- £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction
- Wearable tech, artificial intelligence and virtual reality projects to be considered
- Part of the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme to save and improve lives
Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.
Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.
Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.
Health Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed said
Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery – of hundreds of thousands of people.
Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.
Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.
Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs.
Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects which costs England an estimated £47 billion each year.
The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards – part of The Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences – will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and artificial‑intelligence‑enabled tools.
These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.
Science Minister, Lord Vallance said
Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.
Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.
This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.
Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, said
Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause.
To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care.
These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery.
Dr Stella Pearce, Executive Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate-UK said
Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services
By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.
Applications open today – with awards of up to £10 million available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects which can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval.
These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.
A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.
Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.
To find out more about the funding available and where to apply please visit Innovate UK Supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges – Innovate UK Business Connect. Applications for funding close on 6 May 2026.
An online briefing event will be held on 19 February to guide organisations through eligibility, scope and the application process. Register here.