Semiconductors and components for smart electronic platforms: applications with academic partners

Semiconductors and components for smart electronic platforms: applications with academic partners is sponsored by Innovate UK. Semiconductors and components for smart electronic platforms: applications with academic partners.

Competition overview - Semiconductors and components for smart electronic platforms: applications with academic partners - Innovation Funding Service Your application has timed out You have been signed out as you were inactive for 8 hours. We do this to keep your information secure. You need to sign back in to continue with your application.

Your application will time out soon We will reset your application if you do not respond in 5 minutes. We do this to keep your information secure. This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it.

Semiconductors and components for smart electronic platforms: applications with academic partners UK registered businesses can apply with CR&D or R&D projects for a share of up to £18.

5 million to mature and accelerate the availability of components that include semiconductors or novel technologies ready for integration into Smart Electronic Platforms Competition opens: Friday 27 March 2026 Wednesday 1 April 2026 11:00am This competition is now closed. If you have an academic partner in your consortium you must apply to this competition. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £18.

5 million for CR&D and R&D projects. This is subject to a sufficient number of high quality applications being received. Your project will be to work on maturing and accelerating the availability of components that include semiconductors or novel technologies, required to deliver Smart Electronic Platforms.

These platforms are essential to deliver the economic, industrial and tactical benefits of automation and autonomy. These require the integration of multiple reusable components to be able to deliver the ‘Sense-Decide-Act’ pipeline of a smart electronic platform.

The aim of this competition is to drive forward the availability of a UK anchored catalogue of components, ready for integration and delivery into next generation smart electronic platforms. The target sectors for these platforms will be across industrial and tactical edge environments for automation and autonomy.

Your project must focus on undertaking the industrial research and innovation required to deliver one or more, as a component subsystem, reusable components. Examples of which include: support components such as integrated power management A key requirement for the ‘Decide’ components is to provide the resilient hardware on which “AI runs” securely and efficiently.

Projects must not include the research and innovation of the AI model, a communications module, or the end application.

Proposed components must be delivered in a consumable format, either as: a component for integration into a packaged device, such as system in package or as a packaged part for integration onto a platform’s printed circuit board (PCB) You must clearly define the following proposed component’s: provide evidence that the target component can be adopted by third party integrators commercially developing market specific smart electronic platforms and solutions Your proposal must detail the background and arising technologies the project will utilise to create the proposed reusable component.

This needs to also indicate the extent to which the background and arising technologies secure a potential market. The proposal must also include an estimation of the potential market secured by the proposed component and the associated total addressable market size. Projects with a strong unique selling point (USP) in the market will be prioritised during portfolio selection.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly, but we will still be unable to fund it.

Innovate UK will also apply a ‘portfolio approach’ to ensure that projects that are funded represent a balanced portfolio of projects across: competitive USP in the target market Our experience from previous competitions suggests that you could have a 20% to 30% chance of success. We consider a range of factors when determining whether to provide funding to applicants.

This includes an assessment of prior conduct, such as any outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI. Such factors may influence the funding decision, potentially resulting in a refusal of funding or an award subject to additional scrutiny. We also reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions.

This may be in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations or broader government funding decisions. This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief . We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Your project’s total eligible grant funding request must be between £500,000 and £2 million. Accessibility and Inclusion We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments , for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance. We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). have a grant funding request of between £500,000 and £2 million last between 12 and 18 months Any funded organisation needs to carry out their project work in the UK and must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.

Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs . For specific guidance, see the eligibility section in this competition.

If your project’s duration falls outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@iuk. ukri. org at least 15 working days before the competition closes.

We will decide whether to approve your request. If you have not requested approval or your application has not been approved by us, you will be made ineligible. Your application will then not be sent for assessment.

To lead a collaborative project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size. The consortium must contain at least one UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) claiming grant funding on this application. To work alone your organisation must be a UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME).

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules . Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone. Organisations that are not profit driven or do not have a commercial focus, including Community Interest Companies (CICs) and charities, are not allowed to lead in this competition.

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered: public sector organisation research and technology organisation (RTO) Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in the IFS.

They are responsible for entering their own project costs in the application. To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must: apply for funding when entering their costs into the application.

include a rationale for the collaboration and describe the structure in your application ensure any one partner does not account for more than 70% of the total eligible costs Your project can include organisations who do not claim any funding for their work on the project. Their costs will be covered from their own resources. These can include UK, EU and other non-UK organisations.

Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit the results outside the UK. Where non-funded partners have been invited to the application on IFS, their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs. Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process. You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK. You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you.

We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor. All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. A business can only lead one application.

A business, academic institution, research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not for profit or public sector organisation can only be included as a collaborator in three applications. If a business is leading an application, it can collaborate in up to 2 further applications.

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions .

For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups . Use of animals in research and innovation Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation . Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process.

This information will be reviewed before an award is made. You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition. If you have previously submitted an application that reached our assessment stage you can re-apply once more with the same proposal.

If there are minor differences to the proposal, but it is judged by us to be ‘not materially different’, the same rule applies. We will not award you funding if you have: failed to exploit a previously funded project an overdue independent accountant’s report failed to comply with grant terms and conditions Innovate UK may withhold a grant payment at any time if you have any outstanding sums due to us in relation to other projects.

Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable) This competition provides funding to enterprises using the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme. The Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Scheme can be viewed on the subsidy database here: SC10780 . This is in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation. gov.uk) Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.

EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. See the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation. In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations. You must not do anything which could cause a breach of Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.

This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries. This award is classified as a Subsidy which does not form part of your Minimal Financial Assistance or De Minimis allowance. Up to £18.

5 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. This is subject to us receiving a sufficient number of high quality applications. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions. If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below.

These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.

For feasibility studies, industrial research, experimental development and innovation support you can get funding for your eligible project costs of: Category 2 Industrial research projects Funding available for your eligible project costs of: up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation up to 50% if you are a large organisation For more information on company sizes, refer to the company accounts guidance .

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 . Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn. The research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs.

If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them.

Of that 30% you can get funding for your eligible project costs of up to: 100% of your eligible project costs if you are an RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-S registered institution such as an academic Eligibility criteria for claiming 80% of FEC funding Research organisations using the Je-S system must submit their costs through the Je-S system which calculates the 80% FEC figure.

On IFS, only the 80% FEC output should be entered at 100% funding. Applicants do not need to show the remaining 20% on the finance table. To find out more see our: Cost Guidance for Academics .

The aim of this competition is to drive forward the availability of a UK anchored catalogue of components, ready for integration and delivery into next generation smart electronic platforms. The target sectors for these platforms will be across industrial and tactical edge environments for automation and autonomy.

Smart Electronic Platforms are the integrated printed circuit boards whose purpose is to deliver the automation and autonomy in our modern digital world. These platforms consist of multiple integrated components, that include semiconductors and novel technologies, delivered through a packaged part or for use on a printed circuit board (PCB).

Typical components may include the secured processing and memory components, components for AI acceleration, integrated power management components, integrated sensors or the interfaces to drive actuators. Together they support a Sense, Decide, Act pipeline typical of smart electronic platforms.

Component development within the project may also require software development to enable the use of the developed component within a smart electronic platform. Your project must ensure these components are made ready for integration into a smart electronic platform’s Sense, Decide, Act pipeline.

Refers to high reliability environments such as: These are where decisions must be made with energy efficient, low latency and verifiable resilience and security. These environments demand high duty cycle performance and long term reliability.

Refers to environments where: connectivity is intermittent, contested or denied intelligence must be delivered locally The Tactical Edge requires the delivery of complex, real time processing within the physical and operational boundaries of a platform for example, autonomous vehicle, drone, robot or mobile tactical hub.

Your project must have components that will: be ready for integration into a package for example, system in-package, multi-chip modules deliver an in-package part ready for integration onto a smart electronic platform define a target use case supporting industrial automation or autonomy describe what the proposed component is needed for and how it will contribute to the smart electronic platform required in the target use case describe why your proposed component USP will address the market need In addition, your application must: describe how the project will increase the integration readiness of the proposed component define the reusability approach for the proposed component, including its interfaces and any external dependencies required for integration into a smart electronic platform explain how the proposed component can be adopted by a third party for example, system integrator, for subsequent integration into a final product with commercial practices for supply, support and maintenance Your project must satisfy the following integration readiness criteria by project completion: functional readiness: your project must provide evidence, physical or digital, that the component performs its intended task within the smart electronic platform environment interface readiness: the component must meet the reusability requirements needed to connect to the target smart electronic platforms consumable format: the component must be delivered in a fixed format, physical or digital, that is ready to be consumed or used by a third party for example, system integrator, for integration into a smart electronic platform Innovate UK will also apply a ‘portfolio approach’ to ensure that projects that are funded represent a balanced portfolio of projects across: competitive USP in the target market We call this a portfolio approach .

Your project must focus on the development of components ready for integration within smart electronic platforms used in industrial automation and autonomy.

Examples of components across the Sense, Decide, Act pipeline and platform enablement components include the following: Sense - Sensing components Components used for providing sensors with the physical world delivered for integration through for example: in-package for example, system in-package or multi-chip modules placement on the smart electronic platform’s PCB as an interface component to connect to an external sensor to the smart electronic platform Decide - Processing, AI acceleration, storage and memory components Processing elements tailored for real time analysis, decision making, command and control, including: the secure processors and hardware components for AI acceleration integrated memories and storage integrated communications where the primary purpose is the ‘Decision’ component Act - Actuation and physical drive components Component drivers required for off platform actuation and platform power regulation, including: Platform - Enablement and ancillary components components required for in-package and in-platform data movement and routing hardware security modules, for example, Root of Trust, eSIM, secure enclaves power management and control components which will be integrated in-package or whose primary purpose is to operate on the smart electronic platform These examples are not intended to be exhaustive.

We will fund industrial research projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research .

Projects we will not fund We are not funding projects that: do not propose a component that will be made ready for integration by a third party for example, by a system integrator, onto a smart electronic platform do not define a specific target use case supporting industrial automation or autonomy do not focus on the Sense, Decide, Act pipeline or platform enablement components of a smart electronic platform develop standalone technologies that cannot be readily made available for integration into a packaged part or on a smart electronic platform’s PCB develop components that would not be delivered through the procurement of an integrated smart electronic platform develop software that is not a requirement to enable the use of the proposed component within its target smart electronic platform develop a component the primary purpose of which is to act as the external communications module for integration onto the smart electronic platform include the research and innovation of the AI model, platform level communications module or the software for an end application We cannot fund projects that are: dependent on export performance, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product Online briefing event: watch the recording Briefing slides are now available to download from Supporting Information.

You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure: that all the information provided in the application is correct your proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria all sections of the application are marked as complete if collaborative, that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs) You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline.

You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline. The application is split into four sections: Accessibility and Inclusion We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance. We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). Text update 20 February 2026: Scope wording amended.

This section provides background for your application and is not scored. Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers. Decide which organisations will work with you on your project and invite people from those organisations to help complete the application.

Give your project’s title, start date and duration. Select the type of research you will undertake. Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative.

We use this section to assign the right experts to assess your application. Your answer can be up to 400 words long. Describe your project in detail and in a way that you are happy to see published.

Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This can happen before you start your project.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long. Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope, it will not be sent for assessment.

We will tell you the reason why. why the proposed component is necessary to enable the delivery of a smart electronic platform your target use case for your proposed component and how it enables industrial automation and autonomy Your answer can be up to 400 words long. The assessors will score all your answers apart from questions 1 to 6.

You will receive feedback for each scored question. Find out more about how our assessors assess and how we select applications for funding . You must answer all questions.

You must not include any website addresses or links (URLs) in your answers. If you do, your application will be made ineligible. Question 1.

Applicant location (not scored) You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation and any partners or subcontractors working on your project. We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all applicants. Question 2.

Animal testing (not scored) Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing? You must select one option: We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare. Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance .

Question 3. Permits and licences (not scored) Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project? We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.

You must select one option: In the process of being applied for Question 4. International collaboration (not scored) Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement? You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement.

You must include a list of the names and the countries, any international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in. You must also include details of any subcontractors or service providers. If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.

Question 5. Export licence (not scored) You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance . You must select one option: Question 6.

Trusted Research and Innovation (not scored) You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles , including: a list of any dual-use (both military and non-military) applications to your research a list of the areas where your project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance and the status of any applications a list of any items or substances on the UK Strategic Export Control List If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.

We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information at a later date, in line with UKRI TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions. Question 7. Motivation and alignment What is your motivation for maturing the proposed component and how does it support industrial automation or autonomy?

your motivation for maturing the proposed component and how does it contribute to the catalogue of components necessary for smart electronic platforms any work you have already done to mature the proposed component and how it overcomes the limitations of similar innovations or current market alternatives your target use cases, Industrial or Tactical Edge, in which your component enables industrial automation or autonomy the increased market opportunity resulting from your new component Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 8. Technical undertaking How will you increase the component's readiness for integration into a smart electronic platform?

the specific component you are proposing, Sense, Decide, Act, or platform enablement components, and why it is required in your target use cases the technical starting point of your proposed component any background technology utilised by the project including the freedom you have to operate how the project will increase the integration readiness, for in-package or on a printed circuit board (PCB) of the proposed component any software development, for example, firmware, driver, required in support of your component the reusability approach for the proposed component, including its interfaces, adherence to industry standards and any external dependencies required for integration into a smart electronic platform Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

You must submit one appendix containing a technical diagram indicating the component’s primary interfaces to support your answer. It must be a PDF no larger than 10MB. It must be one A4 page and must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 9. Team and resources Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be taking the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them the details of any vital external parties, including subcontractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the project if your project is collaborative, the current relationships between project partners and how these will change as a result of the project any roles you will need to recruit for Your answer can be up to 500 words long.

Question 10. Market awareness Who are your target third party integrators, potential customers or adopters and how will your project increase the competitiveness of your solution?

who are your main technical competitors who are your primary system integrators or platform developers that will adopt the proposed component the increased market potential that you expect to secure, with an informed estimate of the total addressable market and serviceable market what is your proposed component’s unique selling point (USP) in the target market and why it will address the market need how the availability of the proposed component improves the UK’s position in the global supply chain of smart electronic platforms Your answer can be up to 500 words long.

Question 11. Outcomes and route to market How will you ensure third party integrators or potential customers can adopt your component?

your current position in the target market, and whether this project will further establish or extend your market position the consumable format of the resulting component, for example, component for system in package or a packaged component what technical artifacts and documentation will you provide to ensure third party integrators can use the component, for example, interface specification, integration guides, driver software, any necessary