Spring 2026 Feasibility Study Funding Call:
Open 9:00 AM, 16th February – 5:00 PM, 24th April 2026
Feasibility Study awards provide up to £100,000 in BBSRC funding per project to support collaborative research and innovation. These awards aim to bridge the gap between early-stage research and later-stage commercialisation by enabling translation activities. The focus is on driving innovation, particularly through the development and validation of novel functional foods for specific target populations.
Projects supported by these awards will focus on translating gut health or stanol research to promote recovery and improved health outcomes, targeting areas such as:
- Recovery from exercise fatigue
- Inflammation
- Mental strain
- Post-infection illness
- Managing menopause
Funding is awarded at 100% full economic cost (FEC) for nine to twelve-month projects. Matched contributions from industrial collaborators, either in cash or in-kind, are a mandatory requirement to enhance the project’s impact.
Costs that cannot be claimed
Please note you cannot apply for:
- indirect or estate costs at the research organisation
- any costs relating to intellectual property protection, including but not limited to registering, maintaining, or supporting patents or property rights
- equipment with a value of £10,000 or more
- undergraduate or postgraduate activities or training, or core PhD training, including tuition or bench fees
- Impact account funding will not include a provision for inflation based on the GDP Deflators published by HM Government.
Who can apply?
The lead applicant needs to be employed at one of the following
- Higher education institution
- Eligible independent research organisation
- Public sector research establishment
- UKRI-funded labs and facilities.
Only institutes eligible to receive UKRI Research Council funding can be supported. Full details can be found here.
At the time of application, the PI must have either:
- A contract of employment that extends beyond the duration of the proposed grant (or, if not employed by the submitting organisation, a formal non-salaried arrangement that extends beyond the duration of the proposed grant), or
- An assurance from the submitting organisation that, if the proposal is successful, a pre-existing contract of employment (or pre-existing formal commitment to provide support if not employed at the organisation) will be extended beyond the grant’s end date.
- Postdoctoral researchers, research technicians, and other academic and research staff members are eligible to apply.
- We also request an assurance letter from your Head of School, Faculty or Department that their institution supports any ECR applicants who are not normally eligible for a standard UKRI grant.
You do not need to be a member of the INFORM ORIC to apply, but we would recommend it, and if you are successful, you would need to join. It’s simple to join and allows you to hear about our funding calls and events before anyone else. You can be a member of other ORIC hubs, too. If you haven’t already, please sign up here.
*Note the application review process can take 8-12 weeks. Please consider this with the potential project start date on your application
Industrial collaborator
An industry collaborator (individual business or consortia of businesses) must be included and recognised contributions included within the submission (for example, additional impact account funds and in-kind contributions).
The industrial collaborator should have a UK research and development or manufacturing site. In exceptional circumstances, where there is no existing capability in the UK, BBSRC may consider the involvement of businesses outside the UK in awards. Please note that no funds are available for the industrial collaborator.
Review and assessment
When we receive your application, our Hub Manager will ensure the eligibility criteria are met, the application is complete, and full financial information is included.
Feasibility Study applications will be peer-reviewed by four members of our panel.
The proposal should be within the scope and support INFORM’s aims. On passing these requirements, applications will be assessed across the following areas.
- Eligibility
- Status of candidates
- Project in scope
- Quality of the project
- Potential outcomes (benefit to ECR, long-term collaboration, advancing research in the field)
The Hub Management Committee will further assess the applications for the awards.
Reviewers will be expected to adhere to the highest standards of scientific integrity. In the event of a conflict of interest, this must be declared to the hub manager, who will reassign the proposal to an alternative reviewer.
Application Process:
Applications must be submitted in full via the online portal by 5 PM on Friday, 26th April 2026.
You can save your application at any stage. We will email you a login link, but your return code will only be displayed on-screen. Please note it down, as it is required alongside the link to resume your application.
If you are collaborating with others, you may also share the link and the code with them to access the form and update/complete the required information. If you lose your code, contact the Hub Manager for assistance.
A copy of the application form and Feasibility Study Guidance document can be downloaded from the links below to assist with your application submission.
BBSRC INFORM Hub – Feasibility Study Application Form Template
BBSRC INFORM Hub -Feasibility Study Guidance Document Feb-2026 v3.00