10 MedTech funding opportunities in Autumn 2026

Oscar Daws, October 02 2026

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As an industrial design agency, we work with many medtech start-ups and seed-stage companies. The R&D challenges they face are familiar: proving the technology works, designing a product people can actually use, navigating regulation and finding a route to manufacture. But behind all of it is funding.

Keeping track of which grants, prizes and investors are open, and which you actually qualify for, takes time you don’t have. So we’ve pulled this list together for you to skim through and check they haven’t slipped through the net!

Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge

A global deeptech start-up competition with a Digital Health & MedTech track.

Stage: Early stage up to and including Series B
Type: Competition (investment prize)
What you get: 90 finalists pitch for a €200,000 (about £171,000) investment from DeepBright Ventures. Around 800 start-ups are named Deep Tech Pioneers and get an Investor Day with 350+ VCs.
Eligibility: Built on new technology, science or complex engineering. A proof of concept or prototype, or one in progress. At least two people. Not a subsidiary or spin-off of an existing company.
Where: Worldwide
Deadline: 30 November 2026
Next step: Pick a track (Digital Health & MedTech, or Medical Biotech & Pharma Innovation) and apply online.
Link: Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge

EU Prize for Women Innovators

A European Commission prize for women who have founded companies and brought innovations to market.

Stage: Companies registered at least two years before 2026
Type: Prize (no equity)
What you get: The EIC Women Innovators winner gets €100,000, with €70,000 and €50,000 for the runners-up. The Rising Innovators category (35 and under) awards €50,000, €30,000 and €20,000.
Eligibility: Women founders or co-founders of a company registered in the EU or a Horizon Europe associated country, including the UK. You apply as an individual, to one category only.
Where: EU and associated countries, including the UK
Deadline: 1 December 2026, 5pm Brussels time
Next step: Pick your category and apply through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
Link: EU Prize for Women Innovators

Longwall Ventures

Early-stage investment and company-building support for UK deeptech, including medical technologies.

Stage: Pre-seed and Seed
Type: Investor
What you get: Initial investment of up to £1.5 million, usually as lead investor, with possible follow-on. Support on customer engagement, operations, governance and leadership.
Eligibility: UK-centred, IP-protected science and technology companies, including those without a proven market yet. Differentiated technology with strong barriers to entry.
Where: UK
Deadline: Rolling
Next step: Apply online through their website.
Link: Longwall Ventures

THENA Capital

Funding and hands-on commercialisation support for early-stage UK medtech companies expanding into the US.

Stage: Early stage
Type: Investor
What you get: Funding agreed case by case, plus a UK-to-US market expansion network.
Eligibility: Digital health solutions and fast-track medical devices in chronic conditions, women’s health, oncology, mental health or care delivery.
Where: UK
Deadline: Rolling
Next step: Check you fit a focus area, then get in touch through their website.
Link: THENA Capital

Gilde Healthcare

A specialist European healthcare investor managing €2.6 billion across a Venture & Growth fund and a Private Equity fund.

Stage: Venture & Growth: early revenue or clinical development stage. Private Equity: profitable, with EBITDA of €2–15 million.
Type: Investor (equity)
What you get: Venture & Growth invests up to €50 million per company for a significant minority stake. Funding is usually milestone-driven and syndicated, with hands-on support on growth strategy.
Eligibility: Venture & Growth: health tech and therapeutics in Europe and North America. Private Equity: medtech, diagnostics and other healthcare businesses headquartered in north-west Europe, usually taking a majority stake.
Where: Europe and North America
Deadline: Rolling
Next step: Contact Gilde to discuss eligibility.
Link: Gilde Healthcare

NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i)

Government R&D funding to take medical devices, diagnostics and digital health technologies to the point where they’re ready for follow-on investment.

Stage: Early stage, including start-ups and spin-outs
Type: Grant
What you get: £50,000–£150,000, usually over 6–12 months. The current FAST call offers £50,000–£100,000.
Eligibility: A UK lead organisation: SMEs (up to 250 staff and €50 million turnover), NHS organisations, universities or not-for-profits. The FAST call is for respiratory care products used in the community, primary care or at home.
Where: UK
Deadline: FAST call closes 20 October 2026. Other i4i streams have their own deadlines.
Next step: If you have a respiratory product, read the FAST guidance now. Projects start in January or February 2027.
Link: i4i FAST call · i4i programme

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships

Long-term funding for an early-career researcher or innovator to lead an ambitious programme inside your business.

Stage: Any size of business
Type: Grant (fellowship)
What you get: At least four years of funding. Past fellowships have ranged from £300,000 to over £2 million. Small businesses can claim up to 70% of costs for industrial research, or 45% for development closer to market. The rest must be match-funded.
Eligibility: Any UK-registered business can host. The fellow must be early in their career, not a senior innovator already running their own significant programme. Business-as-usual work isn’t eligible.
Where: UK
Deadline: 4 November 2026, 11am
Next step: Identify your fellow. They start the application on behalf of your business.
Link: Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 11

Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-ups

Government reimbursement of visa fees for overseas specialist hires in life sciences, clean energy and tech.

Stage: Growing companies with 10+ staff
Type: Grant (reimbursement)
What you get: Up to £25,000 a year, with a maximum of £5,000 per hire and their dependants. Covers fees paid from 9 June 2026.
Eligibility: UK companies growing staff or turnover by over 20% a year for three years, starting from at least 10 employees. Life sciences includes medical technologies and digital health. You need a UK visa sponsor licence and to hire through Skilled Worker, Global Talent or Scale-up visas.
Where: UK
Deadline: 1 March 2027, 11.59pm. First come, first served until the budget runs out.
Next step: Register on the Government Grants Hub and apply. Decisions usually take 30 working days.
Link: Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme on Find a Grant

Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF)

£520 million of government capital grants for UK manufacturing of medicines, diagnostics and medical devices.

Stage: Scale-up and established manufacturers
Type: Grant (capital)
What you get: Typically 10–20% of total project costs, up to 25%. A £100 million project might receive £10–20 million. Covers capital, R&D and skills costs, not operating costs.
Eligibility: UK-registered private businesses that develop or manufacture products, including CDMOs. Projects must cost at least £8 million, be mainly capital investment, sit within one company and be based in the UK. Products can be MHRA-licensed or in development towards a licence.
Not eligible: Standalone single-use consumables, secondary packaging, veterinary and herbal medicines, supplements and raw ingredients.
Where: UK
Deadline: Round 9 opens 2 November and closes 30 November 2026, 12pm. Expressions of interest are accepted any time.
Next step: Start with an expression of interest. Questions go to [email protected].
Link: LSIMF on Find a Grant

Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund (TRIF)

A £50 million government pilot giving capital grants to very large UK life sciences R&D projects.

Stage: Established companies
Type: Grant (capital)
What you get: Typically 10–20% of total project costs, set at the minimum needed for the project to go ahead. The rest must be match-funded.
Eligibility: UK-registered private businesses with a track record in developing or manufacturing medicines or devices, and two years of audited accounts. Projects must cost at least £100 million and depend on the grant to proceed.
Not eligible: Same exclusions as LSIMF.
Where: UK
Deadline: 31 March 2028, 11.59pm
Next step: Questions go to [email protected].
Link: TRIF on Find a Grant

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