UKRI
UK public body funding research and innovation across nine councils including Innovate UK.
Last refreshed: 13 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is UKRI cutting grants while pretending to improve innovation support?
Timeline for UKRI
Published Innovate UK prospectus through UKRI channels
UK Startups and Innovation: Innovate UK adopts DARPA-style portfolio modelMentioned in: UK grant count falls to 10-year low
UK Startups and Innovation- Why has the UK grant count fallen to a 10-year low?
- UKRI data shows a multi-year decline in total grants awarded, partly reflecting a deliberate shift towards concentrating funding in fewer, higher-value awards rather than broad distribution.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation
- What is the difference between UKRI and Innovate UK?
- UKRI is the parent body; Innovate UK is one of its nine councils, specifically focused on business-facing innovation funding rather than academic research.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation
- How does UKRI decide who gets funding?
- UKRI uses peer review panels, competition processes, and, increasingly under the Velocity model, active portfolio management that concentrates support behind its strongest recipients.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation
Background
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the umbrella body overseeing nine research and innovation funding councils in the United Kingdom, including Innovate UK, the ESRC, EPSRC, and AHRC. The organisation appeared in two separate Lowdown events this cycle: a fall in the overall UK grant count to a ten-year low, raising questions about funding distribution; and Innovate UKs adoption of a new DARPA-style portfolio management model called the Velocity programme. related event
UKRI was created in 2018 to consolidate previously fragmented public research funding bodies. It distributes roughly PS8bn annually across basic science, applied research, and innovation grants. Innovate UK, its business-facing arm, runs programmes including Innovate UK Accelerator, knowledge transfer partnerships, and the newly announced Velocity portfolio model, which concentrates funding behind its highest-potential grant recipients rather than spreading resources evenly.
The tension visible in current data is significant: while UKRI is adopting more intensive portfolio management, aggregate grant volumes have fallen, suggesting the organisation is pruning breadth in favour of depth. For UK startup founders, that shift means fewer companies winning grants but those that do receive more sustained support. Critics argue the approach risks disproportionately benefiting larger and better-networked applicants at the expense of early-stage and regional innovators.