About us

Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency.

Innovate UK drives productivity and growth by supporting businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, develop ideas and make them a commercial success.

Who we are

We’re an organisation of around 300 staff, drawn mainly from business. We work across the UK, with a head office in Swindon.

Our responsibilities

With a strong business focus, we drive growth by working with companies to de-risk, enable and support innovation. To do this, we work to:

  • determine which science and technology developments will drive future economic growth
  • meet UK innovators with great ideas in the fields we’re focused on
  • fund the strongest opportunities
  • connect innovators with the right partners they need to succeed
  • help our innovators launch, build and grow successful businesses

Our work so far

Since 2007 we have committed over £1.8 billion to innovation, matched by a similar amount in partner and business funding. We have helped 8,000 organisations with projects estimated to add more than £16 billion to the UK economy and create nearly 70,000 jobs.

Our strategy

At the start of this new Spending Review period, the Government has announced its intention to publish a National Innovation Plan. As the UK’s innovation agency, our new strategy for 2016 to 2020 is a key part of the National Innovation Plan and will be published alongside it.

Our delivery plan

Our delivery plan sets out the funding competitions we plan to run each year to give businesses advanced notice.

In the Innovate UK delivery plan 2016 to 2017 (PDF, 727KB, 32 pages) we explained how we will find, support and develop innovative businesses to speed up economic growth. It also outlined some changes in the way we work:

  • a sector grouping approach to our programmes
  • simplified funding competitions including an open programme for applications from any technology, sector or size of business
  • an enhanced role for our innovation networks

We will provide an update on the details of our funding programmes for the remainder of this financial year as soon as possible. Our live funding competitions will continue until their published closing dates.

Read about how we are helping innovative businesses in Innovate UK 10 years shaping the future (PDF, 10.4MB, 44 pages) .

Contact our customer support services on 0300 321 4357 or email support@innovateuk.gov.uk if you have any questions.

Diversity and inclusion

In May 2016 we started our work on diversity and inclusion with the launch of our infocus awards for women in innovation and a statement of intent Innovate UK diversity and inclusion statement of intent May 2016 (PDF, 121KB, 2 pages) .

As we move into UK Research and Innovation in 2018, we will develop a strategic vision for diversity, inclusion and equality with our partners in the Research Councils and Research England. We will then follow this with a longer term strategy for Innovate UK.

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