Unlock the funding your business needs

Thanks to our extensive network of contacts and collaborations, we are able to access a wide range of grants and other external funding mechanisms for data-science-based research and project development.

Our experienced funding team will work with your businesses to find the best financial assistance for your needs. We’ll then help you access any available money by providing advice and by assisting with applications, contacts and collaborations.

Who is this service for?

We can help a wide range of SMEs and other Scottish-based businesses and their academic and commercial research teams.

• If you have early-stage data-related technology or research you aim to commercialise, then we can help you access a wide variety of funding streams that will help bridge the gap between the lab and the commercial marketplace.

• If you are a start-up or spin out organization, we can link you with vital funding to help you build your data-related R&D activities or other aspects of your work.

• If you are working on a transformational data project in any sector, then we can help you access the funding you need to progress. Projects should have the potential to address big problems, proposes a radical solution or enables the use of breakthrough or disruptive technology.

Why come to The Data Lab for funding help

Our experienced funding team will help you secure the funding you need by supporting in a number of ways:

• Grant application review – get a trusted advisor’s view on how to put your best foot forward.
• Vital network exposure – The Data Lab’s network spans all of Scotland meaning we are well positioned to help you form strategic partnerships with industry, public sector bodies and across other academic institutions. Using our network, we can help you put together winning consortia.
• Funding Guidance – Our trained team can help you navigate the complex funding landscape to locate a suitable funding call for your needs.
• Partnership – The Data Lab may agree to partner with your consortium, leveraging the benefits of the Innovation Centre programme direct into your proposals.
• Collaborative project funding – We can help you access various funding streams for collaborative data science projects that are undertaken with academic researchers and organisations. For full details go to our Collaborate with Specialists section.

Proven success – Our team has supported a wide range of projects varying in size from £50K to £50M. We have a track record of success drawing on a number of funding sources and covering a wide variety of projects. Our successes include single-partner bids to multi-partner transformational funding. We have leveraged funds such as ISCF, EU Horizon, UKRI and others.

Key benefits

Grants currently available

The Data Lab-CENSIS Innovation Challenge

The Data Lab and CENSIS Innovation Centres are running a call for funding targeting short collaborative IoT and data-driven projects to deliver innovation focused on energy management and reduced Co2 emissions.

Competition opens: Monday 9 January 2023
Competition closes: Sunday 19 February 2023 11:59pm

Find out more

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Brain Health Technology and Data Challenge

The new Challenge will help to stimulate new or support existing collaborations between industry and academia in Scotland, exploring the feasibility of providing solutions that could help address four core themes: adaptive technologies, precision medicine and interventions; technologies to enhance brain health; assistive technologies; co-design and co-production for brain health technologies.

Competition opens: Wednesday 2 November 2022
Competition closes: Friday 27 January 2022, 5pm

Find out more

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Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund (LCMCF): May 2022

If you’re looking to grow your Scottish manufacturing business through developing low carbon products, processes or services, you can apply for the LCMCF grant. Your project can use pure Research and Development (R&D), capital investment or environmental aid support in its effort to speed-up the transition to a low carbon economy in manufacturing. There’s a minimum value grant of £150,000 available.

Funding opens:  19 May 2022
Competition closes: 31 March 2026

Find out more 

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Further support

We provide additional strategic support to businesses through a number of other channels: