Sharing insights from our internal ‘Grant Spotlight’ weekly R&D Grant Funding meeting
ACT ASAP (Advanced Connectivity Technology Startup Accelerator Programme) is a new Innovate UK programme targeting academic researchers working on advanced connectivity technologies. If you are based at a UK university and developing pre-commercial innovations in this space, this one is worth reading carefully.
What Is ACT ASAP?
ACT ASAP is a sister programme to Cyber ASAP, which has already funded 34 academic teams and supported them in raising over £40 million in follow-on investment. The programme sits within the UK government’s Digital and Technology Sector Plan, and advanced connectivity is one of six designated frontier technologies, alongside AI, cyber, quantum, semiconductors, and engineering biology.
Crucially, this is academics only. It is highly relevant to university research teams considering commercialisation.
Key Details
- Funding: Up to £32,000 at 100% intervention rate
- Eligible costs: Salaries, technology transfer, office costs, and travel and subsistence. No equipment.
- Format: Two phases, each split into two month sprints. Phase one covers value proposition and market validation. Phase two (if successful) adds a further seven months for proof of concept.
- Success rate: 40% from phase one to phase two
- Mandatory events: 15 in total, hence the travel budget allowance
- Application route: Standard Innovate UK application, using the updated Frontier AI format including the innovation annex, system architecture diagram, validation benchmark matrix, and IP question
What the Assessors Are Looking For
This programme has a named productivity target: £14.6 billion in economic impact by 2035. That is not aspirational, it is a mandate. Assessors will be looking for credible commercial viability even at pre-commercial stage, which is a high bar. Projects with a dual use or defence dimension, particularly those already engaged with the MOD or ESA, are likely to score well.
Areas of interest include 5G and 6G wireless, non-terrestrial networks, optical networks, spectrum management, RF architecture, AI-native networks, energy-efficient connectivity, and related technologies.
Should You Apply?
If you are a UK academic with a technology in one of these areas and the backing of your Technology Transfer Office, ACT ASAP is a credible route to spin-out support and follow-on funding. The commercial expectations are demanding for early-stage work, so strong preparation is essential.
If you are unsure whether your research fits the scope, we are happy to have a conversation about suitability.
