High Potential Business Framework

The High Potential Business Framework is Innovate UK's assessment methodology for identifying and prioritising deep-tech companies under its 2026 portfolio management model. The framework evaluates businesses on four dimensions: team capability, technical breakthrough, talent pipeline, and market readiness — a structure more consistent with VC scoring than traditional grant criteria.

The framework was introduced as part of Innovate UK's shift from an open-competition grant body to a proactive portfolio manager. Where previous grant rounds assessed applications against programme-specific criteria, the High Potential Business Framework provides a consistent cross-sector evaluation methodology that Growth Sector Teams apply when identifying companies to engage. The four-factor structure mirrors the evaluation logic used by venture capital firms for early-stage investment decisions, reflecting Innovate UK's stated ambition to operate more like DARPA or a public venture fund.