Advanced manufacturing: measurement and sensing pilot
Advanced manufacturing: measurement and sensing pilot supports UK SMEs developing measurement, sensing or instrumentation innovations to improve productivity, resource efficiency or supply-chain resilience.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: November 19, 2026 (Invited applicants’ pitch deck) | November 30, 2026 (Pitch panels start) | December 7, 2026 (Pitch panels end) | December 18, 2026, by 5pm (Final notification) | March 1, 2027 (Latest activity start) | November 30, 2027 (Latest activity end)
Funding Amounts: £80,420 per business: £75,000 grant plus £5,420 Business Connect support over nine months; total fund up to £1 million
Summary: Supports high-potential UK SMEs developing measurement, sensing or instrumentation innovations for UK advanced manufacturing supply chains.
Key Information: Single applicants only: the pilot supports companies and their growth, not standalone projects.
Description
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, runs this pilot through the UKRI Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chains programme. It recruits ambitious, innovative SMEs whose core business develops a technology, product or service based on measurement, sensing or instrumentation. These innovations must solve a UK advanced manufacturing supply-chain problem by improving manufacturers’ productivity, resource efficiency or resilience.
The nine-month pilot combines grant funding with tailored, account-managed support to help businesses grow and scale in the UK, selling to UK and worldwide customers. Participants work with Innovate UK, Business Connect and Business Growth to agree and deliver a Growth Action Plan. The pilot also tests how financial and non-financial interventions, coordinated support and jointly agreed milestones can accelerate business growth.
