Funding for research commercialisation activities to develop new products, processes, and services.
Applications are welcome from across all research disciplines and research council remits (AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC and STFC) including cross- and multi-disciplinary approaches.
Please note that this proof of concept opportunity is not for purely fundamental or curiosity-driven research. The intended outputs of funded projects should include the development of an appropriate commercialisation proposition and strategy.
Activities supported as part of proof of concept include, but are not limited to:
- advancement of existing research outputs toward real world applications
- development of prototypes
- product, process or service design
- user testing and feedback
- refining routes to markets, users or audiences
- development of the business model including future financial sustainability
- development of product, process or service value chains including scale up requirements
- development of understanding of market, user or audience segmentation and positioning
- development of intellectual property strategy
- establishing or demonstrating freedom to operate
- developing regulatory or standards requirement needed to reach user/audience
- confirmation of market validation and product or market fit
- establishment of and test value proposition with target market or audience
- validation studies including larger scale viability studies
- prototype demonstration
- ‘technical’ and real-world concept optimisation
If your project is eligible and in scope for live or upcoming UKRI council specific translation, knowledge exchange or commercialisation support via a specific council funding opportunity, you should apply to that council, as this opportunity is for projects that are not eligible for funding applications via existing UKRI funding opportunities.
ELIGIBLITY
Those eligible to apply include:
- researchers including post-doctoral researchers, research assistants or associates, head of groups, fellows
- support staff including, technicians, specialists, research and innovation associates including technology transfer or knowledge exchange staff (when employed directly by the eligible organisation)
Those not eligible to apply include:
- employees at public sector research establishments, public sector arm length bodies and government departments applying to develop their own public sector knowledge assets
- anyone eligible to apply to the Government Office for Technology Transfer’s funding to accelerate your Knowledge Assets towards the market (GOV.UK)
- employees in business, sole trader, industry bodies
- doctoral students are not eligible to apply as lead during the duration of their course
International applicants based outside the UK are not eligible to apply.
VALUE AND DURATION
The full economic cost (FEC) can be between £100,000 and £250,000.
Project durations can be between six and nine months.
UKRI’s aim is to fund a range of projects across the cost and duration permitted.
KEY DATES
Call opens: 4 March 2026
Webinars for potential applicants will be held on 18 March 2026 (2pm), 25 March 2026 (10am), 14 April 2026 (3pm), with registration details to follow once the call opens
Deadline: 13 May 2026
Decisions communicated: July 2026
Latest project start date: 1 October 2026
Further information can be found on the opportunity webpage and in the guidance document below.
This opportunity’s demand management cap allows Worcester to submit a single application as project lead. Therefore, please email researchoffice@worc.ac.uk as soon as possible if you are interested in applying.