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UKRI IAA Commercial Development Fund

01 Mar 2024

Launch of fund for essential first steps, to support spin-out and licensing opportunities

The University of Manchester Innovation Factory and the Knowledge Exchange Partnerships team have launched the UKRI Impact Acceleration Account Commercial Development Fund.

The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) is a combination of grants awarded to the University of Manchester by six research councils. IAA funding supports the research and innovation ecosystem to develop wider impacts from research through fast and flexible funding for knowledge exchange activities. IAA grants are available to University academics, from AHRC, BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC and STFC.

The IAA Commercial Development Fund (up to £50,000) is delivered by the Innovation Factory, who are responsible for driving the commercialisation of Manchester's innovations and intellectual property. The fund provides the essential first stage of initial market and competitive landscaping, technology evaluation and partner engagement, and early Proof-of-Principle support to drive spin-out and licensing opportunities.

More information

All applicants must triage submissions via the Innovation Factory Invention Discovery Team for support before applying. To do this, please email:

Information regarding eligibility can be found on the IAA quick guide. Please contact the Knowledge Exchange Partnerships team if you have any further queries regarding eligibility.

To apply, visit: