UKRI Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept (invite only)

UKRI Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept (invite only) is sponsored by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). UKRI Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept (invite only). Funding opportunity from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

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UKRI Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept (invite only) – UKRI Funding opportunity: UKRI Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept (invite only) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Award range: £100,000 - £500,000 6 July 2026 9:00am UK time 3 September 2026 4:00pm UK time Last updated: 2 June 2026 - see all updates Apply for follow-on funding to support early to mid-stage commercialisation of research in Advanced Connectivity Technologies.

Projects must build on engineering and physical sciences outputs to deliver economic, societal, policy and environmental benefits for a more sustainable and resilient UK. Funded topics must align with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Sustainable Networks and Secure and Resilient Networks connectivity challenge themes. This funding opportunity is only for invited applicants.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £500,000. EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC. To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation.

Check if your organisation is eligible . EPSRC standard eligibility rules apply. For full details, visit EPSRC’s eligibility page .

The project lead is the individual who takes responsibility for the intellectual leadership of the project and its project management.

They will be our main point of contact for the application and must be: based at a UK research organisation eligible for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding, which will be responsible for submitting the grant application to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) hold a lecturer or equivalent position at a UK higher education institution, research council institute, or a UKRI-approved independent research organisation hold either a permanent contract with the relevant research organisation or be a fixed-term employee with a contract term that extends beyond the duration of the proposed research project Project co-leads are expected to meet all the eligibility criteria of principal investigators except for the requirement to hold a contract that extends beyond the end date of the proposal.

The researcher co-lead role can be used for named postdoctoral (or equivalent) research assistants who merit appropriate recognition for making a significant contribution to developing the grant application or whose input is essential to its successful outcome. We also welcome research technical professionals and professional research and investment strategy managers as co-applicants, where necessary.

The fund will be open to researchers across the UK who can demonstrate prior awards relevant to engineering and physical sciences. Eligible previous funding may come from EPSRC, other UKRI councils, Horizon Europe, government departments, industry, international funders, and similar sources. To qualify, the award must have started on or after 1 January 2020.

Your application will need to clearly evidence how the proposed project directly follows on from the prior work. Eligible grants may include (but are not limited to) the following: International researchers The UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation Agreement do not apply to this funding opportunity. As such grants submitted to this funding opportunity cannot include an IIASA or a Norway-based project co-lead (international).

You should include all international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners. We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder. Find out more about EPSRC’s resubmissions policy .

Equality, diversity and inclusion We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers. We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances.

This includes: support for people with caring responsibilities alternative working patterns UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process. Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity.

The aim of the UKRI-Translation: EPSRC ACT Proof of Concept funding opportunity is to support and accelerate the development of new or improved technologies, products, processes, and services arising from research activities at eligible UK research organisations.

It will enable early to mid‑stage commercialisation by helping researchers apply existing research to real-world use cases through pathways such as licensing or proof of concept and prototype validation. The scheme fills a gap in the current funding landscape by providing translation and impact support to bridge the divide between research and user adoption.

Projects must clearly demonstrate how research outputs will progress beyond fundamental research to deliver benefits that contribute to domestic innovation and economic growth. A key challenge identified is the difficulty of retaining and scaling UK‑born technologies, since research often remains within universities or with start‑ups whose intellectual property is often acquired by international companies.

This funding opportunity is part of UKRI’s commitment to supporting the UK Industrial Strategy, which aims to create favourable conditions for businesses in the eight high-potential IS-8 sectors. Investment in these sectors is intended to accelerate economic growth and strengthen the UK’s global competitiveness.

Among them is the digital and technology sector, which encompasses advanced connectivity technologies (ACT) and plays a critical role in underpinning both the UK’s economic growth and its national security. This funding opportunity aims to realise part of the ambitions set out for ACT in the sector plan .

Projects considered through this funding opportunity should: be primarily within EPSRC remit build on existing engineering and physical sciences research outputs. You should provide evidence of relevant awards funded by UKRI or other funders such as EU Horizon Europe. To qualify, the award must have started on or after 1 January 2020.

support industrial uptake and collaboration with stakeholders to drive real-world implementation consider a broad range of possible impacts and unintended consequences, including economic, societal, policy and environmental, in the development and delivery of the project involve appropriate users and beneficiaries to deliver the proposed impact, with a focus on non-academic audiences and new users.

Consideration of the involvement of users and expected beneficiaries as project partners is strongly encouraged but not required until full application stage be based on a sound understanding of the benefits that its product, service, technology or insight will deliver to meet the needs of end users be scientifically and technically sound, and demonstrate a credible route to commercial viability Applications should aim to support the translation and commercialisation of research into products and services.

You are expected to work with business partners who can enable and facilitate the commercialisation activity. Applications should address one or both of the following Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) connectivity challenge themes.

Challenge one: secure and resilient networks This challenge will develop solutions which position the UK as a leader in secure communications, underpinning critical national infrastructure and economic sectors. Solutions will protect networks against interception and cyber threats, ensuring data confidentiality within legal frameworks.

This includes the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks to expand coverage and provide resilience to connectivity networks. The key outcome will be to create networks that are trustworthy, reliable, and able to withstand disruption, while preparing for emerging risks. You must demonstrate how your application will address at least one of the following network performance characteristics.

These are to: improve reliability and availability, ensuring continuity of service even during faults, cyberattacks, or natural disasters reduce recovery times following disruption, through self-healing capabilities, automation, or AI-driven detection and response strengthen end-to-end security by embedding “zero trust” principles across devices, access points, and core infrastructure prepare for future threats by demonstrating readiness for quantum-safe cryptography and advanced threat environments assure supply chains through transparent hardware/software provenance, and secure interoperability across multiple vendors safeguard critical services, ensuring that healthcare, finance, emergency, and defence communications remain protected in crisis enhance resilience to extreme events and power outages, including climate-related shocks, retaining continuity of service secure open interfaces, addressing risks linked to disaggregated and open-architecture networks reduce the cost of secure and resilient network solutions, both up front and operationally We are particularly interested in projects that will enable: AI-driven resilience: core system architectures in telecoms with built-in, explainable and trustworthy AI, not just as an add-on opportunities to stress-test secure roaming, slicing security, and cross-border service continuity solutions that contribute to international standards on secure and resilient communications Challenge two: sustainable networks This challenge will drive innovation in technologies that reduce the environmental impact of telecoms while ensuring that finite spectrum is used as effectively as possible.

The key outcome will be to create sustainable, energy-efficient networks that contribute to the UK’s clean power commitments. You must demonstrate how your application will address at least one of the following network performance characteristics.

There are to: reduce energy use per bit of data transmitted, making networks significantly more efficient than today and reducing operational costs of connectivity networks improve spectrum use, by increasing the amount of data carried per unit of spectrum and demonstrating effective spectrum-sharing methods lower carbon impact, through reductions in emissions (kgCO₂e per site-year) and increased reuse and recyclability of network equipment adapt energy use to demand, scaling power up or down depending on network traffic integrate renewable energy, demonstrating sites powered by solar, wind, or other clean sources improve thermal efficiency, reducing the energy required to cool and operate base stations and edge data centres enable circular economy models, embedding reuse, repair, and recycling into hardware and infrastructure from the design stage end-to-end lifecycle reporting, using digital product passports or equivalent methods to track environmental impact across equipment life We are particularly interested in projects that will enable: next-generation network designs that cut operational energy use by at least half compared to today’s systems AI-driven orchestration to optimise both energy and spectrum in real time shared-infrastructure models that reduce cost and environmental footprint, while extending coverage to rural and underserved areas cross-sector pilot projects that integrate telecoms with energy, transport, and healthcare systems for wider sustainability benefits Examples of activities that may be funded are: Proof of concept of a product, tool or service market exploitation, overcoming barriers to exploitation and commercialisation environmental impact and benefits exploration and estimation (where appropriate, and critical to the translation of research) This funding opportunity sits alongside a suite of other impact-driven funding routes, such as UKRI Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs), UKRI Translation: Proof of Concept, flexible funding delivered by EPSRC hubs, centres and institutes, funding available for scale-up from commercial partners, Innovate UK funding routes, among others.

Applications to this funding opportunity should have a primary focus on the translation of research or knowledge, or both, to deliver defined benefits. We would not expect to see significant new fundamental research in your application.

We do however recognise that achieving impact does not always follow a linear pathway, so some incremental research may be included in the application, provided it delivers against objectives and is not the primary activity.

We encourage you to engage with EPSRC Future Communications investments such as the Federated Telecoms Hubs including JOINER , CHEDDAR , HASC and TITAN and their FTH function, the National Dark Fibre Facility (NDFF) , among others. This funding opportunity runs alongside additional opportunities offered by Innovate UK. More details will be available soon.

The duration of this award can be up to two years. Projects must start by 1 January 2027. Grant extensions beyond the applied grant duration will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, in line with the Equality Act 2010, and will require our agreement on a case-by-case basis.

The Full Economic Cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £500,000; however, we are expecting to fund a range of projects between the value of £100,000- £500,000. EPSRC will fund 80% of the FEC. The funding is subject to business case approval.

a contribution to the salary of the project lead and project co-lead(s) support for other posts such as specialist and technical staff collaboration and stakeholder engagement impact and knowledge exchange activities estates and indirect costs equipment (between £25,000 to £400,000 per item) Quotes for equipment do not need to be included in your application, but please retain quotes for equipment costing more than £138,000 as we may ask for these at post-panel stage before releasing funds.

For details of how to include equipment in your application see Equipment on research grants . The Proof of Concept funding opportunity is not a standard research project.

This opportunity will not fund: fundamental or curiosity-driven research public engagement activities the filing of intellectual property (for example, patent, trademark, registered design) projects focused solely on delivering training costs relating to students applied or contract research conducted on behalf of commercial organisations projects at a stage where they could already be funded by commercial partners projects that would more appropriately be funded through our existing critical mass investments (such as centres, hubs and institutes) applications primarily outside our remit Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks. See further guidance and information about TR&I , including where you can find additional support.

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service, so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system. The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI. Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page: Confirm you are the project lead. Answer questions directly in the text boxes.

You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.

Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI. Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility.

The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant. Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. When including images, you must: provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit).

insert each new image onto a new line. use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format. Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words.

The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include: sentences or paragraphs of text excessive quantities of images A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see: how applicants use the Funding Service how research offices use the Funding Service how reviewers use the Funding Service References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application. Hyperlinks can be used in reference information.

When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that: references are easily identifiable by the assessors references are formatted as appropriate to your research persistent identifiers are used where possible General use of hyperlinks Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information.

You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.

For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment . EPSRC must receive your application by 3 September 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines. Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the opportunity. EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications. We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely.

For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice . If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email TFSchangeEPSRC@epsrc. ukri.

org Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include: individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave) additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection the application is an invited resubmission For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice .

Institutional matched funding There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations.

Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged. This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.

EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at EPSRC Funding Applications Outcomes If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research . In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.

We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information.

Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example: the wider research community Guidance for writing a summary Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of: the challenge the project addresses potential applications and benefits List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: project co-lead (UK) (PcL) professional enabling staff research and innovation associate Only list one individual as project lead.

UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application. Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications .

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work, considering the market opportunity?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how your proposed work: is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s), has the potential to address a stakeholder need, technological challenge, or exploit a market opportunity, meets the needs of potential users and could lead to the development or deployment of a new or improved product, service or technology is timely given current trends, context, and needs, impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment meets the strategic aims of the funding opportunity Within the Vision section we also expect you to identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be.

References may be included within this section. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

How will you deliver your proposed work and support its route to market?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how you have designed your approach so that it: includes clear plans for outputs and outcomes to reach their intended market or users is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives is feasible, and is supported by technical, research or scientific evidence comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts includes any key deliverables or translation milestones, or both if applicable, uses a clear and transparent methodology Within the Approach section we also expect you to: demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work provide a detailed project plan including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or similar describe how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Applicant and team capability to deliver Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have: the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. The word count for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI .

You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings: contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships contributions to the wider research and innovation community contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit Provide any further details relevant to your application.

This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them). Complete this as a narrative.

Do not format it like a CV. References may be included within this section. The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service. A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research.

This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Add the following project partner details: the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable) the project partner contact name and email address the type of contribution (direct or indirect) and its monetary value If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made. Project partners: letters (or emails) of support Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the ‘Project partners’ section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A.

Each letter or email you provide should: confirm the partner’s commitment to the project clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them describe any additional value that they bring to the project the page limit is two sides A4 per partner The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service. Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the ‘Project partners’ section. For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Do not provide letters of support from host and project co-leads’ research organisations. Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility? What the assessors are looking for in your response If you need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures.

Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.

For each requested facility you will need to provide the: name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 42KB) proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list confirmation you have their agreement where required Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above.

If you do not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service. Resources and cost justification What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular: significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences) any equipment that will cost more than £25,000 any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities all facilities and infrastructure costs all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’ You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project.

For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders . Where a funding limit is imposed on the opportunity, requested costs for reasonable adjustments may exceed the maximum funding amount. Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources.

Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work: are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes maximise potential outcomes and impacts How will you actively engage with relevant stakeholders on an ongoing basis throughout the project to ensure that it appropriately meets their needs and delivers the anticipated benefits?

What the assessors are looking for in your response You should provide evidence for how you will: manage any intellectual assets and intellectual property, including an intellectual property (IP) management and exploitation plan, and protection of foreground IP and market position disseminate and communicate the outputs of your project, including access to potential future investments develop relationships with the identified partners, collaborators and other beneficiaries of your project foster genuine and committed two-way engagement with relevant stakeholders, such that they can shape or co-deliver the project to ensure that benefits are delivered incorporate learning and feedback from your stakeholders into your project on an ongoing basis to be resilient to changing external circumstances and user behaviours You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. References may be included within this section. What the assessors are looking for in