Innovate UK is offering organisations up to £500,000 in grant funding to deliver educational content that will support skills, talent and training in robotics.
This competition closes on 25 March at 11 am and defines robotics broadly, to include:
- Actuators
- Autonomous plant and service robots
- Automated machinery that use sensors
- Control software
- Drones
- Industrial robots
Below, I’ve explained each of these competitions in more detail, including who’s eligible and what kind of projects they support.
To find out if you’re eligible, book your free, no-commitment Eligibility and Competitiveness Assessment. In just 30 minutes, I’ll tell you:
- Whether you’re a strong candidate for this competition
- Other grants you may be eligible for
- What other sources of funding we can help you secure
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Who is Eligible?
Your Organisation
This competition is open to UK registered organisaitons of any kind, including businesses, charities, public sector bodies, and academic institutions.
However, your consortium must include at least one business entity, either as the lead or as a project partner.
Your Project
Start by 1 August 2026
End by 31 January 2027
Last three to six months
Apprenticeships and internships
Undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development (CPD)
Upskilling and reskilling of existing workforce
Technical courses and vocational training
- Schools engagement
Defining and filling key skills gaps in the UK’s robotics workforce
Increasing interaction between academia or training establishments and industry to ensure skills streams for the future, including, apprenticeships, internships or sandwich courses
Outreach and engagement material focusing on robotics for all ages and levels in academia and industry
Producing industry-compatible training programs
Providing training or incentives for training to specific underrepresented groups of people or in specific training subjects
Supporting and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion within robotics
How Much Funding Can I Apply For?
The amount of funding you can get depends on whether you’re applying as a business or another, non-commercial type of organisation.
Funding for Businesses
As a business, you can apply for between £100,000 and £500,000 in grant funding.
Your grant will only cover a certain percentage of your project costs, depending on your size.
| Micro and Small | Medium | Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Costs Covered | 45% | 35% | 25% |
So, if you were a micro or small business looking to undertake a project costing £500,000, the most you could apply for would be £225,000.
More on the official definition of micro, small, medium and large companies.
Funding for Non-economic Partners
Non-economic partners like charities and universities can share up to 70% of the project’s total eligible costs. They can also access grants covering a higher percentage of their project costs:
Up to 100% if you are a charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or research organisation
Up to 80% of your full economics costs if you’re a Je-S registered institution such as a university
How Do I Apply?
Project details – This section isn’t scored but provides your assessors with valuable background information that will help them contextualise your project
Application questions – The most time-intensive part of your application, consisting of 13 questions, the last seven of which are scored. It covers areas like your approach and deliverables, your team and risks.
Finances – This is where you submit detailed breakdowns of your project costs. It must be completed by each organisation in your consortium, not just the lead.
Project Impact – The final section is where you explain the broader implications of your project. It isn’t scored, but like the first section, offers your assessors important context.
Get Help from Our Grants Experts
Thinking about applying to the Robotics Adoption Programme?
Calling on 15 years’ experience winning funding for innovative businesses, our grant writing experts can maximise your chances by helping you put forward a compelling application that stands out from your competitors.
We offer a variety of services to suit different budgets and levels of experience, from commissioning an active Innovate UK assessor to review your application before submission to writing your bid from scratch.
To find out how we can help, just get in touch.
