Contracts for Innovation: FOAK26
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Transport (DfT)
What it funds
DescriptionText update 13 May 2026: we have included an additional stakeholder in challenge 7 and corrected the name of the stakeholder in challenge 3.Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest a maximum of £4.3 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) in this Contracts for Innovation competition.This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications.Innovate UK and DfT, are collaborating with the rail industry to accelerate and increase
Who can apply
Who can applyYour projectProjects must:start on 1 September 2026end by 31 March 2027last between three to seven monthshave total costs of no more than £210,000, inclusive of VATProjects 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 Contract has been approved by Innovate UK.You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs.ApplicantTo lead a project, you can:be an organisation of any size, including those based in the EU, EEA or internationallywork alone or with the subcontracted skills and expertise of others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations, or the third sector (charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups)Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. The majority of the project work and key deliverables must be completed by the applicant and be carried out in the UK. Subcontractors can be used, but only for specialist skills.We expect you to include an integration partner in your project to help facilitate the demonstration of your technology. You must not add the integration partner in
How to apply
Before you startText update 13 May 2026: On Question 1 we have included an additional stakeholder in challenge 7 and corrected the name of the stakeholder in challenge 3.By submitting an application, you agree to the terms of the draft contract which is available once you start your application. The terms of the contract are non-negotiable and are included in the draft contract. We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions if necessary.The final contract will include any milestones you have agreed with the funding authority and will be sent to you if your application is successful. The contract is binding once it is returned by you and signed by both parties.When you start an application, you will be prompted to create an account as the lead applicant or sign in as a representative of your organisation. Using your account, you will be able to track your applications progress.A
Last checked against the official source within the last 7 days. Scheme parameters are set by the funder and can change — verify before applying, or let us do it for you.
Related schemes
Innovate UK Grant Competitions
Innovate UK
Rolling portfolio of themed R&D grant competitions for UK businesses, typically funding 25-70% of project costs across feasibility, industrial research and experimental development.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
Innovate UK / UKRI
Funds a high-calibre graduate (Associate) plus academic team embedded in your business for 12-36 months to deliver a strategic innovation project. SMEs typically pay ~33% of project costs.
R&D Tax Relief (Merged Scheme & ERIS)
HMRC
Corporation tax relief on qualifying R&D expenditure. Merged scheme gives a 20% above-the-line credit (~15-16% net); loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs can claim enhanced support (ERIS) worth up to ~27p per £1 of qualifying spend.