What’s on offer
Innovate UK has opened a new funding competition offering UK registered businesses a share of up to £1.5 million for quantum technology projects developed jointly with Dutch partners. The competition, run through the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) portal, opens on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and closes on Tuesday 9 February 2027 at 11am.
The cash comes from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with Innovate UK administering the UK side of the scheme. The money is conditional on a sufficient number of high quality applications coming forward, so the full £1.5 million is not guaranteed to be allocated.
The catch: you need a Dutch partner
This is not a scheme UK companies can enter alone. Applicants must collaborate with at least one Netherlands based business that is applying in parallel under the equivalent programme run by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Innovate UK describes the Dutch firm as a “non-linked” partner, meaning it cannot be a related company.
The funding is split by nationality rather than pooled. UK applicants apply through the IFS portal to Innovate UK and are funded by Innovate UK. The Dutch partner applies separately to RVO and is funded entirely by RVO, with Innovate UK stating plainly that Netherlands based partners “will not receive any funding” from the UK side.
What reviewers are looking for
Innovate UK says proposals must show genuine co-innovation between the two countries, a credible route to commercialisation, and a plan to address a specific technological challenge with global market exploitation potential. This is squarely aimed at quantum technologies moving from research towards product and market readiness, rather than blue sky academic work.
Applicants should also be aware this is a competitive process with a hard funding limit. Innovate UK is candid that not every project will be funded even if it scores well, citing a roughly 33% success rate based on similar past competitions. The organisation also says it assesses an applicant’s prior conduct, including whether a business has outstanding payments owed to Innovate UK or UKRI, as part of its funding decisions.
What it means for UK quantum firms
For UK quantum technology companies, this is a relatively narrow but potentially useful funnel: a route to UKRI money specifically tied to building commercial links with the Dutch quantum sector, which has its own strong research and startup base. The requirement to find and formalise a partnership with a Dutch firm before the closing date adds a layer of work beyond the usual grant application process, so businesses interested in applying have a lead time to identify and agree terms with a Netherlands based collaborator before the window closes.
What to watch next
The competition opens on 3 November 2026 and runs until 9 February 2027 at 11am. UK businesses considering an application will need to have a Netherlands based partner lined up and ready to submit its own application to RVO in parallel, since funding on each side depends on the corresponding national application being made. Full eligibility, scope and application detail is set out on the Innovate UK Business Connect / IFS competition page.