Deadline: February 4, 2026
The Women in Innovation Awards 2025/2026 is now open, offering a powerful opportunity for women founders and co-founders across the United Kingdom to scale innovative businesses. This national competition supports female-led innovation with substantial funding, targeted mentorship, and sector-specific growth opportunities. The Women in Innovation Awards 2025/2026 aims to strengthen the pipeline of women innovators and ensure they access the networks, resources, and visibility needed to succeed.
About the Opportunity
The Women in Innovation Awards is a flagship initiative delivered by Innovate UK under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The programme provides financial support and specialised business assistance to women leading innovation-driven UK-registered SMEs.
Up to 60 awardees will be selected in the 2025/2026 cycle, subject to the quality of applications. Each successful applicant will receive a grant of up to £75,000 and a comprehensive 12-month package of tailored business support designed to accelerate growth, enhance leadership capability, and strengthen business sustainability.
Awardees are expected to lead innovation projects aligned with one of the UK’s designated high-potential growth sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Digital & Technologies, and Life Sciences.
Eligibility
Applicants must ensure they meet all the following requirements:
- Be a woman founder or co-founder of a UK-registered small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).
- The business must be registered on Companies House.
- Applicants must be resident in the United Kingdom.
- The business must be operating beyond the idea stage, demonstrating early traction and credible growth potential.
- The proposed project must align with one of the priority innovation sectors.
- Applicants must commit to:
- At least 10 hours of training and development, and
- 4 hours of role-modelling activity, such as mentoring or advocacy, to inspire future innovators.
- The project budget must not exceed £75,000.
- The project must run for 12 months, starting 1 July 2026 and ending 30 June 2027.
Benefits / Award Details
Award recipients will receive:
- Up to £75,000 grant funding to support their innovation project.
- 12 months of bespoke business and leadership support, including:
- Mentorship from industry specialists.
- Access to expert networks.
- Tailored innovation and commercialisation assistance.
- Enhanced visibility and profiling opportunities across the UK innovation ecosystem.
- Support to strengthen business strategy, investment readiness, and long-term sustainability.
Application Requirements / Documents
The application must be fully completed on the Innovation Funding Service portal. It includes four structured components:
- Project Details – covering project summary, background, and alignment with programme priorities.
- Application Questions – focusing on innovation, business model, scalability, and market positioning.
- Finances – detailing eligible costs and justification for grant expenditure.
- Project Impact – demonstrating potential for commercial growth, societal benefit, and sector relevance.
Applicants must ensure clarity, precision, and evidence-based responses across all sections.
Timeline / Key Dates
- Competition Opens: 26 November 2025
- Application Deadline: 4 February 2026 at 11:00am (UK time)
- Project Start Date: 1 July 2026
- Project End Date: 30 June 2027
Early preparation is strongly advised due to the competitive nature of the programme.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the official online application platform. Applicants must review all guidance materials before starting their submission to ensure accuracy and eligibility compliance.
Selection Process
Applications will be assessed based on:
- Strength and originality of the innovation.
- Market fit, commercial potential, and scalability.
- Capability and leadership potential of the woman founder or co-founder.
- Alignment with priority growth sectors.
- Expected economic, sectoral, or societal impact.
Final selection is conducted by Innovate UK assessors and sector-specific experts.
Additional Information / Terms
- Projects must adhere to Innovate UK funding rules and reporting requirements.
- All costs must be eligible, reasonable, and directly linked to delivering project outcomes.
- Participation in all training, mentoring, and role-modelling activities is mandatory for awardees.
- Only innovation-focused UK-registered SMEs led by women are eligible.
Host Organisation
This programme is delivered by Innovate UK, the national innovation agency under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supporting business-led innovation that drives economic growth and societal benefit across the United Kingdom.
Read More About the Programme
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