Sectors
Life Sciences
The Life Science sector is a major focus for R&D Grant Funding across both the UK and Europe. From tackling infectious diseases and emerging health threats to advancing cancer therapies and nature-based solutions, the sector attracts strong government support.
We have actively been supporting Life Science innovators and academic research teams for 20+ years, successfully securing many millions of £s and €s funding for teams who are developing cutting edge work, from precision therapeutics and diagnostics, to biotech solutions addressing global health and environmental challenges.
This R&D grant funding for health & life science projects is accelerating high-impact solutions, turning bold ideas into real world advances in the healthcare sector.
Non-dilutive Funding for Life Sciences
Public Funding for Life Sciences offers multiple benefits:
- Mitigating Early-stage Risks for Life Sciences: R&D Grant Funding supports the development, prototyping, and testing of high-risk, innovative Life Science projects, reducing risk in the discovery and evaluation phases by providing critical early-stage funding
- Lowering Development Expenses for Life Sciences: R&D Grant Funding allows for funds to be allocated to staff salaries, subcontractors, clinical trials, regulatory approval, certification, and other R&D costs
- Academic spin-out supported by grant funding for Life Sciences: The spin-out of IP in the health and life science sector from academic research teams into startup businesses is well established and supported by R&D grant funding
- Non-dilutive Funding for Life Sciences: R&D Grant Funding enables Life Science companies to secure the funding they need without giving up equity
- Facilitating Global Collaboration for Life Sciences: R&D Grant Funding helps cover costs associated with international partnerships and cross-border collaborative R&D
- Prestige of Public Funding for Life Sciences: R&D Grant Funding serves as an independent validation of transformative healthcare and scientific innovations
The UK is aiming to be a global leader in biotech and healthcare, investing billions through the National Life Sciences Vision. As part of its Modern Industrial Strategy, the government has committed over £22.5 billion per year by 2029/2030 to science and technology, including life sciences, with an additional £520 million allocated for the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030. Funding is delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Innovate UK (IUK), Medical Research Council (MRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and other bodies.
The EU is committed to investing over €10 billion of grant funding for health and life science every year through programmes like Horizon Europe and EU4Health. Key initiatives include the upcoming EU Biotech Act and a €300 million fund to support the life sciences innovation, all aimed at accelerating research, innovation, and market access across the sector.
Success Stories
Life Sciences themes for grant funding
Life Sciences’ innovators tackling the following critical themes and challenges, could expect to benefit from R&D grant funding:
- Drug Discovery, Cancer Prevention & Accelerated Clinical Development
- Precision & Genomic Medicine
- Vaccine Development & Infectious Disease Preparedness
- Diagnostics, Digital Biomarkers & Early Disease Detection
- Ageing, Mental Health & Neurodegeneration
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) & Public Health
- Biomanufacturing, Scale-up & Regulatory Innovation
- Sustainable Biotech for Climate Mitigation, Biodiversity & Agriculture
- Conservation, Nature Restoration & Ecosystem Resilience
This is not a definitive list, and other innovative solutions within the Life Sciences sector may also qualify for R&D grant funding.
Life Sciences funding programmes and funders
Life Sciences is eligible for R&D Grant Funding, Innovation Loans, Contracts for Innovation Procurement and other forms of non-dilutive funding.
Available funding for Life Science innovators includes:
- Innovate UK – Through Open Calls (between £100k and £2m in funding per call), Thematic Calls such as the Biomedical Catalyst (a share of up to £15m), Innovation Loans up to £2m in funding, and Investor Partnerships with up to £2m in grant + equity funding
- DEFRA/UKRI – Research Starter (£28k to £56k), Feasibility Studies (£200k to 500k), R&D Partnerships (£1m to £5m), and Farming Future R&D (£500k – £6m)
- Horizons Europe Pillar II Cluster 6 ‘Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’ – Through Open Calls that are challenge driven and topic specific (between €6m to €20m funding per project)
- EIC: Pathfinder early-stage grants of €1m+, EIC Transition 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: Horizons Europe Collaborative Calls (between €1m and €20m+), Ofwat Innovation Fund, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and others besides.
Winning Grant Funding for Life Sciences
“With a background in Biology (PhD), I find it incredibly exciting to work at the forefront of innovation in the Life Sciences sector. Every day, I get to engage with innovative SMEs that are developing novel solutions to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing mankind – from global health threats and antibiotic resistance, to sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration. It is inspiring to see how science and technology are being harnessed to create real, transformative impact.”
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.
Malu Avila, PHD
Life Sciences Sector Expert
