GrantRadar

Innovate UK (UKRI), for the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Investor Partnerships – Battery Innovation Programme

Innovate UK grant for UK SMEs with battery technology R&D projects, paid only alongside equity investment led by one of Innovate UK's approved investor partners. Projects can be feasibility studies (£50,000 to £300,000 total costs), industrial research (£100,000 to £1 million) or experimental development (£250,000 to £2 million); the grant covers 70% or 60% of costs for the first two and 45% or 35% for experimental development, and the aligned investment must at least equal the grant (or twice the grant for experimental development). The investor partner must submit an expression of interest to Innovate UK and invite the SME to apply, so a relationship with an approved partner has to be in place first. Delivered as part of the Battery Innovation Programme; closes at 11am on 25 November 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£50,000 – £2,000,000
Deadline
38 days left
25 November
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • UK registered micro, small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs) applying alone, which must carry out the project in the UK and exploit the results from or in the UK, and be registered in the UK as an SME by the time the award is contracted
  • You must be invited to apply by one of Innovate UK's approved investor partners (venture capital funds, corporate investors, angel groups and impact investors listed in the Innovate UK Business Connect directory), have agreed the proposal with that partner, and the partner must have submitted an expression of interest directly to Innovate UK and a Declared Minimum Aligned Investment; without that EOI the application is ineligible
  • You need strong investment traction with the partner (for example an indicative offer, due diligence under way or a term sheet) and must be able to complete the aligned investment through new shares or convertible debt
  • Each SME can submit only one application in this round
  • Subcontractors are allowed (overseas ones only with a justification)
  • Projects must last 6-12 months (feasibility), 6-24 months (industrial research) or 12-24 months (experimental development), start on the first of a month and by 1 May 2027
  • Businesses in financial difficulty are not funded
  • Applications from under-represented founders and regions outside London, Oxford and Cambridge are encouraged

What it funds

Single-company feasibility studies, industrial research and experimental development projects aligned to the Battery Innovation Programme that meet one or more of these criteria:

  • Accelerate the development and commercialisation of state-of-the-art battery technologies in the UK
  • Support the growth of the UK battery supply chain and related companies
  • Enhance the UK's competitiveness in the global battery market
  • Demonstrate how battery technologies can meet specific application requirements and drive electrification across diverse sectors
  • Projects can address raw materials, advanced cell materials, cell design and components, process and manufacturing tools, quality control and diagnostics, or testing, simulation and digital tools
  • Projects can target performance requirements for at least one of these sectors: automotive (including on and off-highway vehicles, motorsports and niche automotive), aerospace, defence, battery energy storage systems, rail, maritime and personal mobility

Grant rates are up to 70% (micro or small) or 60% (medium) of eligible costs for feasibility studies and industrial research, and up to 45% or 35% for experimental development. The grant is conditional on the aligned equity investment closing at or above the declared minimum.

What it will not fund

  • Collaborative R&D projects (single applicants only)
  • Projects that are not part of a company's growth plan
  • Projects unable to prove potential for return on investment and growth
  • Large capital infrastructure
  • Projects not invited by a specified investor partner
  • Projects where the investment has already been secured
  • Co-investment that is not led by an approved investor partner
  • Subsidies dependent on export performance or on use of domestic inputs

How to apply

  1. Build a relationship and investment traction with an approved investor partner (see the Innovate UK Business Connect Investor Partnerships directory); Innovate UK Business Growth and Business Connect can help with investment readiness
  2. Agree the proposal with the investor partner, who submits an expression of interest and a Declared Minimum Aligned Investment directly to Innovate UK
  3. Read the guidance on applying through the Innovation Funding Service and watch the 9 October 2026 briefing recording
  4. Apply on the Innovation Funding Service: project details, application questions (each up to 400 words, including naming your investor partner) and finances, plus Project Impact
  5. Submit by 11am UK time on 25 November 2026
  6. Three independent assessors score innovation; the Investor Partnerships team assesses additionality and traction using an update from your investor partner
  7. If selected, complete project setup; the project can start only once the aligned investment is confirmed

Contact support@iuk.ukri.org or 0300 321 4357 with questions or to apply in Welsh; ask at least 15 working days before the deadline for reasonable adjustments.

Have ready

  • Optional appendix to the approach and innovation question (PDF, up to two A4 pages)
  • Optional appendix summarising the main people in the project team (PDF, up to two A4 pages)
  • Project plan or Gantt chart (PDF, up to two A4 pages)
  • Risk register (PDF, up to two A4 pages)

The investor partner's expression of interest and Declared Minimum Aligned Investment go directly to Innovate UK and are required for eligibility.

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