The TL;DR
Innovate UK, in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), is offering up to £3 million (that is $4.02 million USD) in contracts for companies that can demonstrate real-world impact from resource efficiency solutions in construction, chemicals, or automotive sectors. Each grant award is capped at £300,000 (that is $402,600 USD). The deadline to apply is August 27, 2025, for Contracts for Innovation Funding.
Contracts for Impact, Not Just Ideas
The UK government’s shift to a Net Zero circular economy won’t be powered by concepts alone; it demands proven, scalable innovations that can reduce environmental impact today. That’s the goal of Innovate UK’s new Contracts for Innovation funding initiative.
Through three targeted competitions, Innovate UK seeks to validate the impact of high-maturity demonstrators developed in the last five years. If your business has a resource efficiency solution already proven in principle, this is your chance to turn that pilot into procurement readiness.
Three Sectors, Three Funding Strands
The competition is split into three strands, each focusing on a specific industry with urgent sustainability challenges:
- Resource-Efficient Construction Impacts: For solutions that cut material use, reduce embodied carbon, or enable circularity in the built environment.
- Resource-Efficient Chemicals Impacts: For innovations that reduce hazardous inputs, improve yield, enable green chemistry, or lower lifecycle emissions.
- Resource-Efficient Automotive Impacts: For demonstrators that improve vehicle lifecycle efficiency, from sustainable materials and reuse to next-gen propulsion systems.
Each competition supports the transition from demonstrator to validated impact, helping mature technologies navigate the gap between R&D success and full deployment.
Why This Matters
Innovate UK isn’t offering grants or speculative research support in this round; it’s offering contracts for delivery. That means this funding is ideal for commercial-ready technologies with data-backed potential, especially from projects completed within the past five years.
By investing in real-world validation, the program supports the UK’s 2050 Net Zero targets while also opening doors to procurement pathways and future scale-up opportunities.
Key Info
- Grant Award Max: Up to £300,000
- Deadline: August 27, 2025
- Project Type: Validation of prior demonstrators with sector-specific impact metrics
- Eligible Applicants: UK-based businesses with relevant R&D completed in the last 5 years
- Application Details: Contracts for Innovation Funding.
If you’ve already proven your concept and want to develop it further, now is the time to act. The UK’s sustainability goals require measurable progress, and Contracts for Innovation offers a structured path from demonstration to deployment.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.