UK Research and Innovation (NERC)

Research Infrastructure Renewal

NERC capital funding to renew, replace and enhance existing environmental science facilities, laboratories, collections, platforms and other infrastructure that are demonstrably available to the wider research community. Applications are made on behalf of the facility, not a research project, by organisations with standard UKRI eligibility. Awards are £300,000 to £1 million at 100% of full economic cost, run 3 to 12 months from a start by 1 February 2027, and most spending is expected before 31 March 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £300,000 – £1,000,000
Closes in: 3 days left; 21 October
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Organisations with standard UKRI eligibility only; the lead research organisation submits
Applications must be made on behalf of the infrastructure, facility, platform or capability receiving the investment, and NERC expects one coordinated application per facility
Each individual can submit only one application as project lead and one as project co-lead
Facilities serving users from across the UK research and innovation system, including researchers funded by several UKRI councils, government and industry, are welcome
Requests outside £300,000-£1m needed NERC approval by email by 21 September 2026

What it funds

Capital investment and associated capitalisable costs directly required to renew, replace or enhance existing research infrastructure capabilities for environmental science:

Replacement of ageing, obsolete or end-of-life infrastructure
Enhancement of existing research infrastructure capabilities to improve performance, reliability, resilience, accessibility or functionality
Physical, digital and hybrid infrastructure assets, including software where it forms part of a capital investment
Integration, installation, configuration, testing, commissioning, and other activities that are essential to bringing the infrastructure capability into operational use
Infrastructure, systems or upgrades required to enable shared, multi-user or community access to infrastructure capabilities
Technical development and implementation activities that are directly attributable to delivering the proposed infrastructure capability

all costs go under Exceptions Equipment on the Funding Service. Applications must show the infrastructure benefits the wider environmental science community beyond the host, with a clear plan for community access and use.

What it will not fund

Resource-only activities that do not result in the creation, acquisition, renewal, replacement or enhancement of a capital asset or infrastructure capability
The creation of entirely new facilities or major new research infrastructure
Routine operational, maintenance or servicing costs associated with existing infrastructure
Staffing or other resource costs associated with the routine operation of infrastructure following implementation
Business-as-usual operational, administrative or support costs
Estate costs, facilities management costs or other ongoing infrastructure liabilities that are not directly required to deliver the proposed capital investment
Infrastructure intended primarily for the exclusive use of a single research group, project, individual, or institution
Research projects where the primary purpose is the generation of new research findings rather than infrastructure renewal, replacement, or enhancement
Training, skills development or capacity-building activities that are not directly required to deliver the proposed capital investment
Activities that do not result in a capital asset or capital enhancement
Duplicate infrastructure where a clear need and added value cannot be demonstrated

How to apply

Make sure your organisation is registered on the UKRI Funding Service (Je-S is not used)
If the investment affects UKRI-owned or supported facilities or estates, contact NERC before applying
Start an application on the UKRI Funding Service and answer the questions, including a delivery schedule and expenditure profile
The lead research organisation submits it by 4pm on 21 October 2026
Applications may be shortlisted on readiness, community access and evidence of renewal need, then assessed by an expert panel that recommends awards to UKRI

demand management applies: one application per facility, and one lead and one co-lead application per person.

Have ready

Delivery schedule and expenditure profile
Procurement and implementation plans aligned with the timescale, written in the application

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