The £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund goes live
7th October, 2025
The government has launched the £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, inviting public authorities, businesses and universities from across the country to work together to apply for grants worth up to £20m each.
In this article, Alexander Rose looks into how triple helix partnerships can secure grants to deliver projects that drive economic growth through cutting edge innovation and the likely pinch points that will arise.
The government regards innovation as an important driver of future economic growth and has committed to “capitalise on the UK’s excellence in science and innovation to ensure our world-class research translates to commercial success“.
To do this it has put forward a series of initiatives, including backing projects through public funding. In July 2025, the government announced that 10 locations (Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, North East, Greater London, Glasgow City Region, Cardiff Capital Region and the Belfast to Londonderry Corridor) would each receive allocations of £30m each to be invested in local innovation projects as part of the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. Examples of projects that will benefit from this round of funding include the Advanced Diagnostics Accelerator in Manchester and Space Park Leicester.
The government has now announced the second part of the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund – a competition in which the triple helix partnerships in other parts of the country can apply to secure grants of up to £20m.
Which organisations can apply for a £20m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund grant?
The government is inviting bids from parts of the country that did not benefit from £30m allocations in the first round. Applications should be developed by “Triple Helix Partnerships” which means stakeholders from academia, business and the public sector working together to develop projects that drive the growth of a particular innovation cluster.
The bid itself will need to be submitted by a ‘leader bidder’ able to “coordinate the response and represent the cluster opportunity“. This must be a:
- higher education provider
- research institute
- public sector research establishment
- NHS body
- independent research organisation; or
- a Mayoral Strategic Authority, or other local government body.
What types of project can be funded through A LPIF grant?
The primary objectives of the fund are to:
- foster the growth of mature innovation clusters by deepening their capabilities and expanding their reach
- support emerging clusters, to grow and mature their ecosystems enhancing their capability of generating substantial economic value
- support the adoption, diffusion, and commercialisation of new technologies
- strengthen local partnerships and governance to deliver place-based innovation
Therefore projects are expected to “support the conversion of research excellence into tangible products, services, or technologies that deliver impact through increased productivity, greater investment, and the creation of high-value jobs“.
This provides applicants with significant discretion as to how to design their projects.
What does the application process focus upon?
The application is set out as an expression of interest form, which is then worked up into a more detailed business case. It requires the triple helix partnership to make the case for the grant including:
- identifying the cluster opportunities that will be supported;
- how the grant can contribute to the national Local Growth Plan priorities;
- the operational capacity of the partnership; and
- the governance structures in place to manage public money.
Where can bidders find out more information?
More information on the fund can be found in the guidance. A webinar will be held on 29 October 2025 that will provide more information for interested bidders.
When must applications for funding be submitted?
The expression of interest deadline is 4pm 12 February 2026.
What happens after expressions of interest are submitted?
UK Research and Innovation, which is administering the fund, plans to shortlist the best expressions of interest received, thereafter working with the chosen triple helix partnerships to “co-develop detailed proposals that demonstrate how they can turn research into real-world solutions“.
An independent assessment panel will then evaluate applications based on their potential for economic impact, strength of local partnerships, alignment with national priorities and compliance with funding rules.
What are the pinch points likely to be in the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund?
There is likely to be significant interest in this fund given the value of the grants available, but also the breadth of projects that can be supported.
What this means in practice is that extra care should be taken at the Expression of Interest stage to ensure that the proposition put forward is as compelling as possible. That means clearly articulating the benefits of the proposal and the outputs that it will deliver, but also anticipating compliance questions and providing assurance upon such points.
Conclusion
The £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is a superb opportunity for innovation clusters to scale up and improve their proposition to the market. Given the expected demand, care should be taken to articulate the benefits of the proposed project clearly and concisely, addressing any compliance issues at the outset.
Ward Hadaway is the first choice legal adviser for many of the country’s leading public authorities, businesses and universities. Our expert public funding lawyers can help you secure public funding.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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