Innovate UK

Innovate UK is the United Kingdom’s national innovation agency and a council within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It supports business-led research, development, and commercialization through grants, loans, and advisory services, and by connecting companies with partners in academia, industry, and government. Innovate UK also works with the Catapult network and runs international programmes to help UK firms access global markets.

For the chemical and materials sectors, Innovate UK funds projects spanning process intensification, advanced materials, bio-based and circular-economy solutions, and low‑carbon manufacturing. Its support helps companies de-risk scale-up, validate technologies, and accelerate time to market, contributing to productivity gains and the UK’s net-zero objectives. Programmes include collaborative R&D competitions, feasibility studies, Smart Grants, and initiatives that facilitate international collaboration and supply-chain development.