Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: round 5
Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: round 5 supports UK and German businesses in joint industrial research in Clean Energy, Life Sciences, or Engineering Biology to develop innovations for commercialisation.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: October 12, 2026 (Briefing) | December 1, 2026 (Application deadline) | April 30, 2027 (Notification) | August 1, 2027 (Project start)
Funding Amounts: £100,000–£350,000 per project for UK partners, over 12–24 months; total fund up to £2.4 million
Summary: Supports business-led UK–Germany industrial research in Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Engineering Biology.
Key Information: A UK SME must lead with a separate, non-linked German SME applying to ZIM; both national agencies must approve funding.
Description
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, runs this bilateral collaborative research and development competition with Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). It funds industrial research projects that bring UK and German businesses together to develop innovative products, processes, or services in Clean Energy, Life Sciences, or Engineering Biology.
Projects should demonstrate a game-changing or disruptive idea, credible market potential, and a deliverable business plan. The collaboration must add value through balanced technological contributions from both countries, with results significant to all participants. Proposals need an evidence-based path to commercialisation, economic impact, and growth, including benefits to the UK economy or productivity. Innovate UK funds the UK participants, while German participants apply separately to the ZIM programme, administered by AiF Projekt GmbH.
