BBSRC ICURe Explore: Funding for Innovation and Customer Discovery (UK)

Deadline: 20-Nov-2026

The BBSRC ICURe Explore programme supports UK bioscience researchers in testing and validating the market potential of innovative ideas, products, and services through an intensive 12-week, full-time market exploration programme. The programme uses lean start-up methodology to help researchers apply scientific approaches to understanding commercial viability. Participants investigate customer needs, market opportunities, supply chains, regulations, competitors, and other factors before presenting their findings to a panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and experts. Funding of up to £35,000 per team is available, alongside specialist advice, networking opportunities, and potential routes into further commercialisation through ICURe Exploit.

About BBSRC ICURe Explore

BBSRC ICURe Explore is designed to help bioscience researchers determine whether their research-based innovations have genuine market potential. Rather than requiring researchers to immediately establish a company or commercialise their technology, the programme provides a structured opportunity to test key assumptions and understand whether there is a viable market for the proposed innovation. The programme combines scientific thinking with the lean start-up methodology, allowing researchers to systematically investigate customer problems and test whether their innovation can provide a valuable solution. How the 12-Week Programme Works The programme runs for 12 weeks on a full-time basis. Participants undertake an intensive market exploration process that begins with training and continues with extensive engagement outside the research environment.

The programme includes:

- Four days of intensive bootcamp training. - Business model development. - Identification of customer pain points. - Market and customer research. - Supply-chain engagement. - Engagement with regulators. - Customer discovery. - Competitor research. - Testing of commercial assumptions. - Final presentation to a specialist panel. The process is designed to move researchers beyond assumptions and generate evidence about the real-world potential of their innovation. Lean Start-Up Methodology BBSRC ICURe Explore uses lean start-up principles to help participants test whether their bioscience innovation addresses a genuine market need. Researchers can use scientific approaches to formulate assumptions, gather evidence, speak to potential users and stakeholders, and refine their understanding of the opportunity. This approach helps participants determine whether they should continue developing the idea, modify their proposition, pursue another market, or explore a commercialisation pathway. Four-Day Intensive Bootcamp The programme includes a four-day intensive bootcamp focused on developing the foundations required for market exploration.

Training includes areas such as:

- Business model development. - Understanding customer pain points. - Identifying assumptions. - Planning market exploration activities. - Preparing for customer discovery. The bootcamp prepares participants for the intensive research and engagement that follows. Deep In-Market Research A major part of ICURe Explore involves direct engagement with the market.

Participants can conduct research involving

- Potential customers. - Supply chains. - Regulators. - Competitors. - Other relevant market stakeholders. This research enables participants to test whether their scientific innovation solves a meaningful problem and whether customers or other stakeholders would potentially adopt or support it. Customer Discovery Customer discovery is central to the programme. Researchers are encouraged to move beyond laboratory-based assumptions and directly investigate customer needs, challenges, behaviours, and priorities. Understanding customer pain points can help teams determine whether their innovation provides a solution that people or organisations genuinely value. Supply Chain and Regulatory Engagement Market potential can depend on more than customer demand. Participants can also explore the wider ecosystem surrounding their innovation, including supply chains and regulatory requirements. Engagement with these stakeholders can help researchers identify potential barriers, dependencies, opportunities, and requirements for future development. Competitor Research Participants investigate existing and potential competitors as part of the market exploration process. Competitor research can help teams understand: - Existing solutions. - Market gaps. - Competitive advantages. - Potential differentiation. - Customer preferences. - Barriers to market entry. This evidence can inform the team’s business model and commercialisation strategy. Final Investor and Expert Pitch The 12-week programme culminates in a pitch to a panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and experts. Participants present what they have learned through their market exploration and demonstrate the evidence gathered during the programme. The final pitch provides an opportunity to receive feedback from experienced individuals familiar with bioscience innovation, funding, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation. What Types of Bioscience Projects Are Supported? BBSRC ICURe Explore prioritises projects that are biological in nature or have a strong connection to biology.

Eligible innovations may:

- Be biological in nature. - Interact with biological entities. - Involve biological processes. - Address biological challenges. The programme welcomes applications from across the biosciences. Priority Bioscience Areas Applications are welcomed across a broad range of bioscience fields, including: - Agriculture and food. - Healthy ageing. - Engineering biology. - Industrial biotechnology. - Innovative tools and technologies supporting biological research. The programme is therefore relevant to researchers working across both fundamental and applied areas of bioscience where there may be potential for commercial o