Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: round 5
Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: round 5 supports UK and German SMEs in joint research and development, funding cross-border business collaboration to develop innovative proposals.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026, 11:30am UK time (Closing date) | September 28, 2026, 9:00am UK time (Opening date)
Funding Amounts: Up to £2.4 million total competition funding
Summary: Innovate UK supports collaborative research and development proposals between UK and German SMEs through a bilateral funding opportunity linked to Germany’s ZIM programme.
Key Information: The German SME collaborator must be a separate, non-linked entity and apply under the equivalent German ZIM programme.
Description
This fifth round of the Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D opportunity is offered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. It supports the development of innovative proposals through collaboration between businesses in the UK and Germany, placing cross-border partnership at the centre of the funded work.
The competition provides grant funding for UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprises working with German SME partners. The German side of the collaboration is connected to the equivalent German ZIM programme, under which at least one German collaborator must apply. The opportunity is restricted to UK–Germany collaborations.
