34 open / rolling
9 opening soon
52 total opportunities
💰 Open & Rolling
Actively accepting applications
NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) 2027 Cohort NEW
Funder: NHS England / UCLPartners
Type: Fellowship & Scale-up Programme
Open — closes 27 Sep 2026
Three-year fellowship supporting innovators to scale proven solutions across the NHS. Mentoring, NHS connections, adoption pathways. Perfect for rehab-tech companies with evidence ready to scale.
UK-Singapore Collaborative R&D 2026
Funder: Innovate UK / Enterprise Singapore
Amount: Up to £900k per UK project
Open — closes 4 Nov 2026
Bilateral innovation in life sciences / medtech. For rehab-tech companies with Singapore collaborators expanding into Asian markets. Consortium required with business from each country.
MRC Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) Round Five
Funder: MRC / UKRI
Amount: £50m total fund
Opens 1 Oct 2026 — outline closes 3 Feb 2027
Large-scale interdisciplinary research centres tackling complex health challenges. Major opportunity for rehab-tech research hubs.
Arthritis UK Translational Call 2027
Funder: Arthritis UK
Amount: Up to £250k
Outline opens 16 Sep 2026 — closes 28 Oct 2026
Proof-of-concept funding for novel musculoskeletal technologies — medical devices, orthotics, prosthetics, assistive tech targeting arthritis and mobility impairment.
NIHR HTA: Improving Mobility & Quality of Life After Stroke — Full App Stage
Funder: NIHR
Type: Commissioned Call
Closes 17 Sep 2026
Full applications invited from shortlisted teams. Examining clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve walking and mobility after stroke. Directly rehab-relevant.
EIT Health Innovation Uptake Call 2026
Funder: EIT Health (Horizon Europe)
Amount: Up to €650k (50% co-funding)
Closes 16 Sep 2026
Mature digital, data-driven and AI-powered healthcare solutions ready to scale across European markets. SMEs lead and receive €400k–€500k. Strong for digital rehab tools.
EMERGE RehabTech Impact Acceleration Fund Round 2
Funder: UKRI
Amount: Up to £50k
Closes 30 Sep 2026
UKRI-funded impact accelerator specifically for rehabilitation technologies. Two routes: concept primer (early-stage ideas) and impact accelerator (developed projects). Directly rehab-tech focused.
NIHR DSE Award Cohort 11
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £200k
Closes 4 Nov 2026
Developing Service Excellence Awards fund NHS/service-led innovations. Good for rehab tech embedded in service delivery improvement.
NIHR HTA Application Development Awards
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £20k
Closes 12 Nov 2026
Funding to develop a full HTA application. Ideal for rehab researchers preparing a large-scale health technology assessment proposal.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Round 11 — Business & Non-Academic Route
Funder: UKRI
Amount: £100k–£3m
Closes 4 Nov 2026
Flagship UKRI fellowship for business/non-academic innovators. Could fund a rehab-tech spinout lead or industry R&D director building rehabilitation technology.
NIHR i4i Product Development Awards — August 2026 Cycle
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £1m+
Full apps close 23 Sep 2026
Flagship NIHR translational funding for medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health technologies. Strong fit for rehab tech at clinical evaluation stage.
MRC Proof of Concept Stage One
Funder: MRC / UKRI
Amount: No funding cap
Closes 18 Nov 2026
Translational funding for novel medical devices, diagnostics, digital health from prototype to early-phase clinical studies (up to phase 2a). Open to MRC-eligible UK researchers.
NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) July 2026
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £500k
Outline closes 28 Oct 2026
Applied health research covering NHS and social care practice. Strong for rehab tech researchers generating real-world evidence for NHS adoption.
NIHR Programme Development Grants (PDG)
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £150k
Open — rolling
Funding to develop a future programme of research. Ideal for building a large-scale rehab tech research proposal with preparatory work.
NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) June 2026
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Multi-million
Open — closing TBC
Ambitious multidisciplinary programmes of applied health research. Rehab tech research at scale — large team, substantial budget, real patient impact.
NIHR i4i FAST — October 2026 Cycle
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £100k
Opens 7 Oct 2026 — closes 2 Dec 2026
Fast-track feasibility studies for medical technologies. Minimum TRL 5, single-stage application, no NHS partner needed. Quick route to test rehab tech concepts.
NIHR HTA Commissioned Call: Interventions for Children with Nonprogressive Motor Speech Disorders
Funder: NIHR
Outline closes 18 Nov 2026
Examining interventions for children and young people with nonprogressive motor disorders affecting their speech. Direct rehab relevance for speech/motor therapy innovation.
NIHR Research Programme for Social Care (RPSC) March 2026
Funder: NIHR
Outline closes 30 Sep 2026
Social care evidence generation funding including rehab tech that supports independent living and care delivery. Good for community-based rehab technologies.
NIHR NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity (HTA Programme)
Funder: NIHR / NICE
Open — rolling
Apply to meet research recommendations in NICE guidance. If a rehab technology features in NICE guidance, this is a direct funding route for generating evidence.
EIT Health Transformative Healthcare Instrument 2026
Funder: EIT Health
Amount: €300k–€500k (50% co-funding)
Closes 16 Sep 2026
Funding for high-potential European medtech/digital health/AI startups. Requires 4+ FTEs, €2M+ prior investment. For rehab-tech startups at clinical PoC stage.
NIHR i4i Connect
Funder: NIHR
Amount: £50k–£150k
Open — rolling
Supports SMEs to reach next stage in their development pathway and apply for further funding. Good stepping-stone for rehab tech startups.
Stroke Association Postgraduate Fellowships — Competition 1
Funder: Stroke Association
Open — deadline TBC
New scheme round for both non-clinical (Postgraduate Fellowship) and clinical-academic (CPGF) routes. Building independent stroke rehabilitation research careers.
MRC / Vivensa Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship
Funder: MRC / Vivensa Foundation
Open — rolling
Co-funded professional doctorate for clinicians in ageing-related research — mobility, falls, rehab of older adults. Strong route for clinician-researchers in physio/rehab.
Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers — Round 36
Funder: Academy of Medical Sciences
Amount: Up to £40k
Open — rolling
Start-up funding for research-active clinical lecturers. Ideal for clinician-researchers in rehab/physio building evidence for devices or digital tools.
Medilink Investment Pitching Competition 2026
Funder: Medilink
Closes 6 Oct 2026
UK medtech companies pitch for investment/exposure at flagship Medilink event. Strong route for rehab-tech startups (devices, wearables, digital tools) to reach investors.
EPSRC Healthcare Technologies ICURe Engage — November 2026
Funder: EPSRC
Amount: Up to £2.5k
Closes 9 Oct 2026
Four-week market exploration programme for healthcare tech researchers. Open to EPSRC-eligible PDRAs and PhD students exploring rehab tech commercialisation.
Propel Healthtech West Yorkshire Accelerator
Funder: West Yorkshire Investment Zone
Amount: Free programme
Closes 25 Sep 2026
Six-month accelerator for healthtech SMEs with Start-Up and Scale-Up tracks. Expert masterclasses, NHS network access, mentoring. Free with £4.5m backing.
3rd UK-Switzerland Bilateral Call for Joint Innovation Projects
Funder: Innovate UK
Amount: Up to £450k per UK project
Open — deadline TBC
Collaborative R&D with Swiss partners in Life Sciences/MedTech including robotic rehab tech and human therapy applications. Requires consortium with businesses from both countries.
MRC Early Independence: Career Development Fellowship
Funder: MRC / UKRI
Amount: Up to 5 years funding
Closes 15 Sep 2026
For post-PhD researchers transitioning to independence. Open across MRC remit including translational/rehab research. Strong fit for rehab-tech researchers.
Primary Care Accelerator — Cohort 2
Funder: DigitalHealth.London
Open — rolling
Accelerator for digital health solutions targeting primary care. Rehab tech with a community or GP-setting angle could be a strong fit.
Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships 2026-27
Funder: Royal Academy of Engineering
Amount: Up to £75k
Open — now accepting applications
12-month deep-tech accelerator for researchers/recent graduates spinning out rehab tech startups. No equity taken, no fees. Ideal for engineering-led rehab innovations.
Yorkshire MedTech Impact Funding Round 6
Funder: Yorkshire health innovation
Amount: £15k–£120k
Open — deadline TBC
Three-tier medtech translation funding for academic/NHS teams with industry collaboration. Good regional route for rehab tech in the Yorkshire region.
SH&P Pitch & Protect 2026
Funder: SH&P
Amount: £10k IP support
Closed
IP support fund for UK startups. Closed 24 July 2026. Keeping for reference.
📅 Opening Soon
Not yet accepting applications — keep on your radar
NIHR i4i FAST — October 2026 Cycle
Funder: NIHR
Amount: Up to £100k
Opens 7 Oct 2026
Fast-track feasibility studies for medical technologies. Single-stage application, no NHS partner needed. Quick route to test rehab tech concepts at minimum TRL 5.