The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced a new funding call to support innovation across four priority themes of the National Materials Innovation Strategy. This call is the latest to emerge from the National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP), reflecting continued investment in advancing the UK’s materials capabilities.
Building on previous NMIP-led initiatives, this funding opportunity reinforces the programme’s role in delivering the ambitions set out in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan under the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. It aims to accelerate progress in key areas identified by the strategy, supporting research and innovation that can drive economic growth and technological leadership.
The Materials Innovation Programme Coordination Network Pluses Call provides the opportunity for UK research organisations to apply for funding to establish a materials focused Network Plus, that coordinates a community around one of four identified themes aligned to the National Materials Innovation Strategy (NMIS).
Each network will partner with Innovate UK Business Connect, to unite research and industrial stakeholders across the value chain, to accelerate translation and adoption of materials innovations, streamline access to UK capabilities and enhance integration between industry and academia.
One Network Plus investment (for a maximum award of £1,150,000) has been earmarked for each of the following NMIS themes:
- Materials for energy solutions
- Materials for future healthcare
- Materials for advanced surface technologies
- Materials for next generation electronics, telecommunications and sensors
Advanced Materials is highlighted as one of six “frontier manufacturing industries” with the greatest growth potential in the Industrial Strategy’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, with a £80 million commitment to deliver the National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP).
NMIP aims to stimulate a diverse range of high impact activity linked to the wider UK Industrial Strategy – supported by input from the Materials Innovation Leadership Group, originally convened by Royce to help steer the National Materials Innovation Strategy.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
Find out more and apply at: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/materials-innovation-programme-coordination-network-pluses/
Find out more about the National Materials Innovation Strategy here.
