Overview
Innovate UK is investing up to £1.1 million in feasibility projects to accelerate sustainable materials and manufacturing, including innovations in seaweed processing. The fund supports small-scale, short-term projects that test new ideas aligned with the UK’s ambition to lead in net zero, resource-efficient, and technologically advanced manufacturing.
Scope
Projects must focus on:
- Resource efficient and sustainable materials and manufacturing
– improving efficiency, circularity, resilience, and adoption of biotechnology in UK manufacturing.
- Seaweed processing innovation – testing or improving processing technologies to enhance yield, efficiency, or value of seaweed harvested or cultivated in UK waters.
Key themes and topics
- Functional and bio-based materials for future economy
- Smart and sustainable design for through-life value
- Resilient supply chains and sustainable feedstocks
- Flexible, high-quality, adaptive production systems
- Product life extension, reuse, and circularity
- Seaweed/algae processing: new technologies, product diversification, efficiency improvements
Project duration
- Must last 1–2 months
- Start: 1 February 2026
- End: 31 March 2026
Award value
- Project costs: £10,000–£25,000
- Projects will be 100% funded (subject to Minimal Financial Assistance rules)
Funding rates
- 100% of project costs covered (no match funding required)
- Subject to Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) rules (£315k limit over 3 years)
Eligibility criteria
- Lead: UK-registered business of any size
- Subcontractors allowed (max 50% of project costs), UK-based unless justified otherwise
- Work must be carried out in the UK, with results exploited in the UK
- One application per organisation
- Must comply with MFA rules, subsidy control, sanctions, and ethical use of animals in research
- Ineligible projects include those in primary agriculture, aquaculture, biopharma therapeutics, sustainable aviation fuels, or alternative proteins
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