UKRI’s total research and innovation budget is rising during this Spending Review period, reaching almost £10 billion annually by 2030.
To deliver this investment effectively UKRI is changing.
From April 2026, we are distributing the majority of our budget into three buckets that align with our mission to advance knowledge, improve lives, and drive growth.
These buckets are:
- curiosity-driven research, including competitive applicant-led research and un-hypothecated block grants to English universities
- strategic government and societal priorities, including research into industrial strategy sectors and other government priorities
- supporting innovative companies to start and scale
This investment will be underpinned by a fourth bucket that supports essential capabilities needed to enable and strengthen UK research and development across the three priority buckets.
Many programmes will still be delivered by our research councils, as the domain and subject matter experts. However, where multiple councils have a significant interest in a field, like artificial intelligence, we will create one UKRI-wide targeted programme that brings together the best diverse expertise from across our organisation.
Further information
To learn more about the changes to our funding allocations, watch our CEO’s video (YouTube) on how the new model works, and see the accompanying diagram and explanatory note.
Read our budget allocations explainer document for full details.
Read about Innovate UK’s strategic re-set in the Innovate UK prospectus: turning breakthrough ideas into the UK’s next industry giants.
Cost reductions at the Science, Technology and Facilities Council (STFC)
Last updated: 5 August 2026