Contracts for Innovation FOAK26
Innovate UK 2026 transport innovation funding strand; £4.3m, closes 24 June 2026.
Last refreshed: 13 May 2026
Timeline for Contracts for Innovation FOAK26
Innovate UK opens £9.3m rail and agritech competitions
UK Startups and Innovation- What is Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation FOAK26?
- FOAK26 is Innovate UK's 2026 transport innovation funding strand offering £4.3m via procurement contracts (not grants) for first-of-a-kind transport technology deployments. Applications close 24 June 2026.Source: Lowdown uk-startups-and-innovation U#4
- How do Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation work?
- Unlike grants, Contracts for Innovation are public-sector procurement contracts awarded to companies to deliver novel solutions. The government is buying an outcome, not funding research — which de-risks the technology for follow-on private investment.Source: Innovate UK
- When does the Innovate UK FOAK26 transport competition close?
- The Contracts for Innovation FOAK26 transport strand closes on 24 June 2026, with £4.3m available.Source: Lowdown uk-startups-and-innovation U#4
Background
Contracts for Innovation FOAK26 (First of a Kind 2026) is an Innovate UK transport-innovation funding strand offering £4.3m in total, with applications closing on 24 June 2026. It is part of Innovate UK's £93m combined competition opening confirmed in May 2026. The programme funds proof-of-concept trials for novel transport technologies at the point where private capital has not yet entered — the 'first of a kind' deployment phase.
Contracts for Innovation is Innovate UK's procurement-innovation model, distinct from grants: participating companies receive public-sector contracts to deliver novel solutions to government challenges, rather than grant awards. FOAK programmes have been used in rail, autonomous vehicles, and clean transport. The FOAK26 strand targets transport innovations where a first deployment contract can de-risk subsequent private investment.