Note:
The majority of the funding opportunities listed are specifically targeted at maritime-related projects. However, some are general funding opportunities that, while not exclusively maritime, are still applicable to maritime research and innovation.
UK funding calls – Maritime
- Global Safety Evidence Centre funding call 2025 by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, open to academic institutions, research organisations, non-profit organisations and industry worldwide. These grants are intended to create evidence to improve understanding and sharing of which safety interventions work; inform decision making; and highlight and fill knowledge and data gaps, ultimately influencing others to act and leading to better safety outcomes. Submit Expression of Interest by 17 Sep 2025
- ESA – Enhancing Port Safety and Efficiency through Space Apply before 18 September 2025
- Open Call for Innovation CY2025 – Cycle 3 by DASA Apply before 23 September 2025
- Innovation in Support of Operations Phase 2 – Cycle 6 by DASA Apply before 14 October 2025
- ESA – Coastal resilience to climate change Apply before 31 October 2025
- Lloyd’s Register Foundation is inviting organisations and communities to apply to its new Maritime Connected funding offer, as it looks to fund projects and initiatives aimed at connecting parts of the maritime system in relation to current or future safety challenges. The closing date for applications is 6th February 2026, there will also be informational webinar for applicants held on 3 September 2025.
UK funding calls – applicable to maritime
- IUK is offering Travel Support of up to £750 for companies to attend Horizon Europe consortia building events in Europe. Apply by various dates
- Sustainability: European Business & Nature Summit 23-24 Oct 2025, Helsinki;
- Transport: Tomorrow Mobility World Congress 4-6 Nov 2025 Barcelona;
- Transport: Rostock Ocean Convention 4-5 Nov 2025 Rostock;
- IUK will fund 15 UK organisations to join Horizon Europe Brokerage visits to Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain (flights, accommodation, in-market travel, and daily subsistence costs). Appy by various dates (22 Sep to 13 Oct 2025)
- IAA Cross-institutional funding call 2025 for researchers at the Universities of Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Strathclyde. Submit EoI before 10 September 2025
- Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2025 to 2026 round three by IUK, Apply by 17 Sep 2025
- Ingenious public engagement grants scheme prioritises projects that reach diverse and underrepresented audiences including communities in the most deprived neighbourhoods Apply before 24 September 2025
- 2026 European Prize for Women Innovators Apply before 25 September 2025
- Apply for funding for doctoral focal awards (previously CDT) by UKRI to deliver cohort-based doctoral education in civil and defence nuclear skills to home students. Intend to submit by 12 Sep 2025, final submission by 23 Oct 2025
- Addressing nuclear fission challenges for a prosperous future by EPSRC. Apply before 15 Jan 2026
- Local Innovation Partnerships Fund pre-announcement by UKRI. Opening date to be confirmed.
- Statements of Need in Research Infrastructure by EPSRC Open – no closing date
- Rapid Projects Fund by EDRC (Energy Demand Research Centre) Find out more and apply
- SMART: SCOTLAND grants for feasibility studies for SMEs conducting feasibility studies for high-risk, highly ambitious research and development (R&D) projects by Scottish Enterprise Find out more
- Measurement for Business (M4B) Funding by NPL for UK SME to access NPL experts and facilities Find out more and apply
- ICURe Explore programme cohorts Find out more
UK fellowships
- Research Fellowships by Royal Academy of Engineering Apply before 17 September 2025
- Faraday Discovery Fellowships Apply before 23 September 2025
- Grants for UK-KSA research collaborations Apply before 24 September 2025
- Ernest Rutherford Fellowship 2025 by STFC Apply before 1 October 2025
- Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships for established researchers without a background in core AI research, and want to build domain relevant AI capability by UKRI Apply before 14 October 2025
- Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 10, business and non-academic by UKRI Apply before 5 November 2025
- RAEng / Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowships Apply before 13 November 2025
UK tenders
- Call for tenders on “Marine Vessel Replacement Project” Find out more
- Call for tenders on “Appointment of RSL or Development Partner for Development of Clune Park Site in Port Glasgow” Find out more
- Call for tenders on “FMPG-2025-016 Engineering and Design Services” Submit before 15 September 2025
- Call for tenders on “Supply and Delivery of Marine Gas Oil” Submit before 19 September 2025
- Call for tenders on “Fuel Oil Testing” Submit before 19 September 2025
UK finance/investment opportunities
- British Business Bank Growth Guarantee Scheme support loan sizes of up to £2m and provides the lender with a 70% government-backed guarantee. Find out more
- British Business Bank Investment Funds Find out more
- British Business Bank Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans and debt finance from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. Find out more
- British Business Bank Investment Fund for Wales offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25,000 to £100,000, debt finance from £100,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. Find out more
European funding calls – Maritime
- Space for Intermodal Transport by ESA Apply before 12 September 2025
- Enhancing Port Safety and Efficiency through Space by ESA Apply before 18 September 2025
- Coastal resilience to climate change by ESA Apply before 31 October 2025
- Open Call for Proposals – Kick-Starts by ESA Find out more
- Open Call for Proposals – Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects by ESA Find out more
- Towards modern, integrated, and effective fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems (HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-11) by EC Apply before 16 Sep 2025
- EU-India cooperation on cumulative impacts of marine pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05) by EC Apply before 17 Sep 2025
- Integrated and coordinated approaches for coral reefs and associated ecosystems (mangroves and seagrass beds) conservation, restoration, and climate mitigation and adaptation (HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-07) by EC Apply before 17 Sep 2025
- Digital technologies and energy transition in fisheries and/or aquaculture (HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-03) by EC Apply before 24 Sep 2025
- Restoring Ocean and Waters in waterfront Cities and their Ports (HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-05) by EC Apply before 24 Sep 2025
- EU Digital Twin Ocean: Contribution to the EU DTO core infrastructure through applications for sustainable ocean management (HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-08) by EC Apply before 24 Sep 2025
- Real time monitoring of regulated and non-regulated emissions from all types of vessels and other port activities in order to enforce emission limits in waterfront cities (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D5-17) by EC Apply before 20 Jan 2026
- Accelerating freight transport and logistics digital innovation (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-08) by EC Apply before 20 Jan 2026
- Reliable data and practices to measure and calculate transport emissions in multimodal transport chains (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-09) by EC Apply before 20 Jan 2026
- Integrating inland waterway transport in smart shipping and multimodal logistics chains (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-10) by EC Apply before 20 Jan 2026
- Large-scale production of liquid advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-01) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- Competitiveness, energy security and integration aspects of advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin value chains (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-02) by EC Apply before 17 Feb 2026
- Improved reliability and optimised operations and maintenance for wind energy systems (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-07) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- Understand and minimise the environmental impacts of offshore wind energy (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-08) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- De-risking wave energy technology development through transnational pre-commercial procurement of wave energy research and development (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-13) by EC Apply before 17 Feb 2026
- Development of innovative solutions strengthening the security of renewable energy value chains (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-14) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- Innovative solutions for a generative AI-powered digital spine of the EU energy system (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-19) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- Innovative tools and services to manage and empower energy communities (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-20) by EC Apply before 17 February 2026
- New CO2 capture technologies (HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24) by EC Apply before 17 Feb 2026
European funding – applicable to maritime
- SMEs are invited to submit proposal to receive up to €150,000 to co-develop AI-powered services and technologies aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and resource optimisation. Selected participants will join a 10-month support programme offering mentoring, solution development, pilot site integration, and business scaling support. Funded by COSMIC, EC. Apply before 27 Oct 2025
- Researchers are invited to apply for Exchange Scheme open call, which promotes interactions and strengthens research collaboration among researchers across Europe by granting researchers with a mobility allowance of 2.400€/month (up to 14.400€ in total) for them to carry out research activities in ENFIELD partner organizations for 3-6 months. Apply before 31 Oct 2025
- Development of sustainable and design-to-cost batteries with (energy-)efficient manufacturing processes and based on advanced and safer materials (Batt4EU Partnership) (HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D2-01) by EC Apply before 20 Jan 2026
Partnership opportunities
- Spanish shipyard looking for a real-world validation partner in research or innovation projects in manufacturing processes using composites, including recycled or innovative materials such as biocomposites and circular solutions. In addition, it also looking for industrial partners or shipbuilders to outsource the manufacturing of components or vessels using composite and sustainable materials, under a manufacturing agreement.
- Grants for UK-KSA research collaborations Apply before 24 September 2025
Training opportunities
- Discover Digital Transformation Training Programme by STFC Find out more
- Training opportunities provided by Supplier Development Programme Find out more