Industry Opportunities

Developing Semiconductor Hardware For Critical Technologies

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £5 million from the UKRI Technology Missions Fund in feasibility projects.

The aim of this competition is to encourage exploration of feasibility for innovative ideas with the potential to advance semiconductor hardware that can contribute to the global competitiveness of the UK in the critical technologies.

Competition closes: Thursday 29 May 2025 11:00am

More info

Calls to action and opportunities list

Find here the latest opportunities and calls to action for the semiconductor sector.


New Calls and Events

MICROCRAFT Townhall Meeting · Luma

​The MICROCRAFT Townhall Meeting is your opportunity to understand the current plans and help shape the direction for a new UK semiconductor capability that will provide a national NEMS/MEMS microfabrication pathway. Date: Friday 20 June. Location: London

Competition overview - Canada-UK Semiconductors - Innovation Funding Service

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to invest at least £1 million in innovation projects. The aim of this competition is to stimulate the development of innovative semiconductor technologies. Competition closes: Wednesday 15 October 2025 11:00am.

Competition overview - Contracts for Innovation: Quantum Sensors and PNT Missions Primer - Innovation Funding Service

Organisations can apply for a share of £14 million, inclusive of VAT, to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum sensors and quantum position, navigation, and timing products and services. Competition closes: Wednesday 2 July 2025 11:00am

Transport Research and Innovation Grants 2025 - Innovate UK Business Connect

The Department for Transport and its delivery partner Connected Places Catapult support innovators through Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme. The DfT recognises critical technologies as a driver of transformation within the entire UK’s transport sector. For this reason, ‘Critical technologies’ is a cross-cutting theme for this TRIG competition. Registration Closes: 20/06/2025

UK Space Agency: International Bilateral Fund – Call 2 - Innovate UK Business Connect

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) invites proposals for projects through the second iteration of the International Bilateral Fund (IBF) that will help strengthen the UK space sector’s international partnerships. Registration Closes: 07/07/2025


Existing Calls and Events

PBIAA Third for Early-Stage Commercialisation Projects

SWCS PBIAA funding is available for up to 8 early-stage commercialisation projects that require support from expertise and facilities available at Cardiff University Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) or Swansea University Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Manufacture (CISM), or any other Cluster entity, to set up a company and innovate in South Wales. Closing date: Friday 30 May 2025

The VInnovate Call 2025 will open on 2 May (17:00 CET)

Following the successful implementation of the VInnovate Call 2024, the Vanguard Initiative is launching a second Call in the framework of its own Interregional Funding Mechanismdesigned to enable the funding of industry-led international projects.

Made Smarter Innovation Network: Digital & AI in Manufacturing

Made Smarter Innovation has identified AI as a keystone industrial digital technology, strategic to all sectors, and other digital technologies are critical to making AI useful. By filling out this short survey, you will directly contribute to shaping the future of AI and digital technologies within industry.

Royce Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) Funding Call Round 5

The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials is offering grant funding for research, development, and innovation sprint projects. Universities, research and technology organisations and companies can apply for funding of total project costs between £50,000 and £130,000 for exploring innovative ideas with a focus on technology translation. A maximum of 3 organisations may collaborate on each project. These awards are not offered to support fundamental research projects.  

DASA - Innovation in Support of Operations | Phase 2

Funded by the Ministry of Defence, DASA launches Phase Two of Innovation in Support of Operations - a Themed Competition seeking fast paced scalable proposals across five new challenge areas. Aim: To identify and accelerate innovative solutions and techniques, ensuring they can be scaled and deployed faster than adversaries. Closing: 20 May 2025 12:00 Midday; 05 August 2025 12:00 Midday; 14 October 2025 12:00 Midday (BST)

Proof of Concept – UKRI

Apply for proof of concept to support the commercialisation of research to enable spinouts or social ventures, licencing or other commercialisation pathways. Applications from any disciplines are welcomed. No pre-existing UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding is required. The programme will not support discovery-driven research. You must be based at a UK research organisation. Closing date: 29 May 2025

Surveillance challenge using edge AI

Surveillance cameras are vital tools for use in national security, but they are often battery powered, power-hungry and run for a long time to capture the right footage. HMGCC Co-Creation wants to hear from organisations capable of enabling visual surveillance systems to operate with less power – using edge AI. Closing: 29 May 2025

Artificial intelligence, engineering biology and quantum technologies: highlight notice – UKRI
Apply for funding for the application of artificial intelligence (AI), engineering biology, and quantum technologies in biomedical research and development. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for MRC funding. Closing date: 29 May 2025

Developing Semiconductor Hardware For Critical Technologies

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million. These feasibility studies will investigate ways to improve semiconductor design and manufacture within the UK to support critical technologies. Closes: 29 May 2025 11am 

Innovation Exchange challenge: Counter Multi-Domain Unmanned Vehicles & Vessels

BAE Systems invites innovative solutions that can support the timely and successful conduct of Counter Multi-Domain Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels (C-UxV) in response to increasingly complex and diverse threats. This opportunity is open to both academic and industrial practitioners. Industrial participants can be established businesses, start-ups or SMEs of any size. Research Technology Organisations (RTOs) such as Catapults are eligible to apply. Registration closes: 30 May 2025

DSIT Fellowship (open for applications)

The DSIT Fellowship offers career professionals in science, innovation and technology a secondment opportunity to contribute to development of DSIT's key priorities. Successful Fellows will be invited to join a DSIT team for for 2-3 days per week over 12 months. Closing date: 11:59pm on 03 June 2025

Wales Tech Awards

The Wales Technology Awards 2025 are back for a landmark 10th anniversary. This year the Awards act as the grand finale of Wales Tech Week​, running from the 24th to 26th November all at the same venue. Entries for the Wales Technology Awards 2025 are now open! Award entries close: 16 June 2025.

DASA Open Call for Innovation

The Open Call for Innovation allows innovative ideas to be proposed to Defence and Security stakeholders, even where a specific requirement has not been stipulated. It is a broad mechanism which allows innovators to present disruptive ideas which may otherwise be overlooked. Closing: 01 July 2025

Investor Partnerships: Clean Energy and Climate Technologies

UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners. Innovate UK Growth Catalyst is an integrated package of funding and support, designed to help accelerate high-potential start-ups on their journey to becoming scale-ups and beyond. Closing: 2 July 2025 11:00am

Horizon Europe 2025 work programme Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space

The European Commission has pre-published all of the 2025 Horizon Europe Work Programmes, which list the funding opportunities under the 2025 call topics. Topics available under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 4 programme for 2025/26, with up to €75m available for the largest single projects. Closing date: 02 October 2025

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch Phase Two of our fast paced Themed Competition Innovation in Support of Operations. Run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, this competition is looking for innovative proposals that are cost competitive, designed for manufacture, and can be scaled in an approximate twelve-month timeframe. Three competition cycles closing on 20 May 2025 12:00 Midday (BST); 05 August 2025 12:00 Midday (BST); 14 October 2025 12:00 Midday (BST)

Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 10, business and non-academic

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £110 million for ambitious research and innovation projects in any sector, and tailored support to develop careers for future leaders. This funding is from UKRI. Competition opens: Monday 23 June 2025. Competition closes: Wednesday 5 November 2025 11:00am


Open ended calls

Agile Cymru
Agile Cymru is a scaleable programme of coordinated action, an agile tool to deliver greater economic co-operation at speed, guided by the International Strategy and our economic policies. This includes a flexible grant mechanism to support cross-border and international activity that maximises shared opportunities across themes, sectors, and geographies. Agile Cymru funding can support a wide range of activity; the focus is on the outcome and benefit for Wales.

SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS) | Business Wales (gov.wales)
The Welsh Government is building a stronger, fairer, greener country, with an economy based on fair work, sustainability and the sectors of the future. SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS) is open to any organisation wishing to engage in Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I), including the third sector, local authorities and health boards. Open ended

Academic-Industry Partnerships In Cardiff Capital Region
Jointly funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) the Academic-Industry Partnerships programme, part of the Cluster Development and Growth Programme, aims to bring together industry and academia to identify innovative solutions to enterprise challenges, particularly amongst micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Open ended

Strategic Innovation Fund: Round 5 Challenges

Innovation Challenge 1: Advanced Energy Transmission and Networks: How can we leverage breakthroughs in semiconductor, superconductor,
and wireless power transmission technologies to enhance grid performance? Projects applying to this challenge should align with and build upon existing UK and international initiatives in advanced energy transmission. Applicants should consider how their innovations complement prior research and industry developments.

The Innovate UK Scaleup Programme: for high potential scaleup businesses

Innovate UK Business Growth’s highly regarded Scaleup Programme provides one-to-one, bespoke and funded support centred around innovative scaleups’ specific needs. It is available to those scaleup companies achieving, or with the potential for, 50% compound annual growth rates (CAGR) and over.

Share your news and opportunities with us at comms@csconnected.com.