Funding Flash January 2026
Your monthly Funding Flash is here, bringing together the latest grants, loans and funding programmes from across the UK and Europe, carefully curated by Space South Central to save you time and help you focus on what matters most.
As the space cluster for the South-Central region, we combine sector insight with hands‑on expertise to help you access the support you need to accelerate innovation and growth. Since 2016, we’ve supported organisations in securing over £39M in funding, and we are ready to support you too.
If something catches your eye, get in touch at info@spacesouthcentral.com for guidance on shaping a strong and competitive bid.
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Portsmouth Match Fund Round Five
Deadline: Sunday, 25th January 2025
The Portsmouth Match Fund is a business grant to help small businesses and start-ups in the city grow and succeed. It is a council initiative funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
It offers between 20-50% of your growth or start up project costs (minimum £1,500 and maximum £4,000).
The grant can help fund projects like launching a new digital platform, e-commerce development, creating a new product, purchasing equipment, or providing staff training.
Read more here.
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Defence Innovation Loans 2025-26
Deadline: Tuesday, 27th January 2026
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) are working together to offer a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan. This service provides an opportunity for single small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to Defence themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below market interest rate of 7.4% per annum. This loan can be used to cover up to 100% of eligible project costs to aid the commercialisation of the solution.
Read more here.
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Innovate UK Growth Catalyst – Investor Partnerships Round 2
Deadline: Monday, 2nd February 2026
Innovate UK Growth Catalyst is an Innovate UK programme designed to help growth-oriented start-ups from seed to Series A. This Innovate UK Growth Catalyst competition combines grant funding, aligned private investment and structured support services to help innovators progress through key growth milestones.
This Innovate UK Growth Catalyst competition comprises a £100 million programme to support innovative companies in six of the industry growth sectors identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, in addition to a Battery Innovation programme conducted with the Department for Business and Trade.
Read more here.
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Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26
Deadline: Wednesday, 4th February 2026
Women founders or co-founders of UK registered SMEs can apply for a package of support that includes a grant of up to £75,000 and bespoke business support, to further their ambitious growth plans.
Read more here.
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Knowledge Transfer Partnership: 2025 to 2026 round five
Deadline: Wednesday, 4th February 2026
UK registered academic institutions, research and technology organisations or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £10 million to fund innovation projects with businesses.
Read more here.
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Innovate UK Innovation Loans Round 25
Deadline: Wednesday, 4th March 2026
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is offering loans to micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Innovate UK innovation loans are for highly innovative late-stage research and development (R&D) projects with the best potential for the future. There must be a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact.
Read more here.
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Astronomy observation and theory small awards 2026
Deadline: Tuesday, 10th March 2026
Apply for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of astronomy and astrophysics beyond the solar system.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.
Read more here.
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Turing AI Global Fellowships
Deadline: Thursday, 12th March 2026
This fellowship funding opportunity is for exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers currently based outside of the UK.
The fellowship offers funding to relocate to the UK, establish a highly skilled team and undertake transformational AI research.
You must have been based outside of the UK for at least 24 months prior to applying and be hosted by a UK research organisation which meets the eligibility criteria set out in the guidance.
The total cost to EPSRC for your project can be up to £4.5 million. Further information set out in the guidance.
Fellowships can last up to five years, starting by 1 February 2027.
Read more here.
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Nucleus Public Engagement Awards 2026
Deadline: Tuesday, 31st March 2026
Apply for funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supported science and/or raise engagement capacity in STFC communities.
You must work for an organisation that:
is based in the UK
has audited accounts
It is essential that proposals have strong and clear links to the STFC funded remit and include a subject matter expert in an STFC funded remit area.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £125,000 for TRAC organisations. We will fund 80% of the FEC. Non-TRAC organisations will be funded at 100%, up to £100,000.
Your project must be between 24 and 36 months in duration.
Read more here.
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Pre-announcement: Future Leaders Fellowship: round 11
Deadline: Tuesday, 16th June 2026
Apply for funding to support ambitious research and innovation across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s remit. You must be an early career researcher or innovator who is either:
looking to establish or transition to independence,
developing your own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting,
and you must be based at, and have the support of, a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
There is no minimum or maximum project cost. UKRI will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
Read more here.
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Digital enablers and building-blocks for Earth Observation and Satellite Telecommunication for Space Solutions
Deadline: Thursday, 3rd September 2026
The topic encompasses actions within the scope of the co-programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (‘Space Partnership’) in the areas of satellite communication (SatCom), Earth Observation (EO) and New Commercial Space Transportation Solutions and is part of cohesive activities in the domain of digital developments under the grand heading of “digitalisation for commercial space solutions”.
For more information on Horizon funding calls contact Elizabeth Clutton:
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Scientific analysis and exploitation of space data
Deadline: Thursday, 3rd September 2026
The aim of this Horizon Europe topic is the analysis (including validation) and exploitation of acquired and available data provided by scientific and exploration instruments and missions in their pre-operative, operative, post-operative or data exploitation phase, focusing on astronomy and astrophysics, cosmology, heliophysics, deep space and solar system exploration, ensuring complementarity with activities already supported by agencies during development phases. Such data may also originate from CubeSat and small satellite missions for advancing space science and exploration.
More specifically, data to be analysed are expected to result from science and exploration missions (including cubesat to small satellite missions) from ESA, national space agencies, research organisations and universities missions. Earth observing missions are not considered in the scope of this topic. This analysis may require innovative and advanced data processing techniques, the use of advanced artificial intelligence techniques, novel statistical approaches, multidimensional data fusion while optimizing the use of advanced computing hardware architectures, as well as novel data (re)presentation and visualization techniques.
For more information on Horizon funding calls contact Elizabeth Clutton:
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Daphne Jackson fellowship
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
These fellowships are for those looking to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for family, health or caring reasons. The aim is to give participants the confidence and skills they need to make a successful return to research.
They provide an opportunity to balance a personalised retraining programme with a challenging research project, in a supportive UK university or research establishment.
They are flexible, with at least 100 hours retraining per year, and part-time – usually completed over two years at 0.5 full-time equivalent, although some UKRI funders may award longer than this.
Read more here.
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Measurement for Business (M4B)
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
NPL has launched Measurement for Business (M4B) to give you access to their specialist measurement science and engineering experts and facilities, at no charge, to help your business grow.
NPL’s expertise can accelerate your product or service getting to market. Their measurement experts can give confidence in your data, opening doors with potential investors.
Read more here.
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British Business Bank Start-up Loans
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. These loans are for new businesses or those which have been trading for less than three years.
In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers to help them succeed.
The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.
All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 available per business.
Read more here.
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General Support Technology Programme (GSTP)
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
The UK Space Agency is looking to provide support to companies and academic institutions across the UK in developing innovative technologies to grow UK capability. They are keen to engage with start-ups and SMEs (from both within and outside the space sector), as well as established companies and organisations. Collaborative proposals are also welcome.
Read more here.
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Navigation Innovation Support Programme (NavISP)
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
Since 2017, the UK has invested €50 million into NavISP to support the UK space PNT sector to innovate the next generation of space-enabled and space-supported navigation products, services and applications.
The UK investment in the programme is available to support UK organisations to undertake technology research and development focused on commercial innovation
Read more here.
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Cyber security consultancy support, plus assessment and certification
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
This funding supports UK-based SMEs involved in space sector activity looking to achieve a recognised standard of cyber security to make their company more attractive to new business in a competitive international marketplace.
Successful applicants can receive up to 3 days of consultation from a cyber security professional funded by the UK Space Agency. This can be virtual or at a place of business (UK) depending on requirements.
Read more here
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ESA ITT
Deadline: Various
The latest list of open and intended ESA and non-ESA ITTs is now available and published on ESA STAR. This includes all contracts currently open for bids, as well as those in the intended phase prior to publication. All opportunities listed are accessible to UK companies, though some caveats may apply.
Read more here.
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ESA Proposal Advice Service
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
The ESA Proposal Advice Service (ESA PAS) is a UK Space Agency-funded pilot programme designed to help UK-based organisations improve the quality of their proposals submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA). The service provides free, non-technical advice to organisations who are preparing ESA bids and want to strengthen their applications before submission.
ESA PAS focuses on improving the clarity, structure, and strategic alignment of proposals by identifying common errors and areas for improvement. The aim is to increase the competitiveness of UK bids without providing engineering or technical solutions. Feedback is tailored to the five evaluation criteria used by ESA: background and expertise, understanding of requirements and objectives, quality of the proposed programme of work, adequacy of management, costing and planning, and compliance with administrative tender conditions.
Find out more here.
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Defence Sourcing Portals
The Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) hosts all of MOD’s advertised requirements. You can tailor your notifications from DSP by selecting appropriate category codes.
Contracts Finder allows you to search for information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) with the government and its agencies.
Register for the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender to search and apply for high-value contracts in the UK’s public and utilities sectors. High-value contracts are usually above £139,688 including VAT.
MOD Acquisition Pipeline is a forward look of potential procurement activity and Framework Agreements at MOD.
