Sectors
Fintech
The financial technology sector is a priority for R&D Grant Funding across Europe.
Fintech’s can expect to be eligible for public funding to research and develop innovative solutions to address key regulatory challenges, improve the consumer experience of the financial sector and addressing environmental, social and governance (ESG).
We have been working with Fintech’s since 2008, winning many millions of £s and €s for founders who have conceived innovative solutions to key challenges in the financial services industry.
Non-dilutive Funding for Fintech
Public Funding for Financial Technology (Fintech) offers multiple benefits:
- Non-dilutive Funding for Fintech: R&D Grant Funding allows Fintechs to retain their equity
- Reducing Risk for Fintech: R&D Grant Funding supports early-stage and high-risk prototyping, testing and development work
- Access to Market for Fintech: R&D Grant Funding and Contracts for Innovation cover the costs of international partnerships and collaborative R&D across borders
- Reducing Fintech Development Costs: R&D Grants for Fintech can be used to pay for staff wages, subcontractors and other associated software development costs
- Prestige of Public Funding for Fintech: R&D Grant Funding acts an independent validation of cutting-edge innovation that is solving real-world problems
The UK Government has prioritised funding for the Professional and Financial Services sector with >£15bn allocated to supporting innovative SMEs through DSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), >£3bn funding for AI projects, and specific grant calls such as Innovate UK’s Professional & Financial Services Grant.
The EU has long prioritised the professional and financial services sector, including Fintech, for EU grant funding through schemes such as the EIC Accelerator, EUREKA Eurostars and Digital Europe Programme. With €100bn in R&D funding available through Horizon Europe, there is plenty of opportunity for Fintech grant funding in Europe.
Success Stories
AlphaLoops: IUK Smart Grant funding for exciting FinTech
AlphaLoops is a fintech startup transforming how asset managers handle compliance and due diligence. Their AI-powered “agentic co-pilot” automates the completion of complex documents like RFPs and DDQs — cutting processing time from 40 hours to under 5.
Fintech themes for grant funding
Fintechs working on the following topics and challenges, could expect to benefit from R&D grant funding:
- AI and Machine Learning in Financial Services
- Financial Inclusion and Wellbeing
- Digital Identify and Fraud Prevention
- Product Intelligence
- Green and ESG Finance
- Open and Embedded Finance
- Quantum-Secure Fintech Infrastructure
- And other cutting-edge use cases for technology
Fintech funding programmes and funders
Fintechs are eligible for R&D Grant Funding, Innovation Loans, Contracts for Innovation Procurement and other forms of non-dilutive funding.
Available funding for Fintech, regtech, insuretech and other professional and financial service innovators include:
- Innovate UK: Through Open Calls (between £100k and £2m in funding per call), Thematic Calls such as Professional & Financial Services (£100k to £500k funding), Innovation Loans up to £2m in funding, and Investor Partnerships with up to £2m in grant + equity funding.
- EUREKA: Through Eurostars (€360k funding per partner), Globalstars (up to €1.5m per project), and Network Calls (various amounts of funding up to €2m per project).
- EIC: Pathfinder early-stage grants of €1m+, EIC Transistion funding of €1m per project, and EIC Accelerator offering €500k to €2.5m in grant (and up to €15m in equity funding). EIC also offers Step-Up funding.
- Other funding options include: Horizon Europe Collaborative Calls (between €1m and €20m+), Digital Europe Programme, and other besides.
Winning Grant Funding for Fintech
“I’ve been working with Fintechs and other SMEs in the professional and financial services sector since 2008. I understand the sector inside out, its technologies, use cases, and challenges. More importantly, I know which non-dilutive funding gives companies the best shot at success based on where they are in their journey – whether that’s early discovery, development, launch, or scaling. I’ve helped secure significant non-dilutive funding for Fintech clients recently, and I bring that experience to every engagement through our R&D Grant Funding Management service.”
We see grant funding playing a vital role at every stage, from startups developing prototypes, to scaling companies refining smart, automated solutions.
Ready to explore funding options? Book a no obligations meeting now.
Alex Chakley
Director & Fintech Sector Expert
