UK–Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5

UK–Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5

At a glance

The competition supports joint industrial research by UK and German organisations. A project needs a business-led UK team and a German SME partner, with a balanced contribution from both countries. UK funding is sought through Innovate UK’s Innovation Funding Service (IFS); the German partner makes a separate application to the ZIM programme. These are connected collaboration plans but distinct national applications. (Official competition overview: UK–Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5.)

What the grant supports

The call is for collaborative industrial research in clean energy, life sciences, or engineering biology. A credible proposal should make clear how the work advances a product, process, or service through research and development, and why the capabilities of partners in both countries are needed. The published brief identifies the subject areas and the requirement for balanced contributions; it does not provide a scoring rubric here, so applicants should consult the live competition page and its application materials for the current question wording and assessment details.

For the UK side, a project may request between £100,000 and £350,000. The competition has up to £2.4 million available for UK funding overall. The total project may also have German-side support through ZIM, but the amount is not stated on the UK competition page. That German support is determined through the separate ZIM process, rather than being part of the UK request range. Do not treat the UK maximum as a combined UK-and-German project award. (Official competition overview.)

Projects must last from 12 to 24 months, start on 1 August 2027, and carry out most project work in the UK and Germany. UK partners must exploit the results from or in the UK. In practical terms, teams should explain what each country’s organisations will do, how responsibilities fit together, and how the UK participants expect to use or commercialise results in or from the UK. The page’s stated project end date is “June 31, 2029,” which is not a valid calendar date. The applicable end date remains unconfirmed; ask Innovate UK through the official competition page or its listed support route before setting a definitive schedule. (Official competition overview.)

Who should apply and eligibility

The UK lead must be an SME registered in the UK. It must collaborate with at least one German SME that is registered in Germany, legally separate from UK partners, and not linked to them. The German organisation also needs to apply to ZIM. A prospective partner relationship or a group company that is legally linked does not, by itself, meet the stated cross-border partner condition. Confirm legal status, registration and ownership relationships early enough to resolve any uncertainty before both national submissions. (Official competition overview.)

UK collaborators can include businesses, academic institutions, and research and technology organisations. At least two organisations must request funding, including the UK lead and at least one other funded organisation. No single partner may claim more than 70% of total project costs. These conditions affect consortium design and budgeting: identify which organisations will request UK funding, collect their costs, and check the share of project costs assigned to each partner. The German applicant follows its separate ZIM route; German partners are not entered in the UK application’s partner section. (Official competition overview.)

The project must fit one or more of the named sectors and demonstrate a balanced contribution by both countries. The brief does not specify a numerical definition of “balanced,” nor does it supply a complete list of other exclusions or eligible costs. Applicants should check the competition page and application guidance for those details rather than assuming that a technically relevant project or an eligible organisation automatically meets every condition.

How to Apply

Published application process: UK organisations apply to Innovate UK through IFS. The UK form includes project details, application questions, finances, and project-impact sections. The lead should invite its UK partners into the IFS application so each can enter its own costs. German partners are not added to that UK partner section. Separately, the German partner applies to ZIM, with German-side funding administered by AiF Projekt GmbH on behalf of BMWE. (Official competition overview.)

The German application is in German. The published requirements list a full project description in German, a commercial-register extract, and an English application form prepared jointly and signed by the parties. The UK and German teams therefore need to coordinate the shared project description and facts while completing their own national submissions. Allow time for the German partner’s translation and signature process; the UK form does not replace the German ZIM application. (Official competition overview.)

Practical sequence (advice): First, confirm that the UK lead and German SME meet the registration and independence requirements, then agree the research scope and division of work. Next, identify any UK-funded partners and build a cost plan that respects the 70% limit. Align dates, technical aims, partner roles, and project costs across the UK and German materials. Finally, submit each application through its own route and verify that both national submissions satisfy their respective instructions. This sequence is preparation advice; the official page should be treated as authoritative for required form fields, submission mechanics, and any supporting material beyond the items named in the brief.

Timeline and deadlines

The competition opened on 28 September 2026 and closes on 1 December 2026 at 11:00 a.m. UK time. This is the application deadline, not a project start date. The published project start is 1 August 2027, and project duration is 12 to 24 months. The invalid end date shown on the page needs confirmation from Innovate UK before teams rely on it for planning. (Official competition overview.)

The brief does not give a separate German ZIM deadline. Do not infer that its submission cutoff is identical to the UK deadline. The German partner should check the ZIM instructions for the parallel application timetable and confirm how its submission must align with the Innovate UK deadline. Because the UK process requires partner costs and the German route includes a German-language project description and signed English form, teams should agree an internal timetable with enough time for review and coordination. That is planning advice, not a published extension or additional official deadline.

Preparation and common mistakes

Preparation advice: Build one shared project plan with work packages, responsibilities, dependencies, and expected results. Make the cross-border contribution visible: identify the work performed by each UK and German organisation, why both sides are needed, and where the UK partners will exploit the results. Then map those tasks to a consistent budget for each national application. Reconcile the project facts in English and German, especially the technical description, partner names, roles, dates, and outputs.

Check the UK consortium against the actual rules: the lead is a UK-registered SME; a qualifying German SME is legally separate and unlinked; at least one other organisation requests funding; and no partner claims over 70% of total project costs. Ensure the UK partners who are meant to request support are invited into IFS and enter their own costs. On the German side, verify the ZIM application’s language, register extract, jointly prepared English form, and signature requirements against the current instructions.

Common avoidable errors include treating the German partner as a UK IFS partner, assuming the German funding amount is included in the UK award range, leaving the division of work between countries vague, or relying on a copied end date without noticing that June 31 does not exist. Also avoid assuming that a proposal meets every requirement just because it falls within a named sector. Check the full current competition guidance for eligible costs, assessment criteria, and any other conditions not specified in this brief.

Frequently asked questions

Can the UK lead be an academic institution?

No. The lead must be a UK-registered SME. UK academic institutions may participate as collaborators, subject to the rules for funded organisations and the requirement for at least two organisations to request funding. (Official competition overview.)

Does the German SME apply through Innovate UK?

No. UK organisations use IFS, while the German partner submits a separate application to ZIM. German partners are not added to the UK IFS partner section. AiF Projekt GmbH administers German-side funding on behalf of BMWE. (Official competition overview.)

How much can the German partner receive?

The UK competition page does not specify the German-side amount. It is determined through the parallel ZIM application. The German partner should confirm its available support and terms directly in the current ZIM materials; do not infer an amount from the UK request range.

What is the final project end date?

It is not confirmed by the supplied information. The UK page lists June 31, 2029, an invalid date. Ask Innovate UK to confirm the applicable end date before fixing the project schedule.

What is the German application deadline?

The brief provides the UK competition deadline only. Check the ZIM application instructions or contact the German programme administrator for its deadline and coordination requirements. Do not assume it matches the UK cutoff.

Official source

Innovate UK and BMWE — UK–Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5. The competition page is the official place to verify current application instructions, UK form details, and support contacts. Confirm the invalid project end date with Innovate UK and the German-side funding and timetable through the ZIM route before relying on them.