Innovate UK Innovation Loans – Round 25

Overview of the Programme and Its Objectives

Innovate UK Innovation Loans – Round 25 supports UK SMEs delivering highly innovative, late-stage research and development (R&D) projects with strong commercial potential. The programme is designed for businesses that require public funding to progress innovation to market and can demonstrate the ability to repay a loan. The programme has greater flexibility, allowing projects to include both R&D and pre-commercialisation activities, alongside an increased maximum loan value.

What the Programme Supports

Projects must:

Lead to innovative new or significantly improved products, processes or services, or an innovative use of existing ones
Potentially include a new or innovative business model
Focus on one or more of Innovate UK’s future economy areas
Demonstrate a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact

Projects must focus on one or more of the following themes or sub-themes:

Net Zero
Health and wellbeing
Next generation digital technologies
Other technology families.

Projects may include activities such as:

Prototyping, testing, validation and demonstration
Piloting and real-world trials
Pre-commercialisation activities that support market readiness

Who Can Apply

Applicants must:

Be a UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Carry out the project from or in the UK
Intend to exploit project results from or in the UK
Demonstrate suitability to take on and repay a loan

The following are not eligible:

Individuals
Large companies
Not-for-profit organisations, charities, academic institutions or research organisations

Only single-business applications are permitted. Collaborative projects cannot be funded.

Funding and Support Available

Funding type: Loan
Loan size: £100,000 to £5 million
Funding coverage: Up to 100% of eligible project costs

Projects can last up to five years, including R&D and pre-commercialisation phases.

Loan structure includes:

A project period of up to five years
A repayment period of up to five years
A maximum total loan term of seven years

Loans are drawn down quarterly. Innovate UK expects to take security in the form of a debenture and does not require personal guarantees.

Key Dates and Timeline

Competition opens: 8 January 2026
Competition closes: 4 March 2026 at 11:00am (UK time)
Applicants notified: 24 April 2026
Final lending decision: 5 June 2026
Projects start from: 1 July 2026

How Inventya Can Help

Inventya works with innovative SMEs to navigate the Innovation Loans process and build strong, finance-ready applications. We support you to:

Assess your eligibility and loan suitability
Structure projects that effectively combine R&D and pre-commercialisation
Develop a clear, evidence-based commercialisation and impact strategy
Strengthen financial plans, timelines and repayment logic
Prepare a robust, compliant and competitive submission

With Inventya’s support, your application is clearer, stronger and better aligned with Innovate UK’s expectations.

Innovate UK Innovation Loans – Round 25

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Commercial Services

Innovate UK Business Growth (previously Innovate UK EDGE)

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