What innovation & R&D funding can North East businesses get? We list 11 schemes, 7 of them open now, including Climate Tech FOAK Builder: programme entry expression of interest (Innovate UK) and Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1 (Innovate UK). Each listing shows the amount, who is eligible and the deadline, with a link to the official source; 1 closed scheme is kept for reference. Always confirm the details with the funder before you apply or spend money.
11 schemes in this category, last checked .
Schemes in this category with a published closing date.
Open or rolling, according to the official source. Ones with a closing date come first, soonest first.
Innovate UK · Support programme
Support worth up to £315,000 (expert advisory, technical assistance, mentoring and upskilling) to develop a first-of-a-kind (FOAK) climate tech project. Successful companies could be invited to apply for a larger grant in Phase 2.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Innovate UK · Grant
Share of up to £3.1m. Total eligible project costs must be £150,000 to £250,000. Feasibility studies: up to 70% of costs for micro or small firms, up to 60% for medium-sized firms.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Innovate UK · Grant
Share of up to £1.66m. Projects £50,000–£150,000, up to 70% of costs covered
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Defra and Innovate UK (Farming Innovation Programme) · Grant
Share of up to £5m. Each project's total eligible costs must be between £50,000 and £200,000.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Innovate UK · Cohort entry with funding access
Up to £11.5m across a two-stage competition. Stage 1 grant funding request must be exactly £54,400: £50,000 of grant you can claim against eligible costs plus £4,400 of in-kind support from Innovate UK Business Connect.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Innovate UK · Part-funded partnership
Share of up to £12.5m in the 2026 to 2027 Round 4 competition. Business contribution: check with funder.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
North East Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures · Equity / convertible loan
Initial £50,000–£350,000, up to £1m in total
Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham · Checked
Announced but not open for applications yet.
Innovate UK · Grant
Up to £5m per strand (Phase 1). Each project's grant request must be between £100,000 and £200,000.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
The official source does not say clearly whether it is open, so ask the funder before you plan around it.
Innovate UK · Loan
Check with funder
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
North East Fund, managed by Mercia Regional Ventures · Equity
£35m fund. Deal sizes: check with funder
Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham · Checked
Not taking applications now. Kept so you can see what ran before and watch for new rounds.
Teesside University / Tees Valley CA · Voucher grant
Exploration up to £50,000. Acceleration up to £300,000
Tees Valley · Checked
7 of the 11 we list: Climate Tech FOAK Builder: programme entry expression of interest from Innovate UK; Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1 from Innovate UK; Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems from Innovate UK and Full ADOPT Grant: Round 10 (on-farm trials) from Defra and Innovate UK (Farming Innovation Programme), plus 3 more on this page. Check eligibility on the official page before you apply.
Climate Tech FOAK Builder: programme entry expression of interest (UK-wide) closes 5 Nov 2026; Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1 (UK-wide) closes 11 Nov 2026; Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems (UK-wide) closes 18 Nov 2026 and Growth Cohorts: Next-gen low carbon concrete, Round 2 (UK-wide) closes 2 Dec 2026. Deadlines are taken from the official source.
Number of schemes listed for each area (any status).
