Research England has announced a new £19.75 million Collaboration for a Sustainable Future programme, designed to support universities in developing more strategic, cost-effective and sustainable approaches to research and innovation through collaboration.
Launching on 1 October 2026, the programme will fund projects ranging from identifying barriers to collaboration through to piloting new partnership models and establishing ambitious cross-UK innovation partnerships. Funding opportunities will range from £10,000 to £5 million.
The programme responds to increasing pressures across the higher education sector and seeks to support universities in sharing resources, expertise and capabilities to deliver greater impact collectively. It builds on successful initiatives including Research England’s Shared Technology Transfer Office Pilot and the Cambridge x Manchester partnership.
KEUK welcomes focus on scaling collaboration to support ambition
This programme represents a significant opportunity for the knowledge exchange community. Many of the challenges facing universities today, including commercialisation capacity, business engagement, innovation support and regional economic development, are areas where collaboration can often deliver greater impact than institutions working independently.
The programme’s emphasis on shared capability, strategic partnerships and innovation-led growth aligns closely with the work of technology transfer offices, business engagement teams, innovation professionals and regional partnership managers. It also signals continued national interest in collaborative approaches that strengthen institutional resilience while accelerating research and innovation ambition and impact.
Research England’s vision
Research England Executive Chair Jessica Corner said:
“At Research England, we have been listening intently to the sector over the last few months as they face acute and accelerating pressures, and can today announce a new initiative that puts collaboration at the heart of what they do so well.
“We are keen that universities share knowledge, and at Research England we are committed to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and innovation system. We have seen enormous success over the last few years of the brilliance that can be realised when our world-leading institutions join forces. We would like to see that come to fruition in every corner of England.”
What’s being funded?
Research England is investing in activities that will help universities develop, test and scale collaborative approaches that strengthen the long-term sustainability of the UK’s research and innovation system.
The programme aims to identify barriers to collaboration, develop practical solutions, pilot innovative partnership models and support ambitious regional and cross-UK innovation partnerships.
Identifying barriers and solutions
Funding of £750,000 will support projects that bring together universities and stakeholders to identify barriers and challenges to collaboration and develop practical solutions.
- Grants between £10,000 and £100,000
- Projects of up to 12 months
- Focus on producing accessible outputs, findings and recommendations to support strategic institutional collaboration
Alongside this opportunity, Research England will launch an open survey to gather insights from the wider higher education and innovation community.
Piloting new collaborative models
Around £4 million will be available for pilot projects designed to test new ways of working across institutions.
- Grants between £100,000 and £1 million
- Projects of up to 24 months
- Focus on improving efficiency, cost-effectiveness, shared capability and sector sustainability
Projects may explore shared approaches to research and innovation support, business engagement or other collaborative models that deliver benefits across multiple organisations.
Supporting cross-UK innovation partnerships
A further £15 million will support ambitious partnerships bringing together complementary strengths from innovation ecosystems across the UK.
- Grants between £1 million and £5 million
- Projects of up to 36 months
- Designed to stimulate economic growth and deliver greater impact through collaboration
These partnerships will be expected to demonstrate how working collectively can achieve outcomes that would be difficult for individual institutions to deliver alone.
Preparing for the funding opportunities
With applications opening on 1 October 2026, now is an ideal time for universities, innovation teams and potential partners to begin exploring collaborative opportunities.
Organisations may wish to consider existing partnerships, identify shared challenges and opportunities, and start discussions around projects that could benefit from a more strategic and coordinated approach. Those interested in regional innovation, shared services, technology transfer and collaborative KE activity may find particular alignment with the programme’s objectives.
Further information
Funding opportunity details will be published on the UKRI Funding Finder when applications open on 1 October 2026.