tax credit specialists plan both together. Use the R&D tax relief calculator to see what your spend could return, or read accountant vs R&D tax specialist.
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