Engineering Biology Investor Partnerships round 1
Engineering Biology Investor Partnerships round 1 supports UK SMEs with grants and aligned private investment to develop close-to-market engineering biology products and services for commercialisation.
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Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: October 7, 2026 (Briefing) | December 2, 2026, 11:00am UK time (Application) | January 15, 2027 (Grant eligibility notification) | July 29, 2027 (Investment heads of terms) | August 17, 2027 (Final notification) | December 1, 2027 (Start by)
Funding Amounts: £250,000–£2 million per project for 24 months; up to £8 million available
Summary: Supports UK SMEs developing close-to-market engineering biology products and services through Innovate UK grants and aligned private investment.
Key Information: Aligned investment must be at least twice the grant request, led by an approved programme investor.
Description
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), runs this competition within UKRI’s Engineering Biology Programme. It supports the development and adoption of engineering biology technologies, focusing on commercialisation of late-stage experimental development projects close to market. Successful UK SMEs receive grant funding alongside private investment led by an investor from the programme’s selected pool.
The primary innovation and competitive advantage must arise from, or enable, purposeful engineering of biological systems to create new or enhanced functions. Supported work can include validation, manufacturing and regulatory progression where these derive value directly from the underlying engineering biology innovation. Projects must demonstrate a clear route to market, significant market impact, scalability and appeal to equity investors.
