Opportunities for the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)
Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). (Find a Grant) · United Kingdom. ARIA funds teams across the R&D ecosystem and can support projects in different geographies where permitted by the relevant call.
ARIA is a UK R&D funding agency established to support high-risk, high-reward research aimed at scientific and technological breakthroughs. It funds research that may be too speculative, too difficult or too interdisciplinary for conventional funding routes. ARIA's Programme Directors define opportunity spaces and develop programmes and funding calls within them. (Find a Grant)
Summary
Deadline
16 Jan 2028
Updated
16 Oct 2026
ARIA is a UK R&D funding agency established to support high-risk, high-reward research aimed at scientific and technological breakthroughs. It funds research that may be too speculative, too difficult or too interdisciplinary for conventional funding routes. ARIA's Programme Directors define opportunity spaces and develop programmes and funding calls within them. (Find a Grant)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Scientific and technological research and development across sectors covered by ARIA's opportunity spaces and individual programmes. Eligibility is determined by the specific funding call.
Match funding
Generally no match funding is required. ARIA states that it generally does not require match funding. Individual calls should still be checked for their specific funding terms. (Aria)
Eligible applicants
Individuals, universities, research institutions, small, medium and large companies, charities and public sector research organisations. ARIA welcomes applications across the R&D ecosystem, subject to the eligibility requirements of the individual call. (Find a Grant)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Programme funding ranges from £10 million to £100 million per programme. Opportunity seed funding is up to £500,000 per project. These are programme-level and project-level figures respectively and should not be presented as a guaranteed grant amount for every applicant. (Aria)
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
Programme funding ranges from £10 million to £100 million per programme. Opportunity seed funding is up to £500,000 per project. These are programme-level and project-level figures respectively and should not be presented as a guaranteed grant amount for every applicant. (Aria)
Payment type
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
Applications are made through the ARIA funding opportunity/application process for the relevant call. The official ARIA funding page lists current, upcoming and past calls and provides the relevant application route. (Aria)
Competitiveness
Not scored
Decision timeline
Proposals are evaluated against the criteria established in the relevant funding call. Each proposal is assessed independently. ARIA's Programme Directors retain flexibility over how, who and what R&D they fund within their programmes. (Find a Grant)
Assessment process
Proposals are evaluated against the criteria established in the relevant funding call. Each proposal is assessed independently. ARIA's Programme Directors retain flexibility over how, who and what R&D they fund within their programmes. (Find a Grant)
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Requirements vary by funding call. Applicants should follow the relevant call for proposals, applicant guidance and application instructions. Some calls require research proposals and supporting information addressing the specific opportunity space and evaluation criteria. (Aria)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
14 Jan 2025
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-18.
Programme Funding
£10 million to £100 million per programme. These programmes consist of portfolios of projects designed to pursue ambitious scientific objectives. (Aria)
Opportunity Seed Funding
Up to £500,000 per project. Opportunity seeds support individual research teams exploring new research pathways that could lead to future programmes or justify additional support. (Aria)
Key Organisational Requirements
Applicants must meet the requirements of the relevant ARIA funding call. ARIA can fund individuals and teams ranging from individual researchers and PhD students to startups, universities and large organisations. Projects must align with the scope and objectives of the relevant opportunity space or programme. (Aria)
Multiple Applications
Applicants may submit multiple proposals to a funding call, provided each proposal represents a distinct project. Complementary projects are permitted, and each submission is evaluated independently. (Find a Grant)
Objectives
To support high-risk, high-reward research and technological development that could produce significant scientific, technological, societal or economic breakthroughs, particularly in areas that are under-explored or poorly served by conventional funding mechanisms. (Aria)
Current Funding Opportunities
ARIA's current funding page lists open calls including Trust Everything, Everywhere: Opportunity Seeds and Future Proofing Our Climate and Weather: Opportunity Seeds. It also lists a rolling opportunity seed call across selected opportunity spaces. (Aria)
Current Call Deadlines
The current ARIA page lists 27 July 2026 for Trust Everything, Everywhere opportunity seeds, 31 July 2026 at 14:00 BST for Future Proofing Our Climate and Weather opportunity seeds, and 31 July 2026 for the current rolling opportunity seed call. (Aria)
Rolling Opportunity Seeds
ARIA has launched a rolling opportunity seed process covering selected opportunity spaces. Projects can receive up to £500,000 each. ARIA states that the rolling seed process is being temporarily paused after the 31 July 2026 deadline, with the aim of reopening it later in the year. The participating opportunity spaces can change, so applicants must check the current call before applying. (Aria)
Geographical Scope
ARIA generally funds UK R&D, but its current rolling opportunity seed guidance states that, in exceptional circumstances, funding can be awarded outside the UK where ARIA believes the proposed project can significantly benefit the UK. The individual call should therefore be checked for geographical restrictions. (Aria)
Important Notes
ARIA funding is call-specific, rather than a single general grant application. Applicants should identify an appropriate opportunity space and then apply to the relevant programme or opportunity seed call. The call for proposals determines the specific research scope, eligibility, evaluation criteria, funding terms and deadline. ARIA generally does not require match funding and does not take equity itself. (Aria)
Application deadline in source document
16 January 2028, 11:59pm for the overarching GOV.UK listing. However, this should not be treated as the deadline for every ARIA funding opportunity. Individual calls have their own deadlines. (Find a Grant)
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- 16 Jan 2028
- Funding amount
- Programme funding ranges from £10 million to £100 million per programme. Opportunity seed funding is up to £500,000 per project. These are programme-level and project-level figures respectively and should not be presented as a guaranteed grant amount for every applicant. (Aria)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- R&D funding delivered through programme funding and opportunity seed funding.
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Scientific and technological research and development across sectors covered by ARIA's opportunity spaces and individual programmes. Eligibility is determined by the specific funding call.
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- Not specified