Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) SME Programme Funding

GOV.UK Business Finance & Grants

Published July 17th, 2024

Detected March 8th, 2026

Summary

The UK Department for Business and Trade has published details on the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) SME Programme, offering grant funding for civil aerospace research and technology development. UK registered SMEs are eligible, with specific requirements for project location and exploitation.

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What changed

The UK Department for Business and Trade, in conjunction with Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute, has launched the ATI SME Programme. This initiative provides grant funding for UK registered Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) engaged in civil aerospace research and technology development. Key eligibility criteria include conducting research and exploiting results within the UK, aligning with the UK's aerospace technology strategy, and signing up to the ATI framework agreement. Businesses must be registered before receiving funding, and while SMEs are the primary beneficiaries, larger businesses can lead consortia if at least one SME is included.

Companies interested in this funding must apply through a two-stage competition process: an outline stage followed by a full application stage. Early engagement with the ATI is recommended, particularly for capital infrastructure projects. While the document outlines the programme and eligibility, specific application deadlines or funding amounts are not detailed, suggesting a continuous or rolling application process. Compliance involves meeting the outlined eligibility criteria and adhering to the application procedures and the ATI framework agreement.

What to do next

Review eligibility criteria for the ATI SME Programme.
Consult with ATI before submitting capital infrastructure project applications.
Follow the two-stage application process for outline and full applications.

Source document (simplified)

Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) SME Programme

Offers funding for civil aerospace research and technology development in the UK.

From: Department for Business and Trade Published 17 July 2024 Last updated 3 March 2026
— See all updates Type of support: Finance and Grant Business stage: Start-ups (1-2 years trading) and Established Industry: Manufacturing Number of employees: 0 to 9 employees, 10 to 249 employees, 250 to 500 employees and More than 500 employees Region: East Midlands, Eastern, London, North East and North West Show 7 more Northern Ireland, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber

Who it’s for

UK registered SMEs. Businesses other than SMEs can lead but must include at least one SME in the consortium.

To be eligible, the organisation’s primary exploitation route or application must be in civil aerospace. It must also:

carry out your aerospace research project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
address the specific requirements of the UK’s aerospace technology strategy – Destination Zero
sign up to the ATI framework agreement
claim funding
speak to the ATI before submitting a capital infrastructure project application as early engagement is likely to help develop a proposal suitable for the programme Your business does not have to be registered with Companies House when you apply, but it must be registered before you can receive funding.

Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example, non-UK businesses. Their costs will not count towards the total eligible project costs but must be included in your application.

More information on the different types of organisations can be found on Innovate UK’s (IUK) website under funding rules. We accept single applicant-led projects, though encourage collaborative project applications.