Funding innovation partnerships

Connecting ideas with investment

At Heriot-Watt University, we believe great ideas deserve the right support to grow. That’s why we work closely with businesses, public bodies and third-sector organisations to help them access funding that fuels innovation.

Through a range of national and regional schemes, we can support collaborative projects that bring academic insight to real-world challenges—from new product development and sustainability transitions to advanced manufacturing and data innovation.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, our team can help you find the right funding route. This includes:

• Interface funding, which connects businesses to academic expertise for short-term, practical innovation projects—especially suited to SMEs.
• Innovate UK funding, which supports ambitious R&D collaborations across sectors and scales.
• TalEntEd (coming soon), a place-based innovation programme helping fast-track net zero solutions through academic and industry collaboration.

We offer guidance at every stage, from identifying opportunities to shaping proposals and building the right partnerships. By working with Heriot-Watt, you gain more than access to funding. You join a community committed to impact, knowledge exchange, and long-term collaboration.

Talk to us

If you’re exploring funding options or have a challenge where academic collaboration could make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.