Search the open competitions below to find funding for your next telecoms R&D project.
For guidance on applications, forming a consortium and reviewing funding opportunities, book an appointment with one of our specialist advisers today at specialistguidance@uktin.net.
Horizon Europe is an EU research and innovation programme. It has a budget of €95.5 billion and runs until 2027.
The UK agreed a deal to associate to Horizon Europe on 7 September 2023.
UK researchers can now apply for Horizon Europe funding, certain that all successful UK applicants will be covered through the UK’s association (or through the guarantee) for the remainder of the programme.
Drive innovation and economic growth by developing groundbreaking space-based technology.
Supporting early-stage companies is vital to ensuring the continued growth of the space industry. Whether that’s through downstream applications, in-orbit servicing and manufacturing or spacecraft technologies…
We invest in innovations emerging from the UK’s publicly funded science and knowledge base. We specialise in engineering biology, defence & security, fusion energy, and space to facilitate sustainable growth, enhance the health and security of society, improve productivity, and deliver economic gains emerging from UK’s public funding portfolio.
Our investment decisions are based on both the potential societal impact of technologies and the potential for financial return.
Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) helps innovative SMEs to collaborate and explore global markets, accelerating business growth.
Each GBIP, focused on a specific market and technology or sector area, involves a cohort of up to 15 ambitious innovative UK businesses looking to grow and scale globally. The programme aims to help businesses explore future opportunities and to better understand what is needed to be successful on the global stage.
The GBIP provides detailed market knowledge, cultural insight, and introductions and connections, opening doors that SMEs might find difficult to do themselves. Each business is supported by an Innovate UK Business Growth innovation and growth specialist to help maximise the potential of being part of the programme and beyond.
- UK registered businesses can apply for loans for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy.
- Competition opens: Thursday 6 March 2025
- Competition closes: Wednesday 7 May 2025 12:00pm
UK registered micro, small and medium enterprises in the creative sector can apply for a share of up to £8 million for innovation projects to grow their business. This funding is from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
- Competition opens: Monday 31 March 2025
- Competition closes: Thursday 29 May 2025 11:00am
UK registered micro, small and medium enterprises in the creative sector can apply for a share of up to £8 million for innovation projects to grow their business. This funding is from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
- Competition opens: Monday 31 March 2025
- Competition closes: Thursday 29 May 2025 11:00am
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £4.7 million inclusive of VAT, across four themes to develop a prototype, conduct field testing and demonstrate their solution. Projects can last between 3 and 7 months and must be completed by 31 March 2026.
- Competition opens: Monday 7 April 2025
- Competition closes: Wednesday 28 May 2025 11:00am
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £4.7 million inclusive of VAT, across four themes to develop a prototype, conduct field testing and demonstrate their solution. Projects can last between 3 and 7 months and must be completed by 31 March 2026.
- Competition opens: Monday 7 April 2025
- Competition closes: Wednesday 28 May 2025 11:00am
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million. These feasibility studies will investigate ways to improve semiconductor design and manufacture within the UK to support critical technologies.
- Competition opens: Monday 14 April 2025
- Competition closes: Thursday 29 May 2025 11:00am
UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £9 million to fund innovation projects with businesses or not for profits.
- Competition opens: Monday 14 April 2025
- Competition closes: Wednesday 11 June 2025 11:00am
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £110 million for ambitious research and innovation projects in any sector, and tailored support to develop careers for future leaders. This funding is from UKRI.
- Competition opens: Monday 23 June 2025
- Competition closes: Wednesday 5 November 2025 11:00am
This competition has not yet opened.
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) are working together to offer a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan.
This service provides an opportunity for single small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum.
This loan can be used to cover up to 100% of eligible project costs to aid the commercialisation of the solution. Innovate UK provide further information on innovation loans (not Defence specific) here.
Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has opened its 2025 Calls in May for submission in September.
Those interested in submitting a proposal can find more details about the 2025 open SNS Calls and various Topics
Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has opened its 2025 Calls in May for submission in September.
Those interested in submitting a proposal can find more details about the 2025 open SNS Calls and various Topics
Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has opened its 2025 Calls in May for submission in September.
The main outcome will be the availability of higher speed optical access networks and future end-to-end packet optical network architecture to be integrated and interfaced to the overall 6G architecture. Such systems can be applied to all domains in the system and allow a very energy-efficient data transport for very high throughput rates.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of at least £1 million for collaboration with Canadian SMEs on joint Semiconductors projects.