Pre-announcement: Engineering Biology Programme: mission hubs

Upcoming UKRI funding opportunity · Grant. Closing date to be confirmed. Opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/engineering-biology-programme-mission-hubs/

Apply for funding to pursue a flagship applied research and innovation programme aimed at harnessing engineering biology to address major industrial and societal challenges through a mission focus.

Your programme must be co-developed and co-delivered with industry and demonstrate significant potential to deliver the expected outcomes of this funding opportunity.

You must be based at a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) approved organisation.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £15 million. UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.

Projects can last up to five years.

We can offer you disability and accessibility support during the application and assessment process.

This is a pre-announcement, and the information may change. The funding opportunity is expected to open for applications in November 2026. More information will be available on this page by then.

The budget for this opportunity is subject to formal business case approval.

What we're looking for Why we’re funding this

Engineering biology mission hubs are flagship applied research and innovation programmes focused on harnessing engineering biology to address significant industrial and societal challenges. They must build engineering biology research capacity in areas of significant economic and societal importance, and enable the harnessing of this capacity by UK industry to accelerate the application of engineering biology technologies for the benefit of the UK.

This investment is part of the UKRI Engineering Biology Programme, which aims to drive UK economic growth, deliver improved social outcomes and national resilience benefits for UK citizens, and further strengthen the UK engineering biology ecosystem. The Engineering Biology Programme plays a key role in addressing the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and the…