Growth Sector Teams
Innovate UK's sector-aligned proactive scouting teams replacing open-competition grant applications.
Last refreshed: 13 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Growth Sector Teams
Innovate UK opens £9.3m rail and agritech competitions
UK Startups and Innovation- What are Innovate UK Growth Sector Teams?
- Innovate UK Growth Sector Teams proactively scout high-potential businesses across six priority sectors rather than waiting for grant applications, replacing the reactive open-competition model.Source: Lowdown uk-startups-and-innovation U#4
- How has Innovate UK changed how it finds companies to fund?
- Innovate UK's Growth Sector Teams now actively scout companies in priority sectors, making the first move rather than waiting for applications — a shift toward a VC-style sourcing model.Source: Lowdown uk-startups-and-innovation U#4
Background
Growth Sector Teams are a core element of Innovate UK's 2026 operating model, unveiled as part of the DARPA-style portfolio management prospectus. Rather than waiting for companies to apply for competitive grants, Growth Sector Teams actively scout and engage high-potential businesses across six priority sectors — creating an outreach model more similar to a corporate development or VC sourcing function than traditional public grant administration.
The six priority sectors for Innovate UK's Growth Sector Teams are aligned with government industrial strategy: AI and data, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, transport, and agritech. Teams are composed of sector specialists with industry backgrounds who can identify companies before they reach formal application stage. This shift reflects Innovate UK's acknowledgement that the best deep-tech companies often do not respond well to open-call grant competitions, preferring direct investor-style engagement.