As we approach the end of the year, a fresh wave of funding opportunities is available for businesses across Greater Manchester and the wider North West. From government-backed loans and early-stage equity to innovation grants and sector-specific support, there are multiple routes to finance growth, resilience and transformation.
Whether you're developing cutting-edge battery technologies, scaling up in manufacturing, or exploring new digital solutions, this month’s round-up brings together funding options to help you take your next step with confidence.
Innovation funding opportunities (closing December)
DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £150 million to create scale up manufacturing facilities for zero emission vehicle technologies.
Deadline: 3 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses wanting to validate manufacturing capability and commercial viability, with manufacturing facility and process development at pilot scale or demonstration scale.
Farming Innovation Programme: Feasibility Round 4
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £4.8million for feasibility projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, part of the Farming Innovation Programme.
Deadline: 3 December 2025, 11:00am
Who Should Apply: UK businesses looking to conduct feasibility studies investigating new solutions that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.
MSI: SME resource and energy efficiency – industrial research
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £15.5 million across the two strands of this competition, to develop industrial digital technologies.
Deadline: 10 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses with projects carrying out activity that develops and tests innovative digital solutions to improve resource or energy efficiencies in SME manufacturers.
MSI: SME resource and energy efficiency – feasibility studies
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £15.5 million across the two strands, to develop industrial digital technologies.
Deadline: 10 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses looking to carry out feasibility studies for innovative digital solutions to improve resource or energy efficiencies in SME manufacturers.
CAM Pathfinder: Enable
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £15 million for projects to trial Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) services for future deployment at scale.
Deadline: 17 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses with advanced CAM services in high value areas looking to convert these into commercial offerings.
CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £20 million for technology focused research and development projects for close to market Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions.
Deadline: 17 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses in the early commercialisation of CAM technologies.
Battery Innovation Feasibility Studies Round 1
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million for innovation in battery technologies for electrification.
Deadline: 17 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses working on innovations that can support the industry challenges, remove hurdles and enable UK competitiveness across the battery value chain.
Battery Innovation Concept Development Round 1
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million for innovation in battery technologies for electrification.
Deadline: 17 December 2025, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses working on innovations that can support the industry challenges, remove hurdles and enable UK competitiveness across the battery value chain
Innovation funding opportunities (Closing January)
Eureka GlobalStars Japan 2026
UK organisations can apply for funding to collaborate on industrial research projects with partners in Eureka member countries and Japan.
Deadline: 21 January 2026, 11:00am
Who should apply: Businesses with collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research developed between the UK, Japan and the other Eureka participating countries.
Applying for grant funding can be daunting; from finding the right fund to preparing an application, support is available to you.
If you’re an Innovation business, reach out to your Specialist today, to find out more about how we can help you reach your innovation and business goals in 2025.
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