Research commercialisation - Proof of Concept Fund 2026-2027: guidance
The Scottish Proof of Concept Fund is open to researchers based at Scottish universities with innovative ideas and will provide support for early to mid stage commercialisation activities. The fund will be open for applications from 1 April until 8 May 2026
Overview
The Scottish Government Proof of Concept Fund provides funding to support researchers to develop their innovative ideas and/or technologies to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and commercial applications. This funding will help to de-risk projects and attract early-stage investment.
The fund is open to applicants from Scottish universities who have an innovative and unique project with commercial potential.
The total funding available is £2.85 million split into two tiers.
- tier 1 provides grants of £50,000 to £124,999 for projects undertaking early technical and/or commercial validation of their idea
- tier 2 provides grants of £125,000 - £250,000 for projects that can demonstrate the commercial opportunity and are further developing the technical and/or commercial requirements to meet user/market need
Applications will be open from 1 April 2026 until 8 May 2026.
Projects are expected to start on 1 August 2026 for a duration of 8 months, completing on 31 March 2027.
Contact
Email: spinouts@gov.scot