🦝 UK Rehabilitation Technology Funding

Brand-new UK-Singapore bilateral funding call under NIHR's i4i programme and Singapore's LeapX initiative. Supports late-stage healthcare innovations — medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health — with clinical validation, regulatory clearance, health economics and real-world evaluation to accelerate adoption. Requires UK-Singapore partnerships. Up to £500k for the UK side and SGD$750k for the Singapore side over 24 months. Strong fit for UK rehab-tech companies with a Singapore partner who have a technology nearing clinical ready — e.g. a wearable recovery sensor, neurorehab device, AI-powered physio platform, or assistive tech ready for regulatory evidence generation. Priority to innovations aligned with NHS 10-Year Health Plan shifts: community care, digital, and prevention.

Brand-new cohort of NIHR's doctoral-level career development award, opened 3 November 2026. Fully funded PhD backing for early-career researchers across all health and care professions — including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals wanting to build a research career in rehabilitation. Covers salary, tuition fees, and research costs for up to 3 years. Interviews June 2027, start dates October 2027–March 2028. Strong route for clinician-researchers with rehab-tech ideas who want the structured training of a PhD alongside a serious research programme. Open to all NIHR-eligible professions including nurses, midwives, AHPs, healthcare scientists, GPs, dentists, and public health practitioners.

Brand-new Innovate UK programme that pairs SMEs with approved investor partners for grant + investment funding. Includes a "Future Healthcare Materials" track covering biocompatible materials, bioelectronic materials, and materials for medical devices — directly relevant to rehabilitation technology. Think smart materials for wearable recovery sensors, biocompatible components for assistive devices, bioelectronic materials for neurorehab tools, or novel materials for prosthetics and mobility aids. Up to £5m total fund. You must have investment traction with an approved investor partner before applying. Strong fit for rehab-tech SMEs developing hardware, wearables, or devices with a materials innovation angle.

Bilateral UK-Germany innovation fund for SMEs developing collaborative R&D projects in life sciences, clean energy, or engineering biology. UK SMEs partner with a German SME applying under the ZIM programme to work on industrial research. Up to £2.4m total UK fund. Strong fit for UK rehab-tech SMEs exploring partnerships with German technology developers — think robotics for neurorehab, wearable recovery devices, AI-powered physio platforms, or assistive tech with cross-border supply chains. Projects last 12–24 months, start August 2027.

Funding for early-stage ideas that could change how neurological care is delivered in the NHS. Looking for concepts using wearable technologies, digital biomarkers, AI, and mathematical modelling to support earlier diagnosis, better monitoring, and community-based care for neurological conditions. Open to academics, researchers, healthcare professionals, and businesses. 8-week projects with a London showcase in June 2027. Perfect for early-stage rehab-tech concepts targeting stroke recovery, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, or other neurological conditions — whether it's a wearable sensor for movement tracking, an AI tool for remote neuro-monitoring, or a digital platform supporting home-based neurorehab.

Innovate UK grant helping AI companies move from pilots to real-world deployment, with health and life sciences as one of the target sectors. Three-phase structure: Phase 1 feasibility (£100k–£200k, 3-5 months), then potential Phase 2 (up to £1m) and Phase 3 (up to £2m). SMEs must partner with a UK deployer — an NHS trust, large business or public sector organisation — that provides access to users, data and systems. Strong fit for rehab-tech SMEs with working AI products — think AI-powered physio platforms, intelligent assistive devices, predictive analytics for recovery, or digital rehab tools ready for real-world NHS deployment. Total fund £5m.

World's leading deep-tech startup competition, now in its 12th edition with a dedicated Digital Health & MedTech track. Open to early-stage startups up to Series B developing technologies in next-gen medical devices, connected/wearable tech, digital therapeutics, neurotechnology, and AI for diagnosis and treatment — all directly relevant to rehabilitation technology. 90 finalists pitch for a €200k investment prize from DeepBright Ventures. 800 startups recognised as Deep Tech Pioneers get an Investor Day with 350+ VCs. UK companies welcome. Finals at the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Amsterdam, June 2027. Strong fit for UK rehab-tech startups looking for global recognition and investor connections.

New single-step translational funding from MRC to bridge the gap between early concept and substantive funding schemes. Supports a single high-risk development step for medical devices, digital health technologies, diagnostics, surgical tools, and behavioural interventions — all relevant to rehabilitation technology. Covers prototype development, early testing, biomarker validation, and critical data generation to de-risk onward progression. Projects last 6–18 months. Open to researchers at MRC-eligible UK research organisations. Quick turnaround with assessment by the MRC Proof of Concept panel within 12 weeks. Strong fit for rehab-tech innovations that have some proof of concept but need a targeted funding injection to generate the data needed for larger schemes like NIHR i4i or MRC Proof of Concept.

Brand-new Horizon Europe call under Destination 1 "Stay Healthy" specifically targeting technologies, tools and interventions that support independent living and social inclusion for people with disabilities across the life course. Covers assistive technologies, rehabilitation devices, digital inclusion tools, and innovations that help people with disabilities participate fully in society. Now open for applications — Research and Innovation Action (RIA) format. Strong fit for UK rehab-tech researchers and SMEs partnering with European collaborators (UK entities eligible as associated-country partners under Horizon Europe). Perfect for cross-border consortia developing movement-assistive devices, communication aids, smart home rehab tools, or community-based independent living solutions.

Bridging funding to help research teams develop a strong application for a full Programme Grant for Applied Research (PGfAR). Covers preparatory work — building partnerships, gathering pilot data, refining methodology. Open to researcher-led topics as well as NICE and James Lind Alliance priority areas. Strong fit for rehabilitation research teams needing to strengthen their case for a major applied research programme: evaluating rehab technologies, testing assistive devices in real-world settings, or building multi-site trials for physio and recovery interventions. PDGs also available through business-as-usual rounds opening in March, July and November.

UKRI's flagship fellowship for early-career researchers and innovators — open to any remit including rehabilitation technology, medical devices, assistive tech, and digital health. £110 million total fund for Round 11. The non-academic/business route is open to UK registered organisations (including SMEs, charities, catapults) and closes 4 November 2026. Fellows get up to 7 years of flexible funding (4 years guaranteed + 3-year renewal) to build an independent research or innovation programme. Salary support, team costs, and full project costs covered. Perfect for rehab-tech innovators building a career — whether that's developing wearable sensors for movement recovery, AI-powered physio platforms, or novel assistive devices. Also available to academic-hosted applicants (that route closed June 2026, but business route is still open).

The Vinehill Trust's 2027 health funding cycle includes "rehabilitation or aftercare for physical trauma or surgery" as a dedicated focus area. Grants of £10k–£100k for UK-registered charities, non-profits, and CICs delivering healthcare projects that directly benefit UK residents. The trust prioritises patients with rare or under-recognised conditions, children and elderly with mobility limitations or post-discharge needs, and underserved/rural communities. Projects must have in-person delivery (not purely remote). Strong fit for community-based rehab services, physical therapy programmes, post-surgery recovery support, and mobility-assistance initiatives. Applications open until 30 June 2027 with projects starting within 12 months of funding.

Sprint funding for materials-led healthcare innovations — think medical devices, flexible electronics/sensors, biomaterials for rehabilitation tools. Supports short projects (6 months, starting Apr 2027) to de-risk the critical steps between a university idea and a commercially viable proposition. Open to researchers at 10 UK universities (including Manchester, Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, UCL, Sheffield, Leeds, Warwick, and others) working with their Technology Transfer Offices. Good fit for early-stage rehab-tech ideas with a materials innovation at their core — wearable sensors for movement tracking, smart materials for assistive devices, biocompatible rehab tools, or sustainable materials for prosthetics or mobility aids. Projects start 1 April 2027. Apply by 17 Nov 2026.