BBSRC Follow-on Fund: 2026 round one

The BBSRC Follow-on Fund (FoF) is designed to bridge the gap between bioscience research and achieving economic and societal benefit. It enables researchers with a sound understanding of the market opportunity of their intellectual assets to execute a defined programme of work with clear objectives. The fund supports both early-stage projects aimed at de-risking innovative ideas and later-stage projects that encompass significant technical milestones. FoF applications must draw substantially on current or prior BBSRC funding, and awards progress discoveries to a stage where the route to practical application is clear. Projects must seek to provide demonstrable benefit within the UK, with a primary focus on translation of research or knowledge. Successful applications may be invited to apply for additional market discovery support delivered in collaboration with the Innovate UK ICURe programme.