Growth Catalyst for Early-Stage Startups, July 2025

By Tech East 4 minute read

Innovate UK’s Growth Catalyst for Early-Stage startups pilot supports innovators in 5 of the government’s frontier technologies.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

07/07/2025 00:00

Registration Closes

06/08/2025 11:00

Award

Grant funding of between £25,000 and £50,000 per project, plus other support depending on business needs.

Organisation

Innovate UK

Innovate UK’s Growth Catalyst pilot helps accelerate early-stage startups on their journey to growth. It offers services and funding to successful applicants in high-potential start-up businesses to accelerate their progress to becoming scaleups and beyond.

This pilot round of Growth Catalyst is for early-stage micro and small (pre-seed) startups on their initial journey to develop and validate technical and commercial elements of their innovation. Other Growth Catalyst pilots, potentially in other domains, are planned to run later this year.

It is for startups working in any of the following five areas from the government’s frontier technologies:

  • Advanced connectivity technologies (formerly called future telecoms)
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Engineering biology
  • Quantum technologies
  • Semiconductors

This pilot funds projects which run for 3-6 months, to be completed by 30 April 2026. Your project’s total costs and grant funding request must be between £25,000 and £50,000.

A pre-recorded briefing is available to view, with downloadable slides, and Innovate UK will hold a Q&A session on 14 July, 12noon-1pm.

We have built a suitability checker to help you make a more informed decision about whether to apply. It is optional and only takes five minutes.

Applications are open from 7 July 2025 and close on 6 August 2025 at 11am.

Who can apply?

The Growth Catalyst for early-stage startups is only open to companies who have not previously received a Grant directly from Innovate UK.

However, you are still eligible to apply if you have received funding:

  •  through Innovate UK’s Young Innovators scheme
  • directly from Innovate UK Business Growth (previously Innovate UK EDGE)
  • directly from a Catapult scheme

Your company must have fewer than 50 employees.

You must have an active business registered with Companies House by the time the project begins, with accounts filed on time if applicable.

Support and funding available

Innovate UK’s Growth Catalyst for Early-Stage Startups offers successful applicants:

  • Grant funding of between £25,000 and £50,000 from Innovate UK through the New Innovator scheme. Your total project costs will be 100% funded.
  • Innovation and business growth support from Innovate UK Business Growth, depending on business needs.
  • Facilitation of sector and industry connections and networks via Innovate UK Business Connect, depending on business needs.
  • Introductions to Catapults and access to specialised technical expertise and infrastructure, depending on business needs.
  • Learning tools and workshops to enhance innovation capabilities.

It is not open to businesses which have had funding from Innovate UK previously.

This pilot funds projects which run for 3-6 months, to be completed by 30 April 2026.

70% of the funding is paid within 14 days of the project going live.

Scope

This Growth Catalyst pilot is for early-stage micro and small (pre-seed) startups working in any of the following five areas from the government’s frontier technologies:

  • Advanced connectivity technologies (formerly called future telecoms)
    Projects that accelerate development of advanced connectivity technologies. Projects must focus on one or more of the following key technology domains as they apply specifically to the telecoms sector:

    • Compound Semiconductors & Photonic Integrated Circuits – design and fabrication for advanced connectivity applications
    • Advanced RF & Optical Wireless – wireless technologies across the electromagnetic spectrum, from RF to visible light
    • AI, Network Management & Design – AI-driven approaches to optimise, automate, and secure network infrastructure
    • Secure, Resilient & Quantum-Safe Communications – innovations to protect critical infrastructure and ensure future-proof security
  • Artificial intelligence
    • Novel AI tools, technologies or services across the AI stack
    • Clear, game-changing interventions that will contribute towards the development of trusted and responsible AI and ML solutions
  • Engineering biology
    Engineering biology encompasses the wider capabilities and ecosystem that supports the exploitation of synthetic biology for economic and public benefit. Synthetic Biology is the design, engineering and re-engineering of biologically based parts, devices and systems. We will support projects that:

    • Develop new engineering biology tools, technologies or services
    • Use innovation in engineering biology to develop new products or processes, including more sustainable manufacturing processes
  • Quantum technologies
    • Industrial products, processes or services to advance scalable solutions such as chip scale quantum, photonic and optoelectronic systems for applied quantum technologies
    • Technologies (such as qubit processor, networking, switching or control systems) for scaling quantum computers
    • Commercial hybrid quantum – classical software applications and services
  • Semiconductors
    We seek to support semiconductor design, materials and manufacture within the UK which:

    •  identify or deliver a clear, game-changing intervention and address an identified industrial requirement or improvement
    • realistically and significantly meet and provide a long-term commitment to supporting the UK semiconductor industry

Find out more and apply