Funding Competition: CfI – Engineering Biology for Defra and FSA Phase 1 (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 14-Oct-2026

Innovate UK is offering contracts to UK-based organisations to develop and scale innovative engineering biology platforms, products, and services addressing challenges identified by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The competition forms part of the UKRI Engineering Biology Programme and aims to accelerate the development and commercialisation of engineering biology solutions with applications in public health, ecosystem management, veterinary health, water quality, and food standards. Phase 1 will provide up to £3 million in total funding, with individual contracts of up to £200,000 including VAT for projects lasting up to nine months. Up to 15 projects are expected to receive support.

About the Engineering Biology Competition

The competition is designed to support organisations developing practical engineering biology solutions to clearly defined societal and regulatory challenges. Engineering biology involves the purposeful engineering of biological systems to create new or enhanced functions. Under this competition, the primary innovation must arise from, or enable, engineering biology. The programme is particularly focused on solutions that can progress toward real-world deployment and commercialisation. Key Challenge Areas Projects must address one of four specified themes. Low-Cost Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Projects can focus on developing affordable, real-time water quality monitoring systems using genomic surveillance. The aim is to improve the ability to detect and monitor water quality issues through biological and genomic approaches. Next-Generation Veterinary Vaccine Platforms Projects may develop engineering biology approaches that accelerate the development of next-generation veterinary vaccine platforms. The focus is on using engineering biology to improve or advance vaccine development and potentially strengthen responses to veterinary health challenges. Ecosystem Health and Resilience Projects can use environmental DNA (eDNA) and AI-driven functional genomics to predict ecosystem health and resilience. This theme brings together engineering biology, genomics, artificial intelligence, and environmental monitoring to generate information about ecosystem conditions and resilience. Rapid Food Standards Diagnostics Projects may develop rapid diagnostic technologies that help maintain food standards and regulatory compliance. The objective is to enable faster and more effective detection or assessment relevant to food safety and standards. What Is Engineering Biology? For this competition, engineering biology is central to the proposed innovation.

The primary innovation must either:

- Arise directly from engineering biology; or - Enable engineering biology applications. The approach involves purposeful engineering of biological systems to create new or enhanced functions. Projects should therefore demonstrate a clear connection between their proposed technology and engineering biology rather than simply applying an existing biological technology without meaningful engineering innovation. Funding Available Phase 1 has a total funding allocation of up to £3 million.

Individual projects can receive:

- Up to £200,000 per project, inclusive of VAT. - Project duration of up to 9 months. - Up to 15 projects expected to be supported. Funding is provided through a contract, rather than as a conventional grant. Project Timeline Projects funded through Phase 1 must follow the specified implementation period.

- Project start: 1 January 2027.

- Project end: 30 September 2027.

- Maximum duration: 9 months.

Applicants should ensure that their proposed R&D programme can realistically deliver meaningful outcomes within this timeframe. Who Is Eligible? The competition is open to UK-based organisations of any size.

Organisations may apply:

- Independently. - With subcontracted expertise. There is no stated restriction based on organisation size, allowing both smaller innovative organisations and larger businesses or research-driven organisations to consider the opportunity, provided they meet the competition requirements. UK-Based Project Requirement The majority of project work and funding must be spent within the UK. Applicants should therefore demonstrate that their proposed delivery model has substantial UK-based activity and expenditure. Any use of subcontractors should also fit within the overall requirement for the majority of work and funding to remain in the UK. Research and Development Requirement At least 50% of the contract value must be attributed directly to R&D services. This means applicants need to ensure that their proposed budgets contain a substantial and clearly identifiable R&D component. The project should demonstrate genuine development activity rather than focusing primarily on routine operational, commercial, or administrative expenditure. Commercialisation and Route to Market A key requirement is a credible route to market. Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed engineering biology innovation could progress beyond the funded project toward commercial use. A clear commercialisation plan should explain: - The problem being addressed. - The intended users or customers. - The value of the proposed solution. - How the technology can be developed beyond Phase 1. - The route toward market adoption. - How the organisation intends to commercialise the innovation. - The potential impact of the solution. The commercialisation pathway should be realistic and connected to the project’s technical development. Public Health, Environment and Food Applications The competition brings engineering biology into several areas of public and societal importance.

Potential applications include:

- Monitoring water quality. - Protecting veterinary health. - Understanding ecosystem health. - Improving ecosystem resilience. - Supporting environmental monitoring. - Maintaining food standards. - S