Contracts for Innovation: Chemicals Sector Efficiency Grant – 2025 Competition

Programme:Innovate UK Business Connect (KTN)

Awards:Up to £3m

Geographical Scope:national

Beneficiaries:private

Key Features:Up to £3 million in pre‑commercial funding to advance cleaner, more efficient processes in the UK chemicals industry.

Key Features

• Up to £3 million funding, awarded as a pre‑commercial contract
• Designed for the chemicals and industrial materials sectors
• Supports late‑stage validation or demonstration of resource‑efficient technologies
• UK‑registered companies with TRL 5‑7 solutions are eligible
• Part of the Contracts for Innovation – Resource Efficiency programme
• Backed by Innovate UK Business Connect and chemicals sector challenge owners

Eligibility

• Be a UK‑registered business (applying alone or as part of a consortium)
• Have a validated prototype or demonstrator (TRL 5‑7)
• Conduct all R&D in the UK and plan to exploit results from the UK
• Capable of delivering the project by 30 April 2026
• Research organisations may join consortia but cannot lead or perform the majority of the work

Application Timeline

• Opened: 14 July 2025
• Deadline: 27 August 2025 at 11:00 am UK time
• Project start: From 1 October 2025
• Project end: No later than 30 April 2026
• Results notified: September 2025

Partner & Funder Context

This competition is led by Innovate UK, with delivery supported by:

• Innovate UK Business Connect (KTN) – engaging chemicals sector challenge owners and fostering collaboration
• Chemicals sector challenge owners – ensuring industry-driven innovation alignment

The chemicals strand complements UK industrial strategy priorities in decarbonising resource-intensive processes and advancing clean, efficient production methods. It aligns with initiatives such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund and Clean Growth Strategy, accelerating adoption of low-carbon technologies.

Scope

This strand of the 2025 Contracts for Innovation (Chemicals) competition focuses on resource-efficient solutions for the UK chemicals sector, aligned with net‑zero and circular economy objectives.

• Catalysis, reaction pathways or feedstock substitution
• Separation, purification or process intensification
• Solvent and reagent innovations
• Improvements to energy efficiency, water use or raw material recovery
• Substitutes for toxic or high‑impact materials
• Technologies enabling low‑carbon industrial clusters
• Projects must be deployable within 2–5 years and align with UK Net Zero Industrial Clusters

Funding and Delivery

• Awards issued as pre‑commercial procurement contracts (not traditional grants)
• Total fund per strand: £3 million (including VAT)
• Funding pays for specific R&D services, not equity or IP
• Projects must start from 1 October 2025 and finish by 30 April 2026
• Applicants must outline clear deliverables and commercial relevance

Benefits to Applicants

• Access up to £3 million in non‑dilutive funding
• Position your solution within national clean industry priorities
• De‑risk scale‑up and validation of high‑impact industrial technologies
• Showcase your innovation to key sector stakeholders and potential partners
• Retain your IP with future commercial potential

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Our Service Offering in Grants

Our services include:

Grant scouting and strategy: identifying the right UK and EU funding opportunities for your project pipeline
Bid writing: crafting compelling, compliant applications with strong technical and commercial narratives
Grant management: supporting delivery, reporting, and compliance throughout the project lifecycle
Innovation loans: helping secure and manage Innovate UK loans for late-stage development and market readiness
International support: leveraging our global network to access cross-border innovation funding opportunities

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