UK Rehabilitation Technology Funding
Active funding opportunities for healthcare rehab tech. Updated: 11 July 2026, 23:55 UK time
Innovate UK: Medicines Manufacturing – Labs of the Future
Funder: Innovate UK (UKRI)
Opens: 16 July 2026
Funding: Up to £7.5 million (shares available)
Digital, automated and robotic technologies for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing – relevant for rehab device and diagnostic developers scaling production and improving efficiency.
NIHR: NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity (Health Technology Assessment)
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research
Outline deadline: 7 January 2026 (next cycle); Full applications: September 2026
Funding: Discretionary (varies by project)
Funds research on clinical and cost-effectiveness of healthcare treatments and technologies – directly supports evidence generation for rehab devices and digital solutions seeking NHS adoption.
Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF)
Funder: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (via UKRI)
Rolling quarterly applications
Funding: Up to £520 million total (10–20% of project costs); minimum project size £8m
Capital grants for UK manufacturing of medical devices and diagnostics – for medtech and assistive tech companies ready to scale production facilities.
Primary Care Accelerator
Funder: NHS-led collective of primary care providers
Ongoing applications
Funding: Non-dilutive support, partnership model
Nationwide NHS innovation testing and adoption programme – for digital health and rehab tech solutions with proof-of-concept ready to pilot in primary care settings.
MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM)
Funder: NHS England
Ongoing pathway
Funding: NHS funding for adoption of approved devices
Accelerates uptake of NICE-approved, cost-saving medical devices and digital products – pathway for rehab technologies to reach NHS commissioners directly after NICE approval.
NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) – Early Phase Translational Research
Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research
New open competition (details emerging)
Funding: Infrastructure-level support for research centres
Newly launched infrastructure funding for early-phase translational research – relevant for rehabilitation research hubs and university-NHS partnerships developing rehab technologies.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) 2026–27 Round 2
Funder: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Next round: TBA (previous deadline 24 June 2026)
Funding: Covers graduate salary and costs; varies by partnership type
Funded partnerships between businesses and academic organisations with embedded graduates – for SMEs developing rehab tech to access university research capability and innovation support.
NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) 2026
Funder: NHS England, 15 Academic Health Science Networks
2026 intake: Completed (applications closed); next cycle TBA
Funding: Expert mentorship, network access, 3-year scaling support
Intensive three-year programme for proven innovations ready to scale nationally – for rehab tech companies with existing NHS evidence and users ready to expand across England.