Here are the priority sectors and technologies for the £9bn annual grant and support budget from UKRI 2026 to 2031.
Addressing Strategic Government and Societal Priorities
UKRI are keen to point out that they intend to support research and innovation from curiosity and discovery, to scaling and sustainability. For businesses (and researchers) there are priority sectors as follows:
Digital and technologies (£4 billion)
Artificial intelligence
- advancing AI tech development
- transforming research through AI
- developing AI skills/talent
- championing responsible and trustworthy AI
- accelerating innovation for growth
- building world-class AI data/infrastructure
UKRI will fund compute and data infrastructure, deliver the UK Compute Roadmap, and push for UK leadership in explainable, human-in-the-loop and agentic AI. Total AI investment (including curiosity-driven research) tops £1.6 billion over the period.
Quantum technologies
- Scaling quantum computing hardware/software
- advancing sensing/imaging/timing
- building quantum-secure communications alongside skills development across career stages.
Engineering biology
Backing responsible research and faster commercialisation, with priorities in:
- health
- manufacturing
- food systems
- environmental resilience.
Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) cybersecurity and semiconductors
- secure/resilient and sustainable networks
- growing cybersecurity skills and commercialization
- building on UK strengths in semiconductor design, compound semiconductors and optical interconnectors.
Life sciences (£1.5 billion)
- major diseases
- prevention
- data-enabled diagnostics
- next-gen medicines/medtech
- innovations supporting the NHS’s shift from hospital to community care
Advanced manufacturing (£1.3 billion):
- automotive
- batteries
- aerospace
- space
- advanced materials and agritech
- Also backs cross-cutting technologies like robotics, sensing, additive manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
Agritech
- Precision technologies (robotics, AI, engineering biology) to boost productivity, climate resilience and lower emissions.
Clean energy (£1.2 billion)
- Supply chain strengths (e.g., wind turbine blades, novel nuclear fuels)
- autonomous/digital energy solutions
- long-term bets like fusion power plants and carbon-removal projects.
Defence and national security (£555 million)
- Partnership with the Ministry of Defence; building a strategic framework for talent pipelines, dual-use R&I environments, and strategic advantage.
Creative industries (£369 million)
- Support from early-stage research through commercialisation, continued Creative Industries Clusters funding, and investment in skills, international partnerships and policy.
Professional, business and financial services (£118 million)
- Targeted research to boost competitiveness, regulatory/standards innovation, and support for public data access and challenger firms.
Wider priorities (£2.9 billion over four years) covering:
- Resilience – climate adaptation aligned with the National Adaptation Programme
- Space – UKRI as trusted delivery body for the National Space Strategy
- Food and animal & plant health – One Health outcomes across agriculture, nutrition and life sciences
Additional priority investments
- £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme (tied to government’s national missions, with strict delivery targets)
- support for the UK AI Hardware Plan
- £750 million for digital research infrastructure/UK Compute Roadmap (including the Edinburgh supercomputing service)
- £240 million for infrastructure/centres/talent supporting government priorities
Summary
If you have questions about grant funding, we are happy to help. Contact us to arrange a free online meeting about your research project or business-led innovation.
You can read the full UKRI strategy here.
Alex Chalkley
I have over 20 years experience in founding and scaling businesses, mainly focused on the non-dilutive funding sector. Since 2008, I have built, trained and mentored teams to successfully draw down over €100m in non-dilutive funding from the UK and EU for clients spanning multiple sectors.
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