Government supported business growth programmes
Note: Funding streams can change so please do not treat this list as exhaustive.
Government funds hundreds of schemes to help businesses increase performance, productivity and investment across the country. Some of these schemes are bespoke for specific sectors others are general support measures open to all.
Recognising the range of support available, the list below highlights some support measures that may be of relevance to the aerospace sector.
There is also the Government website, https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support and https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/ which can help identify potential support measures available. These tools allow searches by sector, business size, location, activity and business stage.
Programme name: Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)
- Innovation/ R&D: Yes, only funds innovation
- Capital Funding: Yes
- Digital/ Cyber: Yes
- Competitiveness: No
- Region: UK wide
- Advice/ Support: ATI, IUK
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Research Programme co-funds industry-led R&D projects to grow the UK’s share of the global aerospace market whilst reducing global aviation emissions. The ATI received a record £685m of government funding for the three-year period to 2025, and has since been extended to 2030 with an additional £975m. Funds are being invested to capitalise on the UK’s world-leading R&D system and support the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technology. Four competitive funding batches per year overseen by DBT, the ATI and Innovate UK. Involves a comprehensive 2-stage assessment process suited to larger programmes typically accessing grants in excess of £1m.
SME Programme
The new ATI SME programme, launched in November 2023 and worth up to £10m per year, targets cutting-edge SME aerospace research projects to advance net zero aviation and boost high skilled jobs in the UK. This support measure encourages industrial investment into the aerospace sector and its supply chain, through the funding of innovative and high impact projects. These projects will demonstrate forward-looking and disruptive solutions to UK civil aerospace challenges.
More information: https://www.ati.org.uk/funding/
Programme name: Supply Chain Solutions
- Innovation/ R&D: No
- Capital Funding: No
- Digital/ Cyber: Yes
- Competitiveness: Yes
- Region: UK wide
- Advice/ Support: Yes
Supply Chain Solutions (SCS) is an industry led supply chain development programme.
The SCS approach will provide a single, simple access, cross sector programme led by industry through a partnership delivery model, facilitated by ADS on a not-for-profit basis. The programme would support competitive and growing suppliers, with improved performance, i.e., cost, quality and delivery and actively investing in innovation and development of intellectual property, as well as making progress towards meeting commitments to achieve net zero.
More information: https://www.adsgroup.org.uk/membership/supply-chain-solutions/
Programme name: ATI Boeing Accelerator
- Innovation/ R&D: Yes
- Capital Funding: Yes
- Digital/ Cyber: Yes
- Competitiveness: Yes
- Region: UK wide
Aerospace xelerated is a funded, 3-month accelerator for software start-ups that can move the aerospace industry forward. The programme looks to work with businesses who are looking to scale up and raise further investment.
This is a 3-month programme. It offers a £100k equity investment by Boeing plus a further £100k in other benefits.
More information: https://xelerated.aero/
Programme name: Sharing in Growth (SiG)
- Innovation/ R&D: No
- Capital Funding: No
- Digital/ Cyber: No
- Competitiveness: Yes
- Region: UK wide
Sharing in Growth was established to improve the competitiveness of the aerospace supply chain but now operates across several sectors. It focuses on transferring knowledge and capability to enable ambitious supply chain companies to grow and compete internationally.
The programme offers concentrated training and development, which is tailored to the assessed needs of each supplier and targeted at world class standards of performance. The training and development covers all relevant disciplines, including lean operations, manufacturing processes, purchasing, cost modelling and leadership. A typical programme is expected to last for four years.
More information: https://www.sig-uk.org/