Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF)

Document research last revised 2026-08-18.

Key Organisational Requirements

Applicants must be UK-registered companies or UK-registered establishments. A UK establishment must have at least one UK-registered company within its group structure. Applicants must be wholly private-sector businesses and provide 2 years of audited accounts for the applicant and/or parent entity, where applicable. They may also need to demonstrate a track record of successfully manufacturing medicines or medical devices or developing a product intended for commercial scale-up. (Find a Grant)

Project Requirements

Projects must have total eligible costs of at least £8 million, be located in the UK, be primarily capital investment, and be a single-company investment or joint investment between entities within the same company group. The project must require the requested grant to proceed, for example because without the funding it would not proceed, would be significantly delayed, scaled down or relocated overseas. (Find a Grant)

Eligible Products

Human medicines, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (API)/drug substance and finished drug products; medical diagnostics for disease identification and monitoring; and MedTech products, covering medical devices related to human health. (Find a Grant)

Health Resilience Assessment

The project must demonstrate how it will strengthen UK health resilience by increasing domestic manufacturing capacity/capability and/or improving the flexibility of manufacturing capacity that could be redeployed or scaled during a health emergency. (Find a Grant)

Economic Assessment

Projects must demonstrate economic opportunity through a substantial contribution to Gross Value Added (GVA) and the provision of high-wage, high-skilled jobs around the UK. The two objectives are equally weighted, and applications must meet the minimum threshold against each objective to progress. (Find a Grant)

Application Rounds

EOIs can be submitted on a rolling basis, but they must meet the relevant quarterly deadline to be considered in that round. Round 8 closes 14 August 2026 at 12pm; Round 9 closes 13 November 2026 at 12pm. Subsequent rounds are expected to open quarterly until funding has been allocated. (Find a Grant)

Regulatory Requirements

The fund supports MHRA-licensed medicines, medical and diagnostic devices registered with the MHRA, and products in development where UK approval is intended. Manufacturing facilities must work to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) where applicable. Manufacturers of medical diagnostics and medical devices must confirm that their device meets or intends to meet the requirements of the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. (Find a Grant)

Subsidy Control

Grant awards are made under Section 7 or 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and must comply with UK subsidy control requirements. Applications within scope of the Windsor Framework may be subject to European Commission State aid rules under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. (Find a Grant)

Objectives

To increase UK health resilience by strengthening manufacturing capacity and capability, and to create economic opportunity through investment that contributes substantially to GVA and provides high-wage, high-skilled jobs. (Find a Grant)

Annual Review

The scheme undergoes an annual review, meaning the eligibility criteria and application windows may change. The official grant page is to be updated with future application rounds. (Find a Grant)

Important Notes

Currently open. EOIs can be submitted on a rolling basis, but applicants should meet the deadline for the relevant quarterly round. Submission of an EOI does not constitute a formal application to LSIMF. Projects must have eligible costs of at least £8 million and be primarily capital investment. Previous recipients of manufacturing grants can apply, provided the new application relates to a different project. Funding is subject to subsidy control requirements and the annual review of the scheme. (Find a Grant)

Application deadline in source document

31 March 2030, 11:59pm

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance