North East Accelerate Fund
North East Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures · Equity / convertible loan
Initial £50,000–£350,000, up to £1m in total
Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham · Checked
Innovation & R&D funding for North East businesses
What innovation & r&d funding can North East businesses get? We list 8 schemes, 7 of them not closed, including North East Accelerate Fund (North East Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures) and Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems (Innovate UK). Each listing shows the amount, who is eligible and the deadline, with a link to the official source; 1 closed scheme is kept for reference. Always confirm the details with the funder before you apply or spend money.
There are 8 schemes in this category, last checked 19 Oct 2026.
Innovation & R&D schemes
Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems
Innovate UK · Grant
Share of up to £1.66m. Projects £50,000–£150,000, up to 70% of costs covered
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst (operational, decision-critical, assurance and compliance strands)
Innovate UK · Grant
Up to £5m per strand (Phase 1). Each project's grant request must be between £100,000 and £200,000.
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Growth Cohorts: Next-gen low carbon concrete, Round 2
Innovate UK · Cohort entry with funding access
Funding and support. Amounts: check with funder
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Innovate UK Innovation Loans
Innovate UK · Loan
Check with funder
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
Innovate UK · Part-funded partnership
Check with funder
UK-wide (open to North East firms) · Checked
Tees Valley Investment Zone Innovation Vouchers
Teesside University / Tees Valley CA · Voucher grant
Exploration up to £50,000. Acceleration up to £300,000
Tees Valley · Checked
North East Early Stage Equity Fund
North East Fund, managed by Mercia Regional Ventures · Equity
£35m fund. Deal sizes: check with funder
Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham · Checked