About this programme
Women in Innovation Awards is a grant competition run by Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency and part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It funds women founders and co-founders of UK-registered small and medium-sized enterprises who are at the late-stage start-up phase.
The 2025 to 2026 round offered a grant of up to £75,000 per applicant, alongside bespoke business support, for projects aligned to one of three growth sectors named by Innovate UK: advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, or life sciences.
This was a single-applicant competition — only one founder or co-founder per business could apply, not a team submission.
Who can apply
You must be a woman founder or co-founder of a UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that is at the late-stage start-up phase.
The project must align to one of three growth sectors: advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, or life sciences.
Only single applicants are accepted per business for this competition.
Frequently asked
Is the Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26 round still open?
No. The 2025/26 round opened 26 November 2025, 9:30am UK time, and closed to applications on 4 February 2026, 11:00am UK time. Innovate UK has previously run this as a recurring competition, so a future round would open as a new call on the same UKRI/Innovation Funding Service pages.
How much funding does the award provide?
Up to £75,000 in grant funding per applicant, plus bespoke business support to advance the winner's growth plans. The official opportunity page does not publish a total round budget or award count, and CapEasy has not been able to verify those figures independently — check the live UKRI page for current numbers.
Who is eligible to apply?
A woman founder or co-founder, leading a UK-registered micro, small or medium enterprise at the late-stage start-up phase, with a project aligned to advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, or life sciences. This is a single-applicant competition.
Who runs the Women in Innovation Awards?
Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency and part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), runs the competition and publishes it via the Innovation Funding Service.
Where do I find the full application process and rules?
Full eligibility rules, scoring criteria, funding rules, and the application form for the current or next round are published on the Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk) — that platform sat behind a bot-blocking wall CapEasy could not verify against directly, so applicants should confirm process details, payment terms, and subsidy control rules there rather than relying on any third-party summary, including this one.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.