Sustainable Innovation Fund

Innovate UK’s Sustainable Innovation Fund and Covid-19 Continuity Grant competitions funded over 1800 projects to facilitate sustainable economic recovery from Covid-19.

Post Covid-19, Innovate UK Business Connect led on a programme of support for the funded projects to drive collaboration with industry and new partners to build better innovation communities, support adoption and diffusion, and maximise the impact of this funding.

The Sustainable Innovation Fund supported bright ideas that put biodiversity, the climate, and sustainability first to help make the UK economy clean, green, and resilient. From edible and compostable ice-cream tubs to emission-neutralising nose guards for cows, Innovate UK funded projects working across sectors to help change the world. Through the programme, Innovate UK Business Connect helped these projects think beyond the funding to maximise the impact of their innovation.

The Sustainable Innovation Fund included three rounds of funding and a specific competition focused on Small Business Research. Businesses working on innovative projects across a variety of technologies, markets, and regions accessed the funding. The portfolio focuses on companies tackling Covid-19 recovery, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and Net Zero.

The Covid-19: Continuity Grants provided a lifeline for SMEs and third sector organisations that had already been funded by Innovate UK to ensure the success of ongoing projects. 637 projects working on innovation across sectors, from zero-emission buses to counterfeit drug detection, accessed the grants, keeping the UK working towards a more sustainable and innovative economy despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Find out more about the businesses and people building a greener, fairer, and more resilient future for the UK by watching our collection of Sustainable Innovation Fund stories below.