Robotics Adoption Central Convening Body
Innovate UK · United Kingdom
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million to establish a national Central Convening Body that coordinates the Robotics Adoption Hubs, supports knowledge sharing, and accelerates robotics adoption across the UK. The competition is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK. (UK Research and Innovation)
Summary
Deadline
15 Apr 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million to establish a national Central Convening Body that coordinates the Robotics Adoption Hubs, supports knowledge sharing, and accelerates robotics adoption across the UK. The competition is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
See eligibility requirements
Match funding
Required where grant funding does not cover total eligible project costs. (Innovation Funding Service)
Eligible applicants
UK registered businesses of any size, research and technology organisations (RTOs), public sector organisations and academic institutions. (Innovation Funding Service)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Total grant funding request must be between £1,000,000 and £2,000,000. (Innovation Funding Service)
Total fund available
Up to £2,000,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding intensity
Up to 70% for micro and small businesses, 60% for medium businesses and 50% for large businesses. (Innovation Funding Service)
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible expenses
- Eligible project costs in accordance with Innovate UK guidance. Academic institutions receive funding at 80% Full Economic Cost (FEC). Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity may receive up to 100% of eligible costs. (Innovation Funding Service)
Ineligible costs
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
Innovation Funding Service (IFS). (Innovation Funding Service)
Competitiveness
Innovate UK estimates approximately a 10% success rate based on similar competitions. (Innovation Funding Service)
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Independent assessor review followed by interview for shortlisted applicants. Projects requesting £1 million or more may be invited to interview. (Innovation Funding Service)
Application sections
- Project Details, Application Questions, Finances and Project Impact. (Innovation Funding Service)
Application components
Not specified
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
- Project plan or Gantt chart, risk register and permitted appendices as specified in the competition guidance. (Innovation Funding Service)
Assessment criteria
- Scope, innovation, technical approach, project team, market understanding, project management, value for money and impact. (Innovation Funding Service)
Decision risks
Funding decisions may consider previous grant compliance, outstanding financial obligations to Innovate UK or UKRI and overall portfolio balance. (Innovation Funding Service)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
24 Feb 2026
Project duration
43 months. (Innovation Funding Service)
Project start
1 Sept 2026
Project end
31 Mar 2030
Co-funders
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
Collaboration rules
- Single applicants and collaborative applications are eligible. If the lead is an academic institution or RTO, it must collaborate with at least one UK registered business. No partner may account for more than 70% of the total eligible project costs. (Innovation Funding Service)
Consortium requirements
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-10.
Grant Name
Robotics Adoption Central Convening Body
Application Limit
An organisation may lead one application and collaborate in any number of applications. Duplicate applications are not permitted. (Innovation Funding Service)
Project Scope
Establish and operate a national Central Convening Body to coordinate Robotics Adoption Hubs, act as the secretariat for hub meetings, share lessons learned, create programme resources, develop standardised branding, support all hubs equally and establish a sustainable operating model beyond the funded period. (Innovation Funding Service)
Robotics Definition
Robotics includes drones operating on land, sea and air; autonomous plant and service robots; industrial robots or automated machinery using sensors, actuators and control software. Software-only systems are excluded. (Innovation Funding Service)
Eligible Projects
Projects focused on improving robotics adoption, developing national coordination resources, creating guidance materials, maintaining stakeholder engagement and supporting adoption across sectors and regions. (Innovation Funding Service)
Subsidy Scheme
Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. (Innovation Funding Service)
Subcontracting Rules
Subcontractors are permitted where justified. Lower-cost delivery alone is not sufficient justification. (Innovation Funding Service)
Sanctions Rule
Funding will not be provided where it would breach UK sanctions. (Innovation Funding Service)
Animal Research Rule
Any animal-related activity must comply with UKRI guidance and animal welfare legislation where applicable. (Innovation Funding Service)
Interview Dates
15 June 2026 to 19 June 2026. (Innovation Funding Service)
Applicant Notification
28 May 2026 (interview invitations). Funding decisions follow completion of interviews. (Innovation Funding Service)
Key Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate existing connections with robotics stakeholders, credibility to lead the national coordination function and a clear mechanism for becoming financially self-sustaining beyond the funded programme. (Innovation Funding Service)
Project Delivery Requirements
Project work must be carried out in the UK and project outputs must be exploited from or in the UK. (Innovation Funding Service)
Important Notes
Projects must start on the first day of the month. Applications cannot be transferred between competitions. Funding is subject to sufficient high-quality applications and Innovate UK may adjust funding allocations using a portfolio approach. (Innovation Funding Service)
Contact Email
support@iuk.ukri.org (Innovation Funding Service)
Contact Telephone
0300 321 4357. (Innovation Funding Service)
Official Grant Page
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/2409-robotics-adoption-central-convening-body/ (UK Research and Innovation)
Competition Page
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2409/overview/c7e5dd6a-9f34-4614-b548-214b76190c14 (Innovation Funding Service)
Application deadline in source document
15 April 2026, 11:00am UK time. (Innovation Funding Service)
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 15 Apr 2026
- Funding amount
- Total grant funding request must be between £1,000,000 and £2,000,000. (Innovation Funding Service)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- See eligibility requirements
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 24 Feb 2026