Commercialisation: project funding

Follow-on funding

Project-based ‘follow-on funding’ support translation and impact activities that arise from fundamental research projects. These can help bridge the gap between fundamental research and later-stage innovation funding.

Current schemes include:

MRC Developmental pathway funding scheme

The Developmental pathway funding scheme (DPFS) is the Medical Research Council’s (MRC’s) core translational research scheme.

It drives fundamental discoveries from MRC research boards and the wider community along the development pathway and into patient benefit or commercialisation.

Find out more about the Developmental pathway funding scheme (DPFS).

STFC Early and late-stage research and development scheme

These schemes are designed to fund particle physics, astronomy, and nuclear physics (PPAN) projects from initial research and development through to commercialisation.

They help technologies to reach levels of readiness and support working with industry where appropriate.

Early-stage research and development scheme (details from last funding round)

Late-stage research and development scheme (details from last funding round)

Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe)

The ICURe programme funds research teams to accelerate the time it takes to get ideas out of the laboratory and to commercialisation.

It is a pre-accelerator programme designed to help explore the commercial potential of UK research.

ICURe programme website

BBSRC ICURe programme

The programme offers funding to research teams to determine whether there is a market for products or services that utilise bioscience-based research and technologies.

It is open to research teams in all UK universities, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded institutes and approved public sector research enterprises.

Find out more about the BBSRC ICURe programme.

Last updated: 30 June 2023

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback.