BBSRC-STFC DeepTech Catalyst Bio 2026

DeepTech Catalyst Bio supports early-stage biotechnology start-ups to move promising bioscience technologies toward market reality through funding, innovation vouchers, technical and commercial support, campus access, and investor/customer connections.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) / Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) lists this opportunity for Startups & spin-outs, STEM, Engineering & Technology, United Kingdom. Applicants should use the official call page to confirm final requirements before submitting.

Applicants must be UK-registered companies under five years old and majority-owned by founders and employees.

Companies must have previous support from BBSRC, UKRI, Innovate UK, or a UKRI-supported accelerator or pre-incubation programme.

The technology must be within the BBSRC remit and beyond concept stage in product development or market penetration.

Bioscience innovations addressing a clear market opportunity, including technologies that are biological in nature, interact with a biological entity, involve a biological process, or address a biological challenge.

The programme does not accept medical or clinical devices and therapeutics developed solely for a specific end-point clinical utility, including diagnostics.

The programme provides GBP 50,000 of R&D funding, a GBP 10,000 innovation voucher for R&D activity, and non-financial incubator support. EOIs are reviewed in tranches before invited full applications.

Final application deadline: Final application deadline: Sep 14, 2026.

Confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, and submission route on the official call page.

Plan internal approvals, partner confirmations, budgets, letters, and portal submission before the final deadline.

Complete the official DTC Bio expression of interest form. EOIs should be submitted as early as possible and no later than 16 August 2026; invited full applications are due by 14 September 2026.

Before submitting, check required documents, eligible costs, attachments, page limits, institutional approvals, and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration, or nomination stage.