Innovation funding builds on the UK’s strengths and responds to the challenges faced by industry. Funding helps businesses to grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services.

Aerospace Technology Institute

The ATI creates the technology strategy for UK aerospace, which builds on the UK’s strengths and responds to the challenges faced by the UK civil aerospace sector. It provides a roadmap of the innovation necessary to keep the UK competitive in the global aerospace market, and complements the broader strategy for the sector created by the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP). Projects funded through the ATI Programme must align with the strategy.

ATI website

NATEP

The National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme is a £20m programme to develop 80 aerospace technologies in the UK aerospace supply chain. The Aerospace Growth Partnership developed the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) aimed at small and medium sized suppliers to help them develop their own innovative technologies to enhance their capabilities and increase their ability to win new business with higher tier companies anywhere in the world.

Natep website

STEP

The Space Technology Exploitation Programme (STEP) is a new project to engage the full space supply chain to develop innovative solutions to overcome technology challenges and unlock new potential market opportunities. It will be delivered by ADS in partnership with industry on behalf of the UK Space Agency.

An initial pilot is being undertaken in Northern Ireland with more than £300,000 funding awarded to three companies who were successful in bidding for funding. Winners of the STEP pilot were announced at Space-Comm Expo 2023 and include:

ANGOKA Ltd – ANGOKA’s technology protects space based optical communications, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of data with a quantum resilient solution.

IceMOS Technology Ltd – IceMOS Technology Ltd uses an advanced engineering substrate for a Radiation Tolerant, High Voltage Silicon Carbide embedded Drain MOSFET for High-Voltage Power Distribution on Space Spacecraft for LEO, MEO and Deep Space Exploration.

Skytek Technology Ltd – AR4Space harnesses Skytek’s ground-breaking advancements in Augmented Reality technology, specifically tailored for the Spacecraft Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) sector.

£300 million awarded to Space Technology Exploitation Programme recipients

DTEP

DTEP is a £16m technology development programme that seeks to improve the competitiveness of the UK Defence supply chain. It is overseen by the Industrial Programmes team in the Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported by Innovate UK. From August​ 2023 ADS took on the Project Review Panel element of the process. Grant funding of up to 50% of a total project expenditure is available.

£670k shared by two innovators in first round of DTEP funding – 12 September 2023

DTEP funding boosts two more innovative SMEs – 29 November 2023

Outline proposal:

  • Cycle 5 – 5 December 23

Full proposal

  • Cycle 4 – 5 December 23
  • Cycle 5 – 26 March 24

Guidance document: The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme