The UK life sciences sector has access to one of the deepest grant funding ecosystems of any industry - spanning MRC, BBSRC, NIHR, Innovate UK, and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. This guide maps the main routes for biotech, medtech, and life sciences businesses at every stage.
The UK is one of a handful of countries with a genuinely world-class life sciences funding ecosystem. Between the Medical Research Council, Biomedical Research Centres, NIHR, Innovate UK, and the Catapult network, a biotech company can access public grant support at every stage from fundamental research through to clinical validation and scale-up. The challenge is that the landscape is fragmented across multiple bodies with different objectives, timelines, and requirements - navigating it well is itself a competitive advantage.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are the two UKRI research councils most directly relevant to life sciences. MRC funds medical and clinical research - basic science, translational programmes, and clinical trials. BBSRC funds biological sciences more broadly, including agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and food science alongside human health. Both primarily fund academic research but run industry collaboration programmes where businesses are essential partners.
The most accessible MRC/BBSRC route for businesses is through collaborative grants - funding that requires at least one academic partner and one industry partner, with each contributing to the research. Award sizes in collaborative programmes typically range from £200,000 to over £2 million. UKRI's Innovate UK and MRC jointly run programmes specifically designed to pull academic life sciences research into commercial application - worth monitoring when your technology is at the academic-commercial boundary.
Innovate UK runs dedicated life sciences and biomedical competitions throughout the year alongside its open SMART grant programme. These include: targeted competitions for medical devices, genomics, digital health, and cell and gene therapy; the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programmes for specific health technology areas; and joint competitions with NIHR for innovations targeting NHS adoption. For a biotech or medtech business primarily focused on commercial development rather than fundamental research, Innovate UK is often the most accessible and fastest route to grant funding.
The Biomedical Catalyst programme - run jointly by MRC and Innovate UK - is specifically designed for life sciences companies at the translational stage, bridging the gap between academic research and commercial development. It funds feasibility, early-stage and late-stage projects. Award sizes range from £150,000 for feasibility work to several million for late-stage projects.
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is one of the most active Catapult centres for life sciences businesses. It provides not just funding but manufacturing capacity, analytical services, regulatory expertise, and clinical trial support - capabilities that most small biotech companies couldn't access or afford independently. The Catapult runs competitions and collaborative funding calls specifically for CGT companies. For businesses developing advanced therapies, engagement with the CGT Catapult early in development - even before applying for grants - is strongly recommended.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research funds clinical research and health technology development with a strong NHS orientation. The NIHR i4i (Invention for Innovation) programme funds development of health products up to pre-commercial stage - awards up to £1 million for Phase 1 and up to £3 million for Phase 2. SBRI Healthcare commissions solutions to specific NHS problems through competitive contracts (not grants, technically, but with similar effect for early-stage companies). For life sciences businesses targeting the NHS as a customer, NIHR funding validates both the science and the clinical pathway in a way that later commercial conversations depend on.
Following UK re-association in 2024, UK life sciences businesses can again access Horizon Europe funding including the EIC Accelerator and collaborative health research grants. The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) is a major EU public-private partnership specifically for health research - UK companies can participate. For deep-tech life sciences businesses with EU market ambitions, Horizon participation provides both funding and the pan-European network that academic and commercial partnerships depend on.
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