BBSRC Follow-on Fund: 2026 Round One
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) · United Kingdom
Supports the translation of BBSRC-funded bioscience research into practical applications with commercial, economic or societal benefits.
Summary
Deadline
31 Mar 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
Supports the translation of BBSRC-funded bioscience research into practical applications with commercial, economic or societal benefits.
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Bioscience-related sectors within BBSRC’s research remit.
Match funding
No matched funding beyond the standard 20% institutional FEC contribution.
Eligible applicants
Project leads based at UK research organisations eligible for BBSRC funding.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
£800,000 full economic cost
Total fund available
£3,000,000
Funding intensity
80% of full economic cost.
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Projects must develop BBSRC-supported research outputs towards practical application.
Eligible expenses
- Project staff; significant fieldwork or collaboration travel; equipment; exceptional consumables; facilities; infrastructure; exception costs; reasonable adjustments.
Ineligible costs
- Direct costs of applying for intellectual property protection, including patent-filing costs.
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Success rate not specified
Decision timeline
Assessment is normally completed within six months.
Assessment process
Applications are assessed and ranked by the BBSRC Follow-on Fund Committee.
Application sections
- Summary; Core Team; Background; Opportunity and Market Analysis; Route to Market; IP Management; Wider Benefits; Organisation Support; Project Partners; Team Capability; Ethics and RRI; Research Requirements; Data Management; Resources; Facilities; Trusted Research and Innovation.
Application components
Not specified
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
- One-page Gantt chart; organisation support statement; project-partner letters in one PDF where applicable; animal-research documents where applicable.
Assessment criteria
- Scientific and technical merit; societal impact; economic impact; commercial potential; value for money; partner support; project sustainability.
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if they are out of scope, outside BBSRC remit or do not meet partner IP contribution thresholds.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
27 Jan 2026
Project duration
Up to two years.
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
- None listed
Collaboration rules
- Industry and user participation is strongly encouraged but not compulsory.
Consortium requirements
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-07-31.
BBSRC Follow-on Fund
2026 Round One
Opportunity Type
Research translation and commercialisation funding
Minimum Award
£100,000
Last Updated
6 March 2026.
Previous Funding Requirement
The project must have a direct link to current or previous BBSRC-supported funding.
International Applicants
International researchers are not eligible.
Eligible Team Roles
Project lead; UK project co-lead; researcher co-lead; specialist; research and innovation associate; technician.
Application Limit
Not specified.
Eligible Project Partners
Industry, academia, government and third-sector organisations in the UK or overseas.
Partner Contributions
Cash, equipment, resources, staff time, datasets, facilities or other in-kind support.
Pre-Negotiated IP Access
Project partners must contribute at least 50% of total project costs.
Right to Negotiate IP Access
Project partners must contribute at least 10% of total project costs.
Spinout Exception
Empty-shell companies created solely to commercialise project IP are exempt from the contribution thresholds.
Collaboration Agreement
A formal agreement is required where an award includes project partners.
Research Category
Bioscience translation; commercialisation; technology development; knowledge exchange; market development.
UK Benefit Requirement
Projects must primarily deliver significant benefit to the UK.
Eligible Project Stages
Early-stage de-risking and later-stage projects with significant technical milestones.
Official Development Assistance
ODA-focused projects are not eligible.
Equipment Rule
Equipment costing more than £25,000 must be justified.
Subcontractors
No opportunity-specific subcontracting rules stated.
Subsidy Scheme
Not specified.
Sanctions Rule
Not specified.
Animal Research Rule
Regulated animal research requires the UKRI animal-research template.
Overseas Animal Research
Must meet welfare standards consistent with UK requirements. Additional species templates may be required.
Genetic and Biological Risk
Required approvals, risks and mitigation must be provided where applicable.
Human Participation
Applicants must provide approval details and justify participant numbers, diversity and procedures.
Human Tissues or Samples
Applicants must provide approval details and justify the type, quantity and source.
Data Management
A data-management and sharing plan is required.
Je-S Applications
Not accepted
Submission Responsibility
Only the lead research organisation can submit the application.
Application Amendments
Applications cannot be changed after submission.
Application Word Limits
Summary 550; Background 2,200; Market Analysis 1,400; Route to Market 2,500; IP Management 1,000; Wider Benefits 1,400; Organisation Support 10; Partner Letters 500; Team Capability 1,650; Ethics and RRI 500; Genetic Risk 700; Overseas Animals 700; Human Participation 700; Human Tissues 700; Data Management 700; Resources 2,000; Facilities 700; TR&I 100.
Optional Attachment
Relevant market research extracts of up to 10 A4 pages.
Partner Letter Limit
Up to two A4 pages per project partner.
Image Limit
Images must be under 5MB and include captions.
Final Decision
Made by BBSRC.
Written Review Stage
Not separately specified
Interview Stage
Not specified
Applicant Feedback
Feedback is provided with the application outcome.
Key Requirements
Prior BBSRC funding link; BBSRC remit; clear market need; practical application; UK benefit; credible route to market.
Reporting Requirements
Not specified on the opportunity page.
Publication of Results
Successful awards are published through UKRI Gateway to Research.
Important Notes
Successful applicants may be invited to receive additional market-discovery support through Innovate UK’s ICURe programme.
Grant Enquiries
Funding Service Email
support@funding-service.ukri.org
Funding Service Telephone
01793 547490.
Application deadline in source document
31 March 2026 at 4:00pm UK time
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 31 Mar 2026
- Funding amount
- £800,000 full economic cost
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Bioscience-related sectors within BBSRC’s research remit.
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 27 Jan 2026