National Materials Innovation Programme: CR&D Rd1
Forecasted
National Materials Innovation Programme: CR&D Rd1 supports business-led collaborations in advanced materials research to accelerate adoption across UK growth sectors and support net zero and manufacturing.
This grant was recently updated
The competition is now closed, and the funder has removed the link to start a new application.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Competition closing deadline)
Funding Amounts: £500,000–£1 million per project for 18–30 months; up to £12 million total
Summary: Supports business-led collaborative industrial research accelerating the translation and adoption of advanced materials innovations.
Key Information: Consortia must include a funded UK SME and a named end user operating in an IS-8 sector.
Description
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), runs this collaborative industrial research competition within the National Materials Innovation Programme. It supports significant materials innovations aligned with three prioritised high-growth themes and one strategic opportunity theme. Projects may improve existing materials, develop and deploy new materials, or use existing materials innovatively to overcome major technical barriers.
The competition aims to accelerate materials translation and adoption across the eight growth-driving sectors identified in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy (IS-8). Proposals must show improved performance, functionality, productivity or sustainability, alongside credible commercialisation, deployment and UK scale-up routes. They must also demonstrate contributions to UK net zero targets and explain how the work supports business growth and UK advanced manufacturing.
