UKRI Translation: BBSRC Proof of Concept 2026

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UKRI Translation: BBSRC Proof of Concept 2026

BBSRC’s current translation opportunity is called UKRI Translation: BBSRC Proof of Concept 2026. UKRI says this opportunity was formerly known as the Follow-on Fund. The name and application guidance have changed, while the central purpose remains moving BBSRC-supported bioscience toward practical use. The call is open, with applications due by 14 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. Use the current Funding Finder page linked above for the authoritative application route and full guidance.

Current opportunity at a glance

UKRI published this round on 5 August 2026 and lists it as open, with applications closing on 14 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. The current guidance says demand management is not being applied to this opportunity. UKRI may introduce application limits if interest exceeds what its assessment process can manage, and says it would communicate any such limits. Applicants should therefore check the live guidance and their research office’s instructions before submission rather than assume an application cap that is not currently in force.

The full project cost may be up to £800,000. The BBSRC contribution is 80% of that cost, so a project budget should distinguish the FEC from the amount requested from BBSRC. At the maximum FEC, BBSRC’s share is up to £640,000 and the host research organisation covers the standard 20%. UKRI states there is no additional institutional matched-funding requirement beyond that standard FEC share. Contributions from third-party project partners are encouraged, and separate minimum partner contributions apply when partners seek particular forms of access to foreground intellectual property.

What the programme is for

Proof of Concept supports defined translation work that develops research outputs into practical application. BBSRC is looking for a clear understanding of the market need or opportunity for the intellectual assets, a work programme with defined objectives, and a credible case that the proposed activity can optimise economic, societal, and environmental benefit. Projects must build on BBSRC-supported research or another type of BBSRC research investment and show how outputs can progress toward use.

The call includes early commercialisation projects that need to de-risk an innovative idea as well as later-stage projects with significant technical milestones. This range does not make the programme an unrestricted research extension: the application must explain the translation step, what evidence or capability the grant will produce, and how those outputs can support adoption, commercialisation, or progression toward deployment. The proposed work must sit within BBSRC remit and primarily deliver economic, societal, or environmental benefit to the UK. International markets may also benefit when UK benefit remains the primary aim.

The opportunity excludes Official Development Assistance activity and projects primarily directed at economic development or welfare outcomes in ODA-eligible countries and territories. It also excludes work focused solely on training, new research or extension of an existing research grant, applied or contract research conducted on behalf of a commercial organisation, and proposals outside BBSRC remit or the programme’s scope. Patent costs and other intellectual-property-rights costs, including licensing agreements and establishing spin-out companies, are not eligible research-grant costs. Applicants should build a realistic IP plan while keeping these excluded costs out of the request.

Eligibility and project partners

The opportunity is open to organisations with standard BBSRC eligibility. The project lead must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding, and the application must have a direct link to current or previous BBSRC-supported funding. Applications without a prior BBSRC link are not eligible. Standard BBSRC rules apply: international and overseas organisations are not eligible, and researchers based at international or overseas institutions cannot apply as project leads. Applicants should confirm their organisation’s eligibility and the precise role requirements against the current UKRI guidance before starting an application.

Industry and user involvement is strongly encouraged. A partner can help ground the work in practical needs, provide relevant facilities or expertise, and shape the route by which the output will reach users. If an application has no project partners, it should explain how industry or users shaped the project to date and how they will participate in later development. Where a partner seeks access to foreground IP, UKRI’s current guidance sets contribution thresholds: a partner seeking pre-negotiated access must contribute at least 50% of total project costs; one seeking the right to negotiate access at the end of the award must contribute at least 10%. Contributions may be cash or in kind, or a combination, and must meet the guidance for the chosen arrangement. The UKRI page provides a project partner contribution calculator. Investors may be considered as partners; BBSRC asks applicants to contact its Proof of Concept team to discuss that arrangement.

Planning a strong translation project

Begin with the BBSRC-funded result that the project will advance. Identify the relevant award or investment, summarize the work already completed, and explain why the output is ready for a translation programme now. State the unresolved technical, market, regulatory, or user question that is blocking progress. The proposed grant should address that gap through specific activities rather than repeat the earlier research programme.

The opportunity and market analysis should identify the user or customer, the problem they need solved, the alternatives they use today, and the evidence that supports demand. Explain whether the expected use is commercial, public-sector, clinical, environmental, or another practical route. Describe the likely benefits and who receives them. A market claim should be proportionate to the evidence available; distinguish verified engagement or data from assumptions that the project will test.

The route-to-market section should connect work packages to decisions and outcomes. UKRI asks for a detailed project plan with milestones and timelines, such as a Gantt chart, and expects applicants to demonstrate access to the services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment needed. Set out technical and delivery risks, mitigation, dependencies, and the change in readiness expected by the end. Explain which users will test or inform the output and what support, network, investment, or funding may be needed after the award.

The IP and communication plan should explain ownership and management of existing and new intellectual assets, freedom to operate, protection of foreground IP or market position where appropriate, and how results can be communicated without undermining future protection. Not every proposal will have a patent. Applicants should nevertheless describe how they will handle relevant IP, partner rights, and dissemination. If a partner wants access to foreground IP, align the contribution arrangement with the current thresholds and use the official calculator rather than assuming an informal contribution will satisfy them.

The broader benefit case should describe why public funding is appropriate, what wider economic or societal value may result, and how the team will maximize that value. UKRI’s assessment considers environmental and societal effects alongside commercial potential. It also asks about ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation, data management and sharing, facilities, resources and costs, and Trusted Research and Innovation. International collaboration can raise due-diligence questions. The application asks about relevant National Security and Investment Act areas, intended collaborators, and whether export-control licensing is required; answers may affect funding terms.

How to apply

Applications use the UKRI Funding Service. Je-S is not accepted for this opportunity. The project lead completes the application with contributions from team members and project partners, but only the lead research organisation can submit it to UKRI. The published route is:

1. Select Start application on the official Funding Finder page and confirm that you are the project lead.
2. Sign in to the Funding Service or create an account by selecting your organisation, verifying your email address, and setting a password.
3. Complete the application questions in the Funding Service text boxes. Answers can be saved and revisited, or drafted offline and copied into the service. Upload any documents where the current instructions request them.
4. Check the complete application in read-only view and leave time for internal review.
5. Send the application to your research office for checking. Research office and finance teams check hosting arrangements and financial eligibility.
6. The research office submits the checked application to UKRI.

Only the lead organisation submits. Applicants remain responsible for meeting the opportunity requirements, even though the research office checks the submission. Follow the live page’s upload instructions and question-specific guidance: the source page lists the assessment questions and criteria, and visual material is allowed only where indicated. Images should communicate information that is difficult to express in words; text paragraphs and tables are not permitted as images. The opportunity page also explains word limits, supporting documents, and the content expected in each response. Do not rely on an older Follow-on Fund application form or saved answers without checking them against the Proof of Concept questions.

UKRI must receive the application by 14 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. The system will not accept it after that deadline, and internal institutional deadlines may be earlier. After submission, applications cannot be changed. A complete plan should therefore include time for partner approvals, cost checks, internal research-office review, and submission by the organisation.

Assessment and practical preparation

Applications are reviewed by the Proof of Concept Committee, drawn from the BBSRC Knowledge Exchange, Translation and Commercialisation College. The committee assesses and ranks proposals against the published criteria; BBSRC makes the final funding decision. UKRI aims to complete assessment within six months of receiving an application and says applicants will receive feedback with the outcome.

The criteria cover scientific and technical merit, societal impact, economic impact, and added value. Reviewers consider technical feasibility, objectives and deliverables, risks and mitigation, novelty, likely technology-readiness gain, quality of the development plan, the strength of the team or consortium, and user or customer input. They consider non-monetary societal benefits, knowledge exchange, user needs, relevant regulatory engagement, and societal sensitivities. Economic assessment considers the business case, need, market size, competitors, value, location, commercialisation likelihood, route to market, partner support, and IP management. Added value includes whether the requested resources are a sound investment, what partners contribute during and after the project, and what happens after BBSRC support ends.

Before submitting, make sure the case reads as one connected argument: the BBSRC-supported asset creates a real opportunity; the proposed work is the necessary next translation step; milestones can test whether that step succeeds; users and partners have meaningful input; the budget matches the outputs; and a plausible route remains after the award. Keep the application self-contained and use hyperlinks only for reference information, as the UKRI guidance instructs. For current eligibility, the exact application questions, contacts, webinar information, and supporting documents, use the official Funding Finder page because it is the live source for this open opportunity.