- Local areas can now bid for support of up to £20 million each in government funding to grow existing regional science and tech expertise
- Investment will back local leaders who know their regions best, unlocking discoveries and creating hundreds of jobs as part of record £86 billion R&D settlement
- Builds on support already earmarked to local leaders in ten UK areas through Local Innovation Partnerships Fund – driving regional growth through Plan for Change
Local leaders across the country can now bid for support of up to £20 million each in a new competition, as the government backs regional expertise to deliver cutting-edge research that could save lives and create jobs (Monday 6 October).
Research funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is inviting a broad range of local and regional partnerships to bid for government funding to support research and innovation projects in their area through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. The competition will back partnerships that can turn existing research breakthroughs into practical solutions that create jobs and improve people’s lives, supporting the government’s Plan for Change.
The fund is designed to help regions across the UK build on their existing strengths – whether that is developing technology that helps doctors diagnose diseases faster, creating cleaner transport solutions, or discovering innovations that spawn entirely new industries.
Local leaders, working alongside universities and businesses, are best placed to identify these regional opportunities and turn research breakthroughs into real-world solutions that benefit their communities.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said
This fund is our Plan for Change in action. It empowers local leaders, researchers, and businesses with skin in the game to deliver transformational research that creates jobs and improves lives in their area.
Ten regions already have our support and will be able to deliver game-changing innovations to benefit their communities.
Now we’re extending this opportunity to the rest of the country, and I encourage partnerships everywhere to come forward, and show how they can unlock their local expertise to create tomorrow’s innovations.
Consortiums of various forms are encouraged to apply, to ensure regions across the length and breadth of the UK are supported to develop new innovations and drive regional growth.
Ten regions across the UK have already received backing through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. These include established innovation hubs in England such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire, alongside Glasgow City Region in Scotland, Cardiff Capital Region in Wales, and an innovation corridor linking Belfast and Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Each of these areas has been earmarked for at least £30 million to invest in their regional innovation strengths, from advanced manufacturing and life sciences to digital technologies and clean energy, ensuring every nation of the UK benefits from this major government investment in R&D.
This approach builds on the successful Innovation Accelerators programme, which has already brought in more than £140 million of private investment and created hundreds of jobs. Greater Manchester teams are helping detect heart and lung diseases more quickly and cheaply, while Glasgow researchers are working to spot signs of colon cancer earlier to save lives. This shows how researchers, businesses and local leaders can work together to tackle the country’s biggest challenges while boosting local economies.
This funding forms part of the record £86 billion R&D settlement until 2030 and represents a key pillar of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, supporting high-growth sectors in every region. For areas ready to unlock their innovation potential, this competition offers a transformative opportunity to secure the partnerships and investment needed to drive growth and improve lives across the country.
Notes to editors
UKRI will run a 2-stage selection process to identify the most promising partnerships.
Interested areas can submit expressions of interest and find out more about the eligibility criteria. UKRI will then work with shortlisted partnerships to co-develop detailed proposals that demonstrate how they can turn research into real-world solutions. An independent assessment panel will evaluate applications based on their potential for economic impact, strength of local partnerships, and alignment with national priorities.
