Grant News
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is inviting applications for the Women in Innovation Awards, which will support up to sixty female entrepreneurs across the UK.
Successful projects will receive up to £75,000 of grant funding and bespoke business support for 12 months.
The 2025/26 round will support women founders and co-founders of UK-registered SMEs developing scalable innovations in the high growth sectors of:
- advanced manufacturing
- digital technologies
- life sciences
The scheme targets late-stage start-ups with ambitions to grow a scalable business which will involve raising considerable investment in the next 12 to 24 months.
Applicants will be expected to:
- have built a basic version of the idea or product, service, solution, for example a prototype or Minimal Viable Product
- have received early interest from users, customers, or made some money
- know who the product is for and have started testing how the business will work
- have an understanding of realistic market opportunity
- have started forming a team, going beyond original founders
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Subcontracting costs must not exceed 50% of the grant funding amount.
Successful applicants will undertake a 12-month project and participate in training and outreach activities.
The programme has a total budget of £4.5 million. The competition closes at 11am on the 4th February 2026.
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