EPSRC Materials Innovation Part

Application Platform: UKRI Funding Service

Application Sections: Summary, core team, vision and approach, fit to Materials Innovation Partnerships opportunity, applicant and team capability to deliver, primary academic partner research organisation statement, project partners, facilities, resources and cost justification, partner contributions to costs, ethics and responsible research and innovation, trusted research and innovation.

Assessment Process: Applications assessed by an EPSRC assessment panel using evidence-based judgement against defined assessment criteria.

Co-Funders: Not specified

Collaboration Rules: Projects must be co-created and co-delivered by business and academic partners and must demonstrate an established partnership of at least one year.

Competitiveness: Not specified

Consortium Requirements: Projects must include a primary academic partner and a primary business partner. Business partners may form a consortium to collectively provide match funding.

Decision Risks: Applications may be rejected if they do not follow guidance, do not align with the opportunity scope or fail to meet eligibility requirements.

Decision Timeline: Funding decisions expected in August 2026 following panel assessment and portfolio balancing.

Eligible Expenses: Staff costs, impact related costs, travel and subsistence, equipment under £25,000 per item, equipment between £25,000 and £400,000 and other project resources required to carry out the research.

Eligible Scope: Projects must align with one or more of the six high-growth opportunity themes in the National Materials Innovation Strategy and aim to accelerate materials research, translate materials innovation into industrial applications and address real-world challenges.

Funding Intensity: EPSRC funds 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).

Important Notes: The primary academic partner submits the application but both the academic and business partners act as joint leads of the partnership.

Ineligible Projects: Projects that do not align with the listed materials innovation themes, projects focused solely on fundamental chemical or materials synthesis, projects focused solely on defence sector applications, and projects without clear sector relevance or application opportunities.

International Collaboration Requirement: International researchers may participate as project co-lead (international) under specific agreements or as project partners.

Interview Stage: Not specified

Key Requirements: Projects must involve an established academic and business partnership, align with National Materials Innovation Strategy themes and demonstrate business match funding.

Lead Organisation Requirement: The primary academic partner must create and submit the application through the UKRI Funding Service.

Match Funding Requirement: Business cash contribution must match or exceed the amount funded by EPSRC.

Project Duration: Up to three and a half years

Project End Date: Not specified

Project Start Date: 2026-10-01 00:00:00

Publication Date: 2026-03-04 00:00:00

Renewal Rules: Not specified

Research Category: Fundamental research in advanced materials aligned with the National Materials Innovation Programme.

Research Organisation Funding: Research organisations receive 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).

Subcontractors: Not specified

Total Fund Available: £7,500,000