Funding & Opportunities

Supporting businesses, academia and healthcare providers to collaborate and innovate positive change for the benefit of patients, the NHS and the economy.

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Application deadline: Ongoing

Together with the University of the West of England, we run the Health Tech Accelerator Programme to provide up to 12 hours of free business support to small and medium-sized enterprises in the health and life science sector.

Health Tech Accelerator Programme

Support offered: Mentoring and business support (including planning and strategy, financial advice, market research, IP advice and bid writing); sector specific expertise; networking & academic/ industry collaboration opportunities

Stage of innovation: Any

Open to: Start-ups and SMEs based in the West of England who are looking to further develop novel products or services for the health and life science sector

Application deadline: Ongoing

UK Research & Innovationare offering rapid response for short term research and innovation projects addressing and mitigating the health, social, economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Get funding for ideas that address Covid-19

Support offered: 80% of the full economic cost (fEC)

Open to: Anyone who is normally eligible for UKRI funding. You will need to show that you are able to start work within four weeks of the funding being confirmed.

Application deadline: Ongoing

SETsquared’s Scale-Up Programme will invest £100k+ into R&D project proposal development for a significant number of open and themed One Health funds including Bio/Med tech focused on disease prevention, precision medicine and other novel medical solutions.

One Health Campaign

Support offered: Funding of up to £35k per project to help develop collaborative R&D proposals bids.

Stage of innovation: R&D project proposal development

Open to: Academics (from the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey), companies and consortia, including companies and academics.

Application deadline: Ongoing

The Wellcome Trust is awarding up to £750,000 support researchers who are transforming great ideas into healthcare innovations that could have a significant impact on human health.

Wellcome Trust Innovator Awards

Support offered: Up to £500,000, or up to £750,000 for multidisciplinary collaborations. Usually up to 24 months, or up to 36 months for multidisciplinary collaborations.

Stage of innovation: Any

Open to: Innovator Awards are open to researchers who are developing healthcare innovations that could have a major and measurable impact on human health. Individuals and teams from not-for-profit and commercial organisations can apply. Organisations can be of any size, based anywhere in the world.

Application deadline: Ongoing

The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme supports the preclinical and clinical development of medical devices in areas of existing or emerging patient need.

i4i Product Development Awards Call 2019

Support offered: The aim of the Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme is to de-risk early stage projects that have a strong potential for commercialisation and acceptance for use in the NHS, making them attractive to follow-on funders and investors. i4i funds collaborative research projects that have demonstrated proof-of-principle and have a clear pathway towards adoption and commercialisation.

Stage of innovation: i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) support innovations at any stage of the translational research and development pathway, including the clinical development of laboratory-validated technologies or interventions.

Application deadline: Ongoing

If you are a business with ambitions to grow, the introduction of innovation into your strategy, culture and management can deliver real results.

Innovate2Succeed

Support offered: A range of business support, from access to funding and design thinking to leadership and management and entrepreneurial culture.

Open to: Any business looking to develop new products or technologies or take existing products or services to new customers or markets.

Application deadline: Ongoing

The Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub offers bespoke business support and coaching to help innovative companies in the West of England achieve their potential. The support is FREE and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub

Support offered: A portfolio of targeted and tailored resources to help high growth companies grow even faster, with access to investment, customers, research and development grant funding. Please contact us if you would like to have a discussion in advance of an application.

Open to: Your business must have an operations address in the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership area (Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire)

Application deadline: Ongoing

As part of their work to support the region’s recovery, the West of England Combined Authority are offering the new Business Innovation Fund – a programme to assist Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) where they are progressing research, development and innovation (R,D&I) activity

West of England Combined Authority – Business Innovation Fund

Support offered: • Grants of £20,000, if applying as an individual SME, or £50,000 if applying in collaboration with a research institute. There are match funding requirements in both circumstances; • An offer of bespoke support to help with creation of a research and development roadmap; • Access to a range of business support opportunities, including through the Growth Hub and our partners.

Open to: Eligibility criteria If your business is: Based in the West of England – Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire Able to provide match funding towards the cost of your project A small or medium sized enterprise (SME) with a staff headcount lower than 250

Application deadline: 18/09/2021

The Bristol Industrial PhD Placement Fund is supported by the EPSRC National Productivity Investment Fund. It encourages innovative, creative and collaborative ways for PhD students to experience working within industry and gaining new skills.

Bristol Industrial PhD Placement Fund

Support offered: PhD students who take on a placement will be able to apply their technical, research and professional skills across different contexts outside of academia.

Open to: Any external organisation aligning with the EPSRC Industrial Strategy challenge in one of the 9 selected areas.

Application deadline: Ongoing