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The Next Wave: Breakthrough Wave 1 competition is an Innovate UK funding opportunity designed to accelerate innovation at the intersection of Createch and the UK's frontier creative industries. With up to £10 million available, the programme supports SMEs developing innovative commercial digital platforms and services that will drive growth across the creative economy.
The competition focuses on industrial research projects that take innovations beyond proof of concept, helping businesses reduce technical and commercial risk while creating new products, services, intellectual property, and revenue opportunities.
Key Dates and Funding
Competition Opens: 23 June 2026
Competition Closes: 11 August 2026
Funding Available: Grant funding for projects with eligible costs between £100,000 and £500,000
Programme Overview
The programme aims to strengthen the UK's position as a global leader in creative technologies by supporting innovative digital solutions with strong commercial potential. Projects must demonstrate clear technical innovation, address industry challenges, and show a credible route to market within 12 months of project completion.
Successful projects are expected to create new commercial opportunities while delivering measurable economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Eligible Innovation Areas
Projects must focus on commercial digital platforms and services within one or more of the following frontier creative industries:
Cross-sector projects that combine multiple creative industries or integrate design innovation are also encouraged where they demonstrate clear Createch innovation.
Project Requirements
Projects should:
Projects should represent a significant advancement over an organisation's existing products or services rather than routine business activities.
Who Can Apply
The competition is open to UK registered micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Applications may be submitted by a single SME or as collaborative projects involving partners such as:
Collaborative projects must include a clear rationale for partnership working, with no single partner accounting for more than 70% of total eligible project costs.
Why This Competition Matters
The UK's creative industries continue to be among the country's fastest-growing sectors, with digital technologies transforming how creative content is developed, delivered, and monetised. The Next Wave programme aims to accelerate this transformation by supporting businesses developing the next generation of commercial Createch solutions.
By helping innovative SMEs move beyond proof of concept and towards commercial deployment, the competition strengthens the UK's creative economy, stimulates investment, and creates new opportunities across high-growth creative sectors.
How Inventya Can Help
Preparing a successful application for the Next Wave competition requires more than an innovative idea. Applicants must clearly demonstrate technical novelty, commercial potential, market demand, and a strong route to exploitation.
At Inventya, we work closely with businesses to develop compelling funding applications that combine innovation excellence with commercial strategy.
Our support includes:
With extensive experience securing Innovate UK funding across digital technologies, creative industries, and emerging technology programmes, Inventya helps innovative businesses turn ambitious ideas into funded commercial opportunities.
