Three UK funding routes, read closely.

• Innovate UK: prepare before the window opens For UK SMEs. Innovation Loans have paused until January 2027, and the companies that use the pause well will be first in line.
• The National Lottery Community Fund: pick the right size first For charities and community groups. Three programmes, from £300 to multi-million awards, with different rules on who may write the application.
• Horizon Europe: UK organisations are full participants again For universities, research organisations and companies. Since 1 January 2024, UK applicants receive funding directly from the European Commission.

Innovate UK offers both loans and grants, and the two are judged differently. Loans go to a credit committee. Grants are scored on value for money and deliverability. In both cases the project has to fit Innovate UK’s new strategic direction and the Industrial Strategy sectors.

• Who can apply for a loan. Single applications from UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprises working in one of six Industrial Strategy sectors. Charities and academic bodies cannot apply, and the Financial Services and Professional and Business Services sectors are out of scope.
• Two stages. The loan route starts with an expression of interest. Only if it is approved is the company invited to submit a full application.
• The timing. The expression of interest round closed on 9 October 2026, and applications are paused until January 2027. A company that uses these months to firm up its financials, sector fit and repayment plan will be ready when the route reopens.
• Grants are not on hold. Smart Grants are closed to new applications, but other competitions remain open, among them UK–Germany bilateral collaborative R&D round 5 (£2.4m in total, for UK SMEs working with German SMEs) and the Commercialising Knowledge Assets Fund, both closing on 1 December 2026.

Competition details from the Innovate UK Innovation Funding Service as of 30 September 2026; Innovation Loans eligibility and timing checked on 10 October 2026. Always check the current competition page before applying.

• Awards for All England. Grants of £300 to £20,000. It is open to constituted voluntary and community groups, registered charities, CIOs, not-for-profit companies, community interest companies, community benefit societies and statutory bodies, and to schools where the project involves and benefits the surrounding community. The board or committee needs at least two members who are not related. The Fund will not award more than £20,000 to one organisation in any 12-month period.
• Who cannot apply. Individuals and sole traders, organisations based outside the UK and companies that can pay profits to directors or shareholders. You also cannot apply while an earlier Awards for All grant is still running or another application is awaiting a decision.
• Written by you, not for you. The Fund does not accept Awards for All England applications written by private businesses, bid writers or consultants. The application has to come from the organisation itself.
• Larger programmes. Reaching Communities England funds projects from £20,001. The UK Fund awards £500,000 to £5 million to established organisations that want to scale work they have already proved.
• Plan for the wait. Decisions take about 16 to 40 weeks, so the cash flow of the project should not depend on an early answer.

Programme details from The National Lottery Community Fund’s own pages, checked on 10 October 2026. Eligibility rules change; confirm the current programme page before applying.

Horizon Europe funds research and innovation of every kind. For UK universities, research organisations and companies, association means they take part in most calls on the same terms as other associated countries, with UKRI supporting UK applicants.

• Apply as a beneficiary. UK-based organisations should join a consortium as a beneficiary, not as an associated partner, to receive funding from the European Commission.
• UK partners can lead. UK beneficiaries can apply as coordinators of collaborative projects, not only as partners.
• Read the topic text. Most calls are open to the UK on the same terms as other associated countries, but some are not, for example calls funded from underspends from the years before association. The topic description says so; if in doubt, ask the National Contact Point.
• The guarantee is history. The UK Horizon Europe guarantee covered only calls in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Work Programmes. It is not a route for new calls.

Facts checked against UKRI guidance on 10 October 2026. Call eligibility can differ by topic; confirm the current call before applying.