Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26

Women founders or co-founders of UK registered SMEs can apply for a package of support that includes a grant of up to £75,000 and bespoke business support, to further their ambitious growth plans.

Registration Details
Opens: 26/11/2025 Closes: 04/02/2026 11:00

Award
Your total project costs will be eligible for up to 100% funding subject to MFA subsidy rules. Your total grant funding request must not exceed £75,000.

Sectors
Agrifood, Biotechnology, Digital, Electronics, Energy, Health, Manufacturing, Materials, Quantum, Robotics & AI, Sustainability, Transport

Introduction

The Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards support trailblazing women entrepreneurs to maximise the impact of their innovative ideas, accelerate business growth, and contribute to pressing societal, environmental and economic challenges.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is offering up to 60 Women in Innovation Awards to women founders and co-founders of micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK.  

Successful projects will receive a 12-month package of support that includes a grant of up to £75K, bespoke business support, and a suite of training, networking and role-modelling opportunities.  

A proportion of highly commended applicants who have not been awarded grant funding in this competition will be offered bespoke business support for 12 months. 

The aims of this competition are to support Women in Innovation Award winners: 

• whose innovation aligns with one of the following high growth sectors defined in the UK’s Industrial Strategy; Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Technologies and Life Sciences 
• who have a late-stage startup with ambitions to grow a scalable business which will involve raising considerable investment in the next 12 to 24 months 

As a late-stage startup, we would expect you to:   

• have built a basic version of the idea or product, service, solution (for example a prototype or Minimal Viable Product) 
• have received early interest from users, customers, or made some money 
• know who the product is for and have started testing how the business will work 
• have an understanding of realistic market opportunity 
• have started forming a team, going beyond original founders