ATI Strategic Programme Outline Stage (November 2026): Apply by 13 November

ATI Strategic Programme Outline Stage (November 2026): Apply by 13 November

The next Strategic Programme Outline Stage is announced, but its application window has not opened yet. The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) lists the November 2026 competition as opening on Monday 2 November at 9am UK time and closing on Friday 13 November at 11am. ATI labels the application process closed until the opening date; the metadata deadline records the close of this published window. ATI says dates can change, so applicants should recheck its live Strategic Programme page and competition dates before submitting.

This is the current Outline Stage competition in the ATI Strategic Programme. The programme changed its first-stage process in 2026: applicants now submit a presentation through the ATI website and, if their project passes the eligibility check, present it to a panel. The November 2025 expression-of-interest competition described in older material is closed. Its former IFS form, questions and appendices are not the application method for the November 2026 round.

Key details

The ATI Strategic Programme supports technology research and development and capital infrastructure investment that can strengthen UK civil aerospace and its supply chain. It is competitive funding. A scheduled competition date does not guarantee that a proposal will be funded or invited to a later stage. ATI also states that a 2.5% industrial contribution applies to the programme; applicants should include this in their funding assumptions and confirm how the contribution applies to their project in the live cost guidance.

Funding: what the £18 million figure means

There is no grant at the Outline Stage. This is a selection step, not a small award that pays for preparing a full proposal. If ATI recommends a project and the responsible government department approves progression, the applicant may be invited to submit a Full Stage Application. Funding is considered at that later stage and remains competitive. ATI describes the programme as having a 60:40 funding ratio and a 2.5% industrial contribution to ATI. For industrial research, the project-level grant request is capped at 60% of eligible project costs; each partner’s grant rate is also limited by organisation size. The overall 60% cap still applies when partners’ individual rates are added together.

ATI states a maximum grant of £18 million per organisation. For industrial research, total requested grant funding cannot exceed 60% of total eligible project costs. Within that project-level ceiling, individual commercial partners may request up to 70% of their eligible costs if they are small or micro organisations, 60% if medium sized, and 50% if large. These partner limits do not increase the overall 60% cap. The remaining project costs must be covered by the participating organisation or consortium.

Capital infrastructure projects have a separate maximum of £18 million per project and a 50% project-level grant limit. ATI says research organisations and academic institutions may apply for up to 100% funding for capital projects where the work is non-economic; all awards remain competitive and are assessed for value for money at Full Stage. The project must be a research project or capital infrastructure project; it cannot combine the two categories. Check the current guidance before building a financing plan, because the exact permitted costs and assessment apply at Full Stage, not at Outline Stage.

Who can apply

For a research project, the lead must be a UK-registered business of any size. For a capital infrastructure project, the lead may be a UK-registered business, research and technology organisation, research organisation or academic institution. Academic organisations cannot lead an industrial research project. The lead may apply alone or with a consortium. Funded project-team organisations must be UK-registered businesses, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profits, public sector organisations or research and technology organisations. They must carry out their project work in the UK, intend to exploit results from or in the UK, be invited by the lead, and sign the ATI Framework Agreement. For a consortium to qualify, both the lead and at least one other organisation must request funding by entering project costs, and the application must explain the team structure and reason for collaboration. ATI separately permits non-UK non-funded partners, including EU organisations, to contribute their own funding, work in their registered country and exploit results overseas; their costs count towards eligible project costs. Overseas subcontractors are also possible, but applicants must explain why suitable UK subcontractors cannot be used, document UK suppliers approached and why they were unsuitable, and justify the cost. A lower price alone is not an acceptable reason to choose an overseas subcontractor.

The lead’s aerospace project work must take place in the UK, results must be intended for exploitation from or in the UK, and the proposal must address the aerospace technology strategy. ATI’s competition calendar labels the November 2026 Outline Stage as Batch 51. Its Strategic Programme page says Engineering Growth applies from Batch 51, which it describes as opening in January 2027 with the Outline Stage opening in September 2026; that page also says applications before the strategy change can align with Destination Zero. Because the published November calendar entry is also labelled Batch 51, ATI’s own pages leave the roadmap for this round unclear. Ask ATI which roadmap applies before finalising the proposal, and record the answer in the project’s strategy-fit planning rather than relying on the batch label alone. All applicants must read and sign the ATI Framework Agreement. ATI recommends doing this early and says it must be completed no later than 30 days after Full Stage Application notification; the submission checklist also asks consortium partners to have signed it. Check the live application checklist and allow time for signature validation. The rules for funded UK partners, non-UK non-funded partners and overseas subcontractors differ, so describe each organisation’s role and funding status accurately.

The work needs a civil aerospace application. ATI can recognise dual-use technology when the primary application is civil aerospace. The programme does not fund projects focused solely on defence, space or other industrial sectors; fundamental research, very early-stage technologies or experimental development; or projects dependent on export performance or domestic inputs. Review the official criteria for detailed exclusions and any restrictions that apply to your organisation or project.

What the Outline Stage asks you to submit

The ATI’s current Strategic Programme guidance calls for a PowerPoint presentation submitted as a PDF. It must be no more than 15 slides, no larger than 10MB, in widescreen format, using Arial and the specified minimum type sizes. If a file exceeds 15 slides, ATI says it will assess only the first 15. The deck is the core technical and commercial case; the former 2025 IFS question-by-question response and its one-page appendices should not be carried over without checking that they fit the current instructions.

Use the presentation to make the project understandable and assessable. ATI asks applicants to explain:

• Strategic fit and aircraft-level benefit: identify the relevant technology strategy priorities and show how the proposed work could benefit aircraft or UK aerospace through cost, efficiency, weight, performance or competitiveness.
• The innovation and its ambition: compare the proposed technology with current industry solutions and known competitor research. Set out the project scope, why its ambition is realistic, and the technology maturity at the start and intended end.
• Delivery plan: define work packages and partner responsibilities. Include proportionate objectives, milestones, measures of success and material delivery risks. Explain how the proposed timeline supports the stated outcomes.
• Market case and exploitation: show that a real market need exists, identify end users consulted during development, describe the competitive advantage and commercial potential, and give a credible route to market that strengthens the UK supply chain.
• Funding case: show total project costs and requested grant clearly. Distinguish eligible from ineligible costs and explain how the consortium will meet its contribution.

The Strategic Programme page also describes application details such as project title, start date, duration, total project costs and total grant request. Make sure the deck and application data tell the same story. The project duration must be appropriate to its objectives and strategy priorities; the supplied guidance does not set one universal duration for every project.

How to apply for the November 2026 round

1. Confirm the live dates and open the right programme page. ATI’s published schedule lists the November Outline Stage as opening on 2 November 2026 at 9am UK time and closing on 13 November 2026 at 11am UK time. ATI labels the application process closed and says the link opens on 2 November. Dates and times are subject to change, so recheck both the Strategic Programme page and competition dates before applying.
2. Check eligibility and programme fit before writing. Decide whether the project is industrial research or capital infrastructure. A research lead must be a UK-registered business; a capital infrastructure lead may also be a UK-registered research and technology organisation, research organisation or academic institution. Check UK project work, UK exploitation and the applicable technology strategy, and confirm that partners and any overseas subcontractors meet their separate rules. All applicants must read and sign the ATI Framework Agreement. ATI recommends completing it early and says it must be completed no later than 30 days after Full Stage Application notification; check the live submission checklist for its consortium-signature requirement. ATI also recommends early discussion with an ATI technologist; clinics and draft application feedback are optional support, not part of formal assessment.
3. Build a focused presentation. Use the current ATI criteria and technical strategy. Explain the need, novelty, project structure, market pathway and public-funding case in the permitted 15-slide PDF. Observe the file size, aspect ratio and typography rules on ATI’s page. Do not submit the old IFS form or assume that previously required EoI attachments remain required.
4. Complete and submit through the ATI website by 11am on 13 November. The application details include the project title, start date and duration, total costs (including ineligible costs), grant request for eligible costs, lead contact and location, application team, and a project summary of up to 200 words. Check every section is marked complete and the information is accurate. Follow the live checklist for partner signatures and review roles, costs and the final deck in advance; ATI says applications cannot be edited after submission.
5. Prepare to present if invited. ATI checks eligibility and invites only in-scope projects to a virtual panel presentation. The current published schedule lists eligibility and panel-presentation notifications on 17 November and panel dates from 23 to 25 November 2026. ATI describes an hour-long meeting and lists 35 minutes for the presentation and 20 minutes for questions; its agenda also sets aside five minutes for introductions and 15 minutes for panel-only assessment after presenters leave. Attendance during the presentation is limited to five consortium members including the project lead. The submitted presentation must remain materially the same for the panel; major changes may lead to disqualification.
6. Wait for the Outline Stage outcome. ATI’s schedule lists notification on 1 December 2026. Successful projects may be invited by Innovate UK to the relevant Full Stage Application competition. An invitation is not a grant award: the full application is assessed separately, includes financial and value-for-money checks, and must follow its own timetable and instructions.

How assessment works

ATI assesses Outline Stage proposals against the programme strategy and the quality of the technology and market case. The published criteria include alignment with aerospace priorities and aircraft-level benefits; novelty and credible scope; clear work packages, partner roles, milestones and measures; evidence of market need and end-user engagement; commercial potential; and a route to market that can strengthen the UK supply chain. ATI first checks eligibility and scope. Only projects that pass this check are invited to present to the panel.

Applicants should make each claim concrete. For example, name the engineering change that would improve weight or efficiency, show where the baseline comes from, and explain what evidence the project will produce. A list of technologies without a work plan is hard to assess. Likewise, a market opportunity is more convincing when the presentation identifies the users who informed it and describes the steps between project outputs and adoption. The financial request should match the work packages rather than appear as a target chosen independently of the technical plan.

The Outline Stage itself does not award funding. ATI makes recommendations to the government department responsible for progression decisions. Successful teams receive an invitation for a Full Stage Application; the later review covers the full proposal and grant decision. Keep records of the assumptions behind partner costs and delivery milestones so the full submission can be consistent with the outline case.

What changed since the November 2025 competition

The former November 2025 expression-of-interest competition is closed. The official Innovation Funding Service competition record gives an opening date of 3 November 2025 and a closing date of 26 November 2025 at 11am. The UKRI summary page for that same named competition currently displays 19 November as its closing date, so use the archived IFS brief when describing the deadline that governed the original competition. Its IFS form, question set and attachments belong to that earlier cycle and are not the submission method for the November 2026 Outline Stage. The current cycle uses ATI’s presentation-led process: submit application details and a PDF presentation through the ATI webpage during the published window, then attend a panel presentation if invited. Successful Outline Stage applicants may proceed only by invitation to a Full Stage Application. Keep material prepared for the old form separate from the current checklist, and transfer information only after checking that it answers the current criteria.

Useful preparation before the window opens

Use the time before opening to establish a credible consortium and agree who owns each work package. Confirm which partners will claim grant funding, who will contribute their own share, and how the expected outputs will be used. For a capital project, define the infrastructure, its economic activity, access model and eligible investment costs. For industrial research, be explicit about the research uncertainty and why the work goes beyond routine engineering or product development.

Talk to intended users early enough that their feedback can change the proposal. Gather evidence of the problem, performance requirements and adoption constraints. Build a concise comparison with the closest alternatives, not just a general description of the technology. Set milestones that allow assessors to see how each project year produces evidence and reduces technical or commercial risk.

Read ATI’s live funding guidance and the competition dates page again close to submission. ATI’s guidance can change, and its dates page explicitly says dates and times are subject to change. The Framework Agreement is also best handled early: ATI requires applicants to read and sign it, and notes that completing it in advance can avoid delays later. Optional ATI Hub support can help clarify fit, but it does not replace the formal criteria or guarantee progression.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit before 2 November 2026?
The listed formal application window opens on 2 November. ATI also offers a separate draft application feedback route, but that is optional support and is not the formal submission. The official application page says the formal application process is currently closed until the published opening date.

Is the 13 November deadline a UKRI IFS deadline?
No. The current Strategic Programme Outline Stage is administered through ATI’s website. IFS is used later for the Full Stage Application when Innovate UK invites a successful Outline Stage applicant.

Does the Outline Stage provide a grant?
No. ATI states that there is no funding at Outline Stage. The grant request is assessed later if the applicant is invited to Full Stage.

How much can a project receive?
ATI publishes a maximum grant of £18 million per organisation and £18 million for a capital infrastructure project, subject to the funding limits and eligible costs. Industrial research requests are capped at 60% of total eligible project costs, with partner-level limits of 70%, 60% or 50% for small or micro, medium, and large commercial organisations respectively. Capital infrastructure grants are capped at 50% of eligible project costs. The amount requested is not guaranteed; Full Stage assessment is competitive. ATI also lists a 2.5% industrial contribution to the ATI.

Is the November 2025 round still accepting applications?
No. That IFS competition is closed. Its archived brief lists 26 November 2025 at 11am as the deadline; UKRI’s summary page shows 19 November, a conflicting date. Neither date applies to the announced November 2026 window, which uses a different application route.

Where should I confirm details?
Use ATI’s Strategic Programme page for eligibility, presentation instructions and the formal application link, and its competition dates page for the schedule. For the prior cycle’s official record, see the November 2025 UKRI page and its linked IFS brief.