New Innovators in Marine and Maritime Programme in the UK

Deadline: 2-Jul-25

This funding is from Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme which supports the UK government’s goals for local economic growth.

This Launchpad is also supporting Maritime UK South West as the local cluster management organisation.

Innovate UK will work with Cornwall Council, Plymouth City Council and Dorset Council to invest up to £2.3 million in innovation projects.

Scope

• The aim of this competition is to provide a package of targeted support to enable ambitious UK registered micro and small businesses to develop affordable, adoptable and investable innovations in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West.
• Your project must grow your innovation activities in the marine and maritime cluster in the Great South West, both during and after your project.
• This could be demonstrated by:
  • your local innovation activities during and after your project
  • the value that your innovation activities create in the cluster
  • your engagement with other innovation active organisations in the cluster, such as with Maritime UK South West, this Launchpad’s cluster management organisation

Themes

• Your project can focus on one or more of the following theme areas:
  • Monitoring and autonomy
    • Developing or using disruptive technologies to replace traditional ship-based alternatives for equipment inspection and other marine monitoring operations and enhance safety of the seas, such as in the offshore renewable energy industry.
  • Clean maritime
    • Transitioning to alternative fuel powered vessels using energy from low or zero emission sources or highly efficient batteries, also integrating ports into a decarbonised energy network and supplying the fuels of the future.
  • Digital ocean technology
    • Advancing sensor and communication technology and their connectedness and interoperability, to enhance the understanding of the ocean and the impacts from offshore operations, including in aquaculture and the emerging ocean economy.

Funding Information

• Your project’s grant funding request must be between £25,000 and £50,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project must:
  • have total project costs that equal your grant funding request
  • start from 1 October 2025
  • end by 31 May 2026
  • last between 3 and 6 months
  • carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the project outcomes from the UK for domestic or global benefit
• Projects must always start on the first of the month. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean they need to delay your project start date.
• Lead organisation
  • To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered micro or small business.
  • If your business has been funded directly by Innovate UK previously, you are not eligible to apply for this competition. If, however, you have received funding directly from Innovate UK Business Growth (previously Innovate UK EDGE) or a Catapult scheme, you are still eligible to apply for this competition.
  • Businesses with directors who have previously received a grant or Innovation Loan from Innovate UK as part of a different company, are eligible to apply but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • A business with a previous award to a parent or subsidiary would also be eligible to apply, but the parent company must be classified as a micro or small business. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For more information, visit GOV.UK.