Area of investment and support

Biomedical Catalyst

This is Innovate UK’s flagship grant funding mechanism helping small and medium-sized businesses test and develop innovative health and care solutions across life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health.

The Biomedical Catalyst transforms innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.

• Budget: £140 million (over current spending review period)
• Duration: This is an ongoing scheme with multiple funding opportunity rounds
• Partners involved: Innovate UK

The scope and what we're doing

The Biomedical Catalyst supports small and medium-sized businesses, of all stages, to:

• get their project to market quicker
• de-risk their early stage innovations and projects, and lower risk for investors
• bring in private capital alongside grants for projects

Biomedical Catalyst will fund a variety of projects across different markets, technologies, strands and themes, including:

• medicines and pharmaceuticals
• health technology
• digital health technology

Why we're doing it

Our vision is to build a network of innovative, commercially viable life science businesses that transform healthcare and patients’ lives, and drive business growth.

Opportunities, support and resources available

By awarding grants to UK-based businesses at varying stages of development, we enable them to develop innovative healthcare solutions, secure investment and speed up bringing new products to market. Grants include:

• Accelerator – Feasibility: opportunity to gain financial support for market and technology feasibility studies
• Industry-led R&D: transformational grant funding for industry-led innovation projects
• Investor Partnerships: de-risking innovative technologies by aligning public grant and private enterprise investment

We recognise that grant funding alone is not enough, and projects need to be supported as an ecosystem to be able to easily access the partners needed on their innovation journey. Partners include:

• regulators
• accelerators
• supply chain
• systems-based design
• global markets
• investors

Innovation support from Innovate UK

Innovate UK Business Connect

Innovate UK Business Connect connects innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking, accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions. If you want help to find a project partner or would like someone to review your application before submission, contact Innovate UK Business Connect.

Innovate UK Business Connects health page has information on opportunities, including the Biomedical Catalyst.

For details of the latest events, calls for research, funding and grant opportunities, and industry updates, subscribe to the health newsletter.

Innovate UK Business Growth

Innovate UK Business Growth offers bespoke advice and support to help grow and scale innovative businesses. If you’re looking for intensive support with your growth strategy, including exploiting innovation, securing funding and finance, or entering new markets, please contact Innovate UK Business Growth.

Past projects, outcomes and impact

The Biomedical Catalyst impact evaluation report, published in June 2019, details the longer-term impact of the Biomedical Catalyst programme in stimulating investment and accelerating technological development.

Last updated: 12 March 2025