Funding for advanced manufacturing supply chain innovation

Funding for ideas to future-proof UK supply chains

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £5 million into supply chain innovation projects. The competition aims to support feasibility studies that explore new ways of making supply chains more resource efficient and resilient.

To be eligible, a project must tackle a ‘cross‑cutting’ supply chain problem – meaning an issue that affects more than one sector or industry. Your project must either apply to:

• at least two of six high‑growth sectors:
  • advanced manufacturing
  • clean energy industries
  • creative industries
  • defence
  • digital and technologies
  • life sciences
• at least two of the advanced manufacturing frontier industries:
  • automotive
  • batteries and energy storage
  • aerospace
  • advanced materials
  • agri‑tech manufacturing and processing for agri‑food
  • space

Projects should be based on new or not yet widely used solutions that can be applied across different sectors. They must have a grant funding request between £50,000 and £100,000.

Projects must also start on 1 July 2026, last no longer than nine months, and be carried out in the UK, with results used from or in the UK.

The competition is open to single UK-registered businesses, or collaborations. Collaboration can include UK businesses, research and technology organisations (RTOs), universities, charities, not‑for‑profit bodies and public sector organisations.

Funding is offered as a grant, and the percentage of costs covered depends on the type and size of the organisation.

The competition closes at 11am on 11 March 2026.

Find out more and apply on the Innovation Funding Service website.

First published 16 February 2026