Get Up to GBP 250,000 for UK Research Commercialisation: UKRI Translation Proof of Concept Grant 2026

There’s a particular kind of frustration that only researchers know: you’ve proven the science, the result is genuinely useful, and yet it’s stuck in that awkward no-mans-land between “promising paper” and “something the world can actually buy, use, or adopt.” It’s not a failure of ideas. It’s a failure of funding fit.

That’s exactly the gap the UKRI Translation: Proof of Concept (PoC) grant is designed to bridge. This funding is for the unglamorous-but-essential work of turning research into a product, process, or service—the prototypes, pilots, validation studies, user testing, and “will anyone pay for this?” experiments that make commercialisation real.

And yes, it’s competitive. But it’s also one of the more practical funding pots you’ll find: up to £250,000 full economic cost (FEC) for up to nine months, aimed squarely at early to mid-stage commercialisation across any discipline. If you’re sitting on an invention disclosure, a strong translational lead, or a partner who keeps saying “come back when you’ve de-risked it,” this is your moment.

One more important note: this is a pre-announcement, meaning details can change before it opens. But the shape of the opportunity is clear—and the smart applicants will use the runway to get their IP, partners, workplan, and budget lined up before the starting gun.

UKRI Proof of Concept 2026 at a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers (and Why It Matters)

Think of proof-of-concept funding as the money that pays for evidence, not excitement.

At this stage, you’re not trying to prove a new theory or discover a new phenomenon. You’re trying to prove something far more awkward and far more valuable: that your research can survive contact with reality. That might mean showing a prototype works outside the lab, demonstrating manufacturability, validating performance with real users, running early regulatory homework, or gathering the data a licensee needs before they’ll sign anything.

This UKRI PoC call is explicitly about commercialisation routes such as future venture creation, licensing, or other pathways that get research into use. That means your proposal should read less like an academic argument (“this is novel and underexplored”) and more like a credible plan (“this removes technical risk X and market risk Y within nine months”).

The £250,000 FEC cap is significant because PoC work is often deceptively expensive. Prototypes require specialist fabrication. Testing requires access to facilities. User research takes time. IP and freedom-to-operate checks aren’t free. This budget level lets you do something meaningful—provided you keep the project tight enough to finish inside nine months.

Also worth appreciating: UKRI says it aims to support a range of projects across cost, length, and remit. Translation opportunities don’t all look the same. A digital tool might need validation and a pilot partner; a materials innovation might need scale-up tests; a social science intervention might need implementation trials with an organisation. The call is built to accommodate that variety—so long as you’re firmly in commercialisation territory.

What UKRI Means by Proof of Concept (Plain-English Version)

“Proof of concept” can sound like a buzzword, but here it’s pretty concrete. UKRI wants to fund work that moves you from:

• We think this could work
  to
• We have evidence it works enough to attract investment, licensing interest, or a credible route to market

That evidence could be technical (performance, reliability, integration), practical (manufacturing feasibility, delivery model), or market-based (user demand signals, willingness to pay, procurement pathway). The common theme: de-risking.

A useful test for your idea: if your project could be described as “more research to better understand the phenomenon,” it’s probably not right for this call. If it’s “targeted work to validate, build, test, package, and position an outcome for commercial use,” you’re in the right neighbourhood.

Who Should Apply (with Real-World Examples)

UKRI welcomes applications from any discipline, which is both liberating and slightly terrifying—because you’ll be compared with projects that look nothing like yours. The good news is that translation logic is universal: a strong “why now, why this, why it will work” beats fancy jargon every time.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding. In practice, that usually means UK universities and certain research institutes. If you’re not sure whether your organisation is eligible, don’t guess—ask your research office early, because eligibility errors are the kind that get you rejected without anyone reading your brilliant idea.

This call is a great fit if you’re an early- to mid-stage commercialisation project such as:

A lab result that needs a prototype and performance validation. For example, an EPSRC-style engineering innovation that works on benchtop equipment but needs testing under real operating conditions, or a materials discovery that needs scale-up feasibility data.

A health or life science innovation that needs de-risking evidence before a partner will touch it. Think: assay validation, reproducibility work, early usability studies, or preliminary steps that help clarify regulatory strategy (without pretending you can do a full clinical programme in nine months).

A digital tool or AI-enabled service that needs pilot deployment, user feedback, and measurement. In other words: not “let’s develop the algorithm,” but “let’s validate the tool in a real workflow with a partner, and prove it saves time/money or improves outcomes.”

An arts/humanities or social science-derived product or service with a clear market or adoption pathway. Yes, really. This might look like a licensing-ready archive platform, a scalable training product, a creative technology tool, or an evidence-based intervention with a delivery partner.

Where applicants often trip up is proposing work that’s still basically discovery research with a “commercial impact” paragraph stapled on at the end. UKRI is telling you upfront: it won’t fund curiosity-driven research under this programme. You’re being hired, in a sense, to do translation work—so show them you understand the job.

Funding, FEC, and the 80% Rule (Budget Reality Check)

The call allows a full economic cost (FEC) of up to £250,000 over up to nine months, with UKRI funding 80% of FEC.

If FEC makes your eyes glaze over, here’s the practical takeaway: your university or eligible research organisation typically calculates the “true” cost of the project (including indirect costs), and UKRI pays 80% of that. The remaining 20% is usually covered by your organisation under standard UKRI rules.

Two implications for your planning:

1. Talk to your finance/research support team early. FEC budgets can take time to build correctly, and internal approvals often have earlier deadlines than UKRI’s deadline.

2. Design a project that fits nine months without heroic assumptions. A proof-of-concept plan that depends on “we’ll recruit 300 users in month two” is the kind of optimism reviewers have learned to fear.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (the Stuff Reviewers Actually Respond To)

1) Write it like a de-risking plan, not a research proposal

Reviewers want to see that you know what the next commercial hurdle is—and that your work removes it. Use language like “risk,” “assumption,” “validation,” “prototype,” “pilot,” “buyer,” “partner,” “adoption,” and “unit economics” (where relevant). Save the long literature tour for another call.

2) Make the commercial route specific, even if it’s not final

UKRI explicitly mentions venture creation, licensing, and other routes. Pick the most plausible route now, explain why it fits, and show what evidence you’ll generate to pursue it.

If you’re unsure whether you’ll license or spin out, don’t pretend you’ve decided. Say what you do know: who might license, what kind of partner you need, what milestones would trigger a spin-out conversation, and what “traction” would look like in nine months.

3) Build milestones that read like yes/no gates

Proof of concept is about answering questions decisively. Good milestones look like:

• “Prototype achieves X performance under Y conditions”
• “Pilot partner completes Z-week trial with measurable outcome A”
• “Manufacturing quote confirms cost per unit below £B at scale C”
• “Five structured customer interviews confirm top pain points and willingness-to-pay range”

Vague milestones (“explore,” “investigate,” “improve”) are where good ideas go to die.

4) Treat IP like a first-class citizen

Commercialisation lives or dies on whether anyone can actually own, license, or protect the outcome. You don’t need to be an IP lawyer, but you do need to show you’ve spoken to your technology transfer office (or equivalent), that you understand your current IP position, and that you have a plan to manage it during the project.

A surprisingly strong move: describe how you’ll avoid accidental public disclosure before any filings, especially if you’re used to publishing first and asking questions later.

5) Get an external voice into the project early

Translation projects win when they’re pulled by demand, not pushed by hope. If you can involve an industry partner, NHS body, local authority, creative industry studio, manufacturer, or platform distributor—even as a pilot site or advisor—you’ll look more credible.

And no, this doesn’t mean you need a giant corporate partner. A small specialist company that actually uses the thing you’re building can be more persuasive than a famous name that never returns your emails.

6) Make the team make sense for translation work

If your team is brilliant academically but missing product, regulatory, manufacturing, or user-research skills, reviewers will notice. Plug the gaps: a consultant, a co-investigator from another department, a translational research engineer, a design researcher—someone who has shipped things into the world.

7) Keep the scope tight enough to finish (and prove) something

Nine months is not long. Your goal is a strong evidence package, not a perfect final product. A smaller project that lands cleanly is better than a sprawling plan that ends with “and then we’ll seek further funding.”

Application Timeline (Working Back from 13 May 2026)

If you start thinking seriously about this in April 2026, you’ll spend May 12th eating cold pasta while swearing at a submission portal. Do yourself a favour and work backwards.

From mid-April to early May, aim to be in refinement mode: finalising partner letters, making the budget coherent, tightening the narrative, and ensuring every claim has a deliverable attached.

By late March to early April, you should have your core commercial story settled: what the product/service is, who it’s for, what risk you’re removing, and how success will be measured. This is also the window to secure a pilot partner or external input that gives your application credibility.

When the opportunity opens on 4 March 2026, treat that as the moment to immediately review the full guidance, templates, and assessment criteria (which may differ slightly from the pre-announcement). Plan to have a first full draft within 3–4 weeks of opening, because internal reviews, costing, and approvals always take longer than you want.

And if your organisation has an internal deadline (many do), assume it will be at least a week earlier than the UKRI deadline—often more.

Required Materials (What You Should Prepare Now)

UKRI hasn’t listed every document in the pre-announcement, but you can predict the usual suspects for this kind of funding. Start assembling the building blocks now so you’re not inventing your project in a panic.

Expect to prepare:

• A project case for support that clearly explains the commercial opportunity, the PoC workplan, milestones, risks, and why nine months is enough to produce decisive evidence.
• A budget and justification using FEC rules, with costs that match the workplan (prototype costs, testing, staff time, facilities, subcontracting/consultancy where allowed).
• Team capability statements (CVs or narrative) that show you have the right skills for translation, not just publications.
• Partner or support letters (where relevant) that specify what the partner will do—pilot site access, data access, user testing, technical input, or commercial mentorship. The best letters include concrete commitments, not praise poems.
• IP/commercialisation context (often embedded in the narrative) showing what’s protected, what’s planned, and what route you’re aiming for.

If you’ve never written a translation bid before, here’s the trick: every document should point toward the same simple logic—this work reduces risk, produces evidence, and enables a credible next step (license, spin-out, or adoption).

What Makes an Application Stand Out (How It Gets Judged in Practice)

Even without the full assessment rubric, translation calls tend to converge on a few realities.

First, reviewers look for clarity of the commercial “problem-solution” fit. If they can’t explain in one sentence what you’re building and who it helps, the application is already wobbling.

Second, they look for feasibility. The best proposals are aggressively realistic: the plan is tight, the milestones are measurable, the timeline is believable, and the budget matches the work. Translation reviewers have a finely tuned sense for hand-waving.

Third, they look for evidence of demand or adoption potential. That might be customer discovery interviews, pilot partner commitment, procurement insight, competitor awareness, or anything that shows you understand the buyer and the barriers.

Finally, they look for a credible next step. PoC is a bridge, not a destination. You should be able to say what success unlocks: a licensing package, a spin-out-ready asset, follow-on translational funding, or an investable prototype with validated market need.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Proposing discovery research with a commercial bow on top

If your aims are “understand,” “explore,” “characterise,” and “study,” you may be drifting out of scope. Fix it by reframing aims as validation, prototype development, pilot testing, and decision points.

Mistake 2: Confusing activity with progress

A long list of tasks isn’t a plan. Reviewers want outcomes. Replace “conduct interviews” with “complete 15 interviews and produce a requirements spec plus willingness-to-pay evidence.”

Mistake 3: Pretending IP will sort itself out later

It won’t. Talk to your tech transfer team now. Identify what exists, what needs filing, and how you’ll manage publication and confidentiality during the project.

Mistake 4: A budget that reads like you guessed

Translation budgets need to be specific. If you need prototyping, include quotes or realistic cost assumptions. If you need facility time, cost it properly. If you need specialist help, justify it as essential to de-risking.

Mistake 5: No external reality check

A PoC application without any external perspective can feel like academic wishful thinking. Even a small pilot commitment, advisory input, or structured customer discovery can dramatically improve credibility.

Mistake 6: Overpromising results in nine months

Nine months is enough to prove something important, but not enough to build a finished business. Keep the goal: decisive evidence and a clear next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this open to any research field?

Yes—UKRI says applications are welcomed from any discipline or remit, spanning councils from AHRC to STFC. The constraint isn’t your field; it’s whether you’re proposing commercialisation-focused PoC work.

Can I use this funding for curiosity-driven research?

No. UKRI is explicit: this programme will not fund discovery or curiosity-driven research. Your project should be translation and commercialisation, not early-stage exploration.

How much money can I request?

The full economic cost can be up to £250,000, and UKRI funds 80% of the FEC. Your organisation generally covers the remaining 20% under standard rules.

How long can the project run?

Up to nine months. Design the work so it finishes cleanly within that window, with outputs that support licensing, spin-out formation, or another route to impact.

When does the call open and when is it due?

The opportunity is expected to open on 4 March 2026. The deadline is 13 May 2026 at 16:00 UK time.

Who is eligible to apply?

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding. If you’re uncertain, confirm with your research office before you invest serious writing time.

What if the pre-announcement details change?

They might. This is a pre-announcement and UKRI warns that information can change once the full call text is published. Treat the current info as a strong outline, then adjust quickly once the full guidance goes live.

Who do I contact with questions?

UKRI lists [email protected] and [email protected]. If your question is about institutional eligibility, budget rules, or internal approvals, your university research support team should be your first stop.

How to Apply (Next Steps You Can Take Today)

Start by doing three things before the call even opens. First, write a one-page “translation brief” in plain English: what the outcome is, who needs it, what you’ll prove in nine months, and what happens after (license, spin-out, adoption). If you can’t keep it to a page, the project is probably too big.

Second, meet with your tech transfer/commercialisation office. Ask about IP status, prior disclosures, ownership, and what evidence a licensee or investor would want to see. This conversation will shape a far stronger workplan than brainstorming in isolation.

Third, line up at least one external reality check—pilot partner interest, customer discovery interviews, or an advisor who understands the market. Translation funding loves momentum, and nothing signals momentum like someone outside your lab agreeing to test, adopt, or buy.

When the call opens on 4 March 2026, read the full guidance carefully, confirm the assessment criteria, and build your submission plan around internal deadlines and approvals.

Apply Now and Full Details

Ready to apply (or at least start preparing like a sensible person)? Visit the official UKRI opportunity page here: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ukri-translation-proof-of-concept/

For help with the funding service: [email protected]
For PoC programme questions: [email protected]