UKRI Translation: Proof of Concept

Document research last revised 2026-08-24.

Next Opening Date

No next opening date has been announced on the official UKRI page. The current opportunity is closed and the official page does not provide a date for the next round. (UK Research and Innovation)

International Participation

International applicants based outside the UK are not eligible to apply as applicants. However, international organisations can participate as project partners where appropriate, including organisations in the EU and overseas. (UK Research and Innovation)

Specialised Expertise Costs

Funding can cover access to specialised expertise relevant to the commercialisation journey, such as intellectual property strategy, legal requirements, business advice, investor input, user-centred design, regulatory requirements and standards. These costs must be justified in the application. (UK Research and Innovation)

Key Organisational Requirements

The project lead must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding. The lead research organisation is responsible for submitting the application. Research organisations are subject to institutional application caps to manage demand. (UK Research and Innovation)

Maximum Grant Amount

£250,000 FEC, with a minimum project value of £100,000. UKRI contributes 80% of the FEC. (UK Research and Innovation)

Application Submission Process

The project lead completes the application through the UKRI Funding Service. The completed application is then sent to the applicant's research office for checking and submission. Only the lead research organisation can submit the application to UKRI. (UK Research and Innovation)

Project Classification

Applicants must provide a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 relevant keywords from the standardised keyword list to help UKRI identify suitable assessment expertise. (UK Research and Innovation)

Opportunity and Market Analysis

Applicants must explain the business need, technological challenge or market opportunity; potential development of a new or improved product, service or technology; timing; user or customer needs; resilience; and potential societal, economic or environmental benefits. (UK Research and Innovation)

Route to Market

Applicants must explain how the project will progress the innovation towards its intended users or markets, including feasibility, evidence, risks, previous work, access to facilities and infrastructure, project milestones and route-to-market plans. (UK Research and Innovation)

Intellectual Property Requirements

Applicants must explain how project outputs and intellectual property will be managed and protected, demonstrate freedom to operate, protect foreground IP or market position, communicate outputs appropriately and identify potential future investment needs. (UK Research and Innovation)

Applicant and Team Capability

Applicants must demonstrate relevant experience, skills, expertise, leadership and management capability and the ability of the team and research environment to deliver the proposed commercialisation work. UKRI uses the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format for this section. (UK Research and Innovation)

Resources and Cost Justification

Applicants must justify significant resources including project staff, significant collaboration or fieldwork travel, equipment costing more than £25,000, exceptional consumables, facilities and infrastructure, and resources classified as exceptions. (UK Research and Innovation)

Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation

Applicants must identify relevant ethical and responsible research and innovation considerations, wider societal, environmental and economic implications, potential negative impacts and mitigation measures. Additional considerations apply where projects involve data, animals, human participants or genetically modified organisms. (UK Research and Innovation)

Organisation's Support

Applicants must provide a statement of support from their research organisation explaining how the institution will support the applicant and commercialisation activities. This should include technology transfer office support where applicable and be approved by an appropriate institutional authority. (UK Research and Innovation)

Project Partners

Project partners can be from industry, academia, the third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas. Contributions can be direct, such as cash, equipment or staff, or indirect/in-kind, such as facilities, datasets or equipment. Formal collaboration agreements are required if an award is made. (UK Research and Innovation)

Data Management and Sharing

Applicants must provide a data management plan explaining how data collected or acquired through the project will be managed and shared in accordance with UKRI's data sharing policy. (UK Research and Innovation)

Facilities

Where facilities are required, applicants must follow the relevant facility access procedures, obtain prior agreement where required and provide facility names, proposed usage and costs in the application. (UK Research and Innovation)

Trusted Research and Innovation

Applicants must address relevant UKRI Trusted Research and Innovation principles, including dual-use applications, relevant UK National Security and Investment Act areas and export-control considerations where applicable. (UK Research and Innovation)

International Collaboration Requirements

Where international collaboration or engagement is proposed, applicants must identify countries, international partners, subcontractors or service providers and justify why the required international resource or expertise is not available in the UK. (UK Research and Innovation)

Portfolio Management

UKRI may consider portfolio balance in final funding decisions, including geographic distribution, host organisation type and support available, and discipline areas. (UK Research and Innovation)

Assessment Timescale

UKRI aims to complete the assessment process within approximately 3 months of receiving applications. (UK Research and Innovation)

Feedback

Applicants whose applications were discussed by a panel receive generic feedback with the outcome. (UK Research and Innovation)

Objectives

To de-risk research commercialisation and accelerate the development of research-derived innovations towards investable, licensable or otherwise applicable commercial propositions, including spinouts and social ventures, generating societal and economic benefits for the UK. (UK Research and Innovation)

Commercialisation Activities Supported

Supported activities include prototype development, product/process/service design, user testing, market validation, route-to-market development, business model development, value-chain development, IP strategy, freedom-to-operate work, regulatory preparation, viability studies and technical or real-world concept optimisation. (UK Research and Innovation)

Environmental & EDI Requirements

UKRI is committed to equality of opportunity and encourages applications from a diverse range of researchers. Support is available for career breaks, caring responsibilities, flexible working, alternative working patterns, disability and accessibility requirements. (UK Research and Innovation)

International Research & Innovation Considerations

UKRI expects international collaborations to follow its Trusted Research and Innovation principles and may require applicants to identify risks and appropriate controls. (UK Research and Innovation)

Generative AI Requirements

Applicants may use generative AI tools when preparing funding applications, subject to caution and UKRI's relevant policy. Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI to develop their assessments. (UK Research and Innovation)

Institutional Application Caps

Each eligible research organisation was allocated a maximum number of applications that could be submitted as project lead. The caps were based on staff numbers included in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework submission. (UK Research and Innovation)

Matched Funding Requirement

There is no institutional matched-funding requirement beyond the standard 20% FEC contribution. Third-party project partner contributions are encouraged. (UK Research and Innovation)

Resubmission Policy

Previously unsuccessful applications cannot be resubmitted unless UKRI explicitly invites the resubmission. A significantly evolved proposal, particularly one with substantial changes to its commercial proposition and technical development, may be treated as a different proposal. (UK Research and Innovation)

Important Notes

This is not a standard research grant and does not fund fundamental, curiosity-driven or discovery research. Projects must focus on commercialisation and move existing research towards practical users, markets or audiences. The grant can support both technical advancement and development of the commercialisation requirements within the same award. (UK Research and Innovation)

Important Notes on Application

The application must be submitted through the UKRI Funding Service by the lead research organisation. Applicants should also comply with their institution's internal deadlines because research offices and finance teams carry out eligibility and financial checks. (UK Research and Innovation)

Important Notes on Project Start

Funded projects must start by 1 October 2026 and can run for between 6 and 9 months. (UK Research and Innovation)

Programme Status as of 24 August 2026

Closed. The application window ran from 4 March 2026 to 13 May 2026. The official UKRI page does not currently announce the next opening date for this specific opportunity. (UK Research and Innovation)

Application deadline in source document

13 May 2026, 4:00 PM UK time (UK Research and Innovation)

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance