Next Wave: Breakthrough Wave 1
Innovate UK
What it funds
DescriptionInnovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £10 million in successful applicants in this competition. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received.The aim of this competition is to support early stage innovation in the intersection of high growth potential Createch and the Industrial Strategy Frontier industries. This funding is to develop innovations beyond proof of concept, de-risking future investment and supportin
Who can apply
Who can applyYour projectYour project must:have total costs between £100,000 and £500,000last between 9 and 12 monthsstart by 1 January 2027end by 31 December 2027Any organisation receiving funding must carry out its project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK.Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs.If your project’s total costs or duration falls outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes. We will then decide whether to approve your request.If you project does not meet our criteria and you have not requested justification approval, your application will be made ineligible and it will not be sent for assessment.Lead organisationTo lead a collaborative project your organisation m
How to apply
Before you startYou must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:that all the information provided in the application is correctyour proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteriaall sections of the application are marked as completeif collaborative, that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.What we ask youThe application is split into four sections:Project details.Application questions.Finances.Project Impact.Accessibility and InclusionWe welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application proc
Last checked against the official source: 3 Jul 2026. Scheme parameters are set by the funder and can change — verify before applying, or let us do it for you.
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