Accessing Innovate UK Support

Alina Cameron

Read • 3 min

Having spent years working with early-stage founders I know that they find it challenging to navigate what support is available to them and right for the stage of growth their company is in.

Some of what Innovate UK offer are time specific with criteria on where funds will be allocated but there’s also support that can be utilised year-round and from any sector. Hopefully this article is a helpful starting to point.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. Our mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate. We support business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions.

If you have an idea for an innovative product or service, you can get help from Innovate UK to develop it and make it successful.

Innovate UK can help you access expertise, specialist support and facilities. You can:

find partners locally, nationally and internationally
attend networking and collaboration events
get advice on funding opportunities and applying
get help to attract investors
get help to understand the future market for your innovation
get help to understand how to make your business innovate successfully
get expert knowledge from universities and research organisations.

Innovate UK can also help you access funding and finance.

Support is available for all UK-based companies - from pre-startup to large multi-nationals. You may also be able to get help if you are an individual or an organisation. Innovate UK provides support through two innovation networks. These are Innovate UK Business Connect (previously Innovate UK KTN) and Innovate UK Business Growth (previously Innovate UK EDGE).

Innovate UK Business Connect

From agri-food to autonomous systems and from energy to design, Innovate UK Business Connect combines in-depth knowledge in all sectors with the ability to cross boundaries.

Innovate UK Business Connect can help you:

connect with experts outside your usual networks and industry
link with academics, government and funding opportunities
access support and intelligence to develop your innovation strategy
exploit your ideas and capabilities
find the right support you need.

Find out more about Innovate UK Business Connect.

Innovate UK Business Growth🔗

Innovate UK Business Growth is a key part of Innovate UK’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth. It complements Innovate UK grant funding with intensive, specialist-led support for such ambitious businesses.

Each high-potential, innovative business in the Innovate UK Business Growth portfolio benefits from the support of a dedicated innovation and growth specialist local to them. Our specialist considers a business in the round and, working closely with its leadership, identifies the most productive ways to accelerate its growth.

Innovate UK Business Growth brings a range of services to help ambitious, innovative SMEs scale and grow. We help businesses:

exploit innovation, intellectual property, and connections in the UK and abroad
enter new markets at home and abroad
access funding and finance and getting investment ready.

Find out more about Innovate UK Business Growth

Catapult centres🔗

Catapults are not-for-profit, independent technology and innovation centres that connect businesses with the UK’s research and academic communities. They were established and are overseen by Innovate UK to bring together the best people in their fields with world-class facilities and expertise to rapidly advance the UK’s research and development into global commercial success.

Catapults can bring new opportunities to businesses of any size who want to grow through innovation. Each specialises in a different area of technology to provide partners with a neutral space with the facilities and expertise to enable businesses and researchers to solve key problems together and develop new products and services on a commercial scale.

Find out more about Catapults.