Biomedical Catalyst 2025 | Up to £2m Funding for Life Sciences SMEs

Biomedical Catalyst 2025
Programme:Innovate UK
Awards:Up to £2m
Geographical Scope:national
Beneficiaries:private
Key Features:Scale clinical and health-tech innovation with up to £2 million per project and clear adoption pathways

Key information at a glance

  • Status: Opens 10 November 2025. Closes 10 December 2025 at 11:00 UK time.
  • Total fund: £25 million.
  • Per-project award: Grant request £500k to £2m within total eligible costs up to £4m. Grant must not exceed £2m.
  • Project length and starts: 6–36 months, projects must start by 1 July 2026.
  • Who can lead: UK-registered SME as lead applicant.
  • Collaboration rules: If collaborative, SMEs must incur at least 50% of total eligible project costs.
  • Funding rates: Industrial research up to 70% (micro/small), 60% (medium), 50% (large). Experimental development up to 45% (micro/small), 35% (medium), 25% (large).
  • Success rate guide: Approximately ~10% based on similar competitions.

Who should apply - Biomedical Catalyst 2025

UK-registered SMEs developing biomedical or health technologies with defined clinical need, credible route to market and a deliverable 6–36 month plan.

Typical applicants

  • Diagnostics, medical devices, digital health and SaMD
  • Therapeutics and platform technologies with defined target product profile and regulatory route
  • Enabling tech for clinical operations, manufacturing and health system efficiency

Key dates and duration

The Biomed Catalyst 2025 opens 10 Nov 2025, closes 10 Dec 2025 at 11:00, project 6–36 months, start by 1 July 2026.

Plan cash flow for quarterly claims and resources for immediate interview prep after close.

Scope and what good looks like

Proposals must evidence unmet need, credible innovation, robust delivery, adoption and value for money.

  • Need and opportunity: quantify disease burden or system inefficiency, name users, pathways and procurement.
  • Innovation: explain novelty, clinical or operational impact, standards and freedom-to-operate.
  • Approach and workplan: milestones with Go/No-Go, TRL/CRL movement, correct research category.
  • Team: clinical ops, stats, data, regulatory, QMS, HEOR, letters of intent from sites or CROs.
  • Market and adoption: NHS E/I, ICSs, AHSNs, reimbursement and procurement mechanics; or TPP, CMC and MHRA for therapeutics.
  • Costs and VFM: transparent partner breakdowns and cash-flow cover for quarterly claims.

Assessment and interview

Five independent assessors score the written stage, then a Major Investment Panel interview decides funding via a ranked portfolio.

Prepare a ≤21-slide, 20-minute presentation followed by 30-minute Q&A. The interview score supersedes written scores.

What is the Biomedical Catalyst?

Biomedical Catalyst is Innovate UK’s flagship programme for pre-market health and life sciences R&D. It funds commercially led projects that move technologies through TRL and into adoption pathways, including NHS and global markets. Awards support industrial research and experimental development aligned to clear clinical, regulatory and market routes.

Funding available - Biomedical Catalyst 2025

Apply for £500k–£2m grant within total eligible costs up to £4m, at the Innovate UK intervention rates for your research category.

  • Industrial research: up to 70% small, 60% medium, 50% large
  • Experimental development: up to 45% small, 35% medium, 25% large
    Select the correct category to maximise eligible intervention while reflecting the actual work content.

Eligibility and collaboration

A UK SME must lead; if the project is collaborative, SMEs must incur at least 50% of total eligible costs; all partners must pass subsidy control and financial checks.

Who can participate

  • UK businesses, universities, RTOs, charities, not-for-profits and public sector bodies as partners
  • Lead SME typically ≤70% of total costs in collaborations, with SMEs ≥50% overall share

Eligible and ineligible costs

Staff, materials, consumables, travel, essential subcontractors, equipment depreciation and project-specific licences are eligible; routine business or marketing costs are not.

Ensure Je-S uploads for academic partners and complete Project Impact statements for all partners before submission.

Biomedical Catalyst 2025
Biomedical Catalyst 2025

Get a concise, CFO-ready playbook for Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst. The guide distils scope, eligibility, TRLs, cost models, cash flow planning, and scoring criteria into practical checklists, examples and templates. It is written for busy executive teams who want to move fast, de-risk bids, and protect equity while accelerating R&D.

Get the guide

FAQs - Biomedical Catalyst 2025

Before you begin, read these to avoid common pitfalls and accelerate internal approvals when applying for the Biomedical Catalyst 2025.

Grants Roadmapping, built for CFOs
Grants Roadmapping, built for CFOs

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What you get

  • Portfolio scan and eligibility fit across Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, Eurostars
  • 12 month call calendar, deadlines and funding rates, with quick scoring
  • Consortium gap analysis and partner shortlist
  • Bid plan with responsibilities, timeline, and compliance checks
  • Optional end to end writing, submission, and audit readiness

“A good roadmap removes the noise. CFOs get a realistic bid calendar, not false hope. We align funding to the business plan so teams move quickly and stay compliant.”
Dr. Chrysi Karagiannaki, R&D Tax Consultant, FI Group UK

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