Robotics Adoption Hubs
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · United Kingdom
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £38 million to establish regional Robotics Adoption Hubs that provide independent advice, demonstrations and support to help end users adopt robotics and autonomous systems. 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 £38 million to establish regional Robotics Adoption Hubs that provide independent advice, demonstrations and support to help end users adopt robotics and autonomous systems. 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
Robotics and autonomous systems across manufacturing, infrastructure, construction, health and care, energy generation and distribution, maritime and other sectors. (UK Research and Innovation)
Match funding
Grant funding does not cover all project costs. The remaining balance must be funded by the participating organisations. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligible applicants
UK registered businesses of any size, research and technology organisations (RTOs), public sector organisations and academic institutions. (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Total grant funding request must be between £2,000,000 and £7,500,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
Total fund available
Up to £38,000,000 (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding intensity
Businesses: Micro and small up to 70%, Medium up to 60%, Large up to 50% of eligible project costs. (UK Research and Innovation)
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible expenses
- Eligible project costs in accordance with Innovate UK competition guidance. Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity may receive up to 100% of eligible costs. Academic institutions funded on 80% Full Economic Cost (FEC). (UK Research and Innovation)
Ineligible costs
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
Innovation Funding Service (IFS). (UK Research and Innovation)
Competitiveness
Not scored
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Portfolio assessment followed by interview. Projects requesting £1 million or more are interviewed. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application sections
- Project Details, Application Questions, Finances and Project Impact. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application components
- Technical application, project plan or Gantt chart, risk register and optional appendices as specified in the competition guidance. (UK Research and Innovation)
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Scope, innovation, technical approach, market opportunity, project team, value for money and project impact. (UK Research and Innovation)
Decision risks
Innovate UK may withhold funding where organisations have failed to exploit previous funded projects, have overdue reporting requirements or outstanding financial obligations, or fail to meet grant conditions. (UK Research and Innovation)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
24 Feb 2026
Project duration
40 to 43 months (UK Research and Innovation)
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. For collaborative projects, the lead must be a UK registered organisation and at least one UK registered SME must claim grant funding. No partner can account for more than 70% of the total eligible project costs. (UK Research and Innovation)
Consortium requirements
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-10.
Grant Name
Robotics Adoption Hubs
Application Limit
An organisation may lead one application and collaborate in any number of applications. Organisations cannot submit duplicate applications. (UK Research and Innovation)
Robotics Definition
Includes drones operating on land, sea and air; autonomous plant and service robots; industrial robots and automated machinery using sensors, actuators and control software. Software-only systems are excluded. (UK Research and Innovation)
Programme Objectives
Robotics Adoption Hubs will provide independent advice, identify suitable use cases, connect end users with vendors, integrators and finance providers, showcase robotics technologies, share learning nationally and support long-term robotics adoption beyond the funding period. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligible Activities
Independent advice on robotics adoption, feasibility support, demonstrations, technology showcases, networking, signposting to finance providers, dissemination of best practice and collaboration with the central convening body. (UK Research and Innovation)
Subsidy Scheme
Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. (UK Research and Innovation)
Service Support Cap
Hubs may provide services or end-user support up to a gross cash equivalent value of £200,000. Awards over £100,000 must be reported within 10 working days. (UK Research and Innovation)
Interview Dates
15 June 2026 to 19 June 2026. (UK Research and Innovation)
Applicant Notification
1 July 2026. (UK Research and Innovation)
Previous Applications
Previously submitted applications that reached assessment may be resubmitted once if they are materially different. (UK Research and Innovation)
Project Delivery Requirements
All project work must be carried out in the UK. Project results must be exploited from or in the UK. (UK Research and Innovation)
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 being received. (UK Research and Innovation)
Contact Email
support@iuk.ukri.org (UK Research and Innovation)
Contact Telephone
0300 321 4357 (UK Research and Innovation)
Official Grant Page
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/robotics-adoption-hubs/
Innovation Funding Service Page
https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/robotics-adoption-hubs-1
Application deadline in source document
15 April 2026, 11:00am UK time (UK Research and Innovation)
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 15 Apr 2026
- Funding amount
- Total grant funding request must be between £2,000,000 and £7,500,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Robotics and autonomous systems across manufacturing, infrastructure, construction, health and care, energy generation and distribution, maritime and other sectors. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 26 Feb 2026