UK Research and Innovation (EPSRC)

Manufacturing Scale-up Research and Innovation: Automotive and Aerospace

UKRI research funding, part of its Advanced Manufacturing priority programme, for projects that solve the problems of scaling up manufacture of recently developed technologies and processes in the aerospace and automotive sectors, from lab to factory. It is for UK research organisations eligible for UKRI funding, working with industry partners who must commit matched funding. Large projects are £4.5 million to £5.8 million full economic cost over up to four years and small ones up to £600,000 over up to two years; UKRI pays 80% of the full economic cost. An Intent to Submit by 11 November 2026 is compulsory.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1 – £5,800,000
Deadline: 52 days left; 9 December
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Project leads must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding (standard UKRI organisation eligibility; the opportunity is also open to organisations based overseas under UKRI's rules) and meet UKRI individual eligibility rules
Applications must show access to industrial-scale manufacturing environments, have industry project partners central to framing the research challenge (evidenced by letters of support), and have matched funding committed by project partners from the start, roughly 1:1 non-public money to UKRI money, with a plan to unlock further private investment
The research organisation must have completed the Intent to Submit by 11 November 2026
Large projects must set up an independent advisory board

What it funds

Research projects that convert world-class research into repeatable, cost-effective and flexible manufacturing capabilities for the aerospace and/or automotive sectors:

Aerospace: scalable additive manufacturing and advanced composites processing, robotics and AI-enabled automated assembly in smart factories, materials with improved manufacturability and rapid qualification, and multiphysics simulation and AI-driven design to shorten certification timelines
Automotive: robust, high-yield manufacturing processes and cost optimisation, digital manufacturing (AI, digital twins, integrated data systems), scalable production of electrified propulsion systems, motors and power electronics, and whole-system integration and design for manufacturability
Cross-cutting challenges: flexible manufacturing systems, advanced automation including human-robot collaboration, end-to-end digitalisation and data management, sensors and measurement to support scale up, low-carbon resource-efficient manufacturing, and alignment through the whole UK supply chain
Costs requested from UKRI: staff costs, costs related to impact, travel and subsistence, small items of equipment under £25,000 per item, and equipment between £25,000 and £400,000 per item

up to two large projects and up to ten small projects are expected to be funded, with a start date of 1 September 2027 or earlier.

What it will not fund

Research into new technology or products: the opportunity is for scaling up manufacture of newly developed technologies and processes
Applications outside the remit of the funding opportunity
Applications without the required industrial participation
Uninvited resubmissions of projects already submitted to UKRI

How to apply

Start an application on the UKRI Funding Service to get its reference number (your organisation must be registered; Je-S is not used)
Complete the Intent to Submit form by 4pm on 11 November 2026, giving the project lead and co-leads, host institution, project partners, draft title and Funding Service reference
Optionally attend the webinar for applicants on 10 November 2026
Write the application in the Funding Service, including a Vision and Approach document of no more than 8 sides of A4 uploaded as a single PDF, and answer the assessment questions
Send the application to your research office, which checks it and submits it to UKRI by 4pm on 9 December 2026

applications are assessed by an expert panel only; applicants see the panel's pre-meeting comments and can respond before ranking.

Have ready

Vision and Approach document: up to 8 sides of A4 in 11-point Arial with 2cm margins, plus one optional page for a diagrammatic workplan, as a single PDF no bigger than 8MB
Letters of support from industry project partners evidencing their role and committed matched funding

quotes for equipment over £138,000 should be kept, as UKRI may ask for them before releasing funds.

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