INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION PROGRAMME 7 (ICP7)

Key facts

• Total fund: £2 million
• Funding per project: between £50,000 and £130,000
• Applications open: 1 December 2026 | Close: 17 February 2027
• Project window: 1 July to 30 November 2027 (five months)
• Focus: technology translation, not fundamental research

The Henry Royce Institute’s Industrial Collaboration Programme 7 (ICP7) applications opens 1 December 2026.

The Royce ICP is an annual grant offered to businesses, universities and Research Technology Organisations (RTOs) working together on research, development, and innovation sprint projects that tackle UK advanced materials challenges.

This funding helps businesses, universities and RTOs collaborate to solve real-world problems and accelerate the move from fundamental scientific research to commercial applications, market-ready products and scalable applications, in keeping with the UK's national materials innovation strategy (NMIS).

The Royce ICP7 is awarding up to £2 million, which will fund projects that cost between £50,000 and £130,000.

Please note that these awards are not offered to support fundamental research projects.

More information about the ICP7 is available on the Henry Royce Institute website. We have summarised some frequently asked questions below from this page:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What problems can Royce at Cranfield help you to solve using ICP7?

Royce at Cranfield can help you to address challenges in:

1. Energy solutions, rising to the net zero challenge, including testing, characterising and fine-tuning:

• Materials for hydrogen transport, storage and use.
• Materials for large-scale electrochemical energy generation and conversion (including hydrogen).
• Materials for heat exchange, heat storage and waste heat recovery.
• Materials for advanced nuclear fuels and nuclear test capability.
• Materials for battery energy storage.
• Materials for energy harvesting.

2. Advanced surface technologies and materials durability: enhancing product safety, performance and lifetime, including:

• Reducing the friction and wear on moving parts.
• Surface engineering and treatments to improve material performance in demanding environments, e.g. to better withstand heat, cold, corrosion, pressure or gas exposure.
• Modelling to predict material longevity.

3. Consumer products, packaging and specialist polymers: paving the way for a greener tomorrow, including​:

• Characterise, apply and test specialist hydrogen-compatible polymers,
• Mechanical and thermal characterisation of novel polymer films, that could be used in applications ranging from electronics to food packaging.

You will need to show in your application that the project addresses Royce’s cross-cutting themes of metamaterials and metasurfaces, sustainability or materials 4.0.

Who can apply for the Royce ICP7 funding?

UK businesses (from SMEs to large organisations), universities, research and technology organisations, are eligible to apply for ICP7 funding.

What is technology translation?

Technology translation is the process of taking fundamental scientific research and moving it into real-world commercial applications, market ready products or scalable applications.

What costs can ICP7 cover?

More detailed information will be published on 1 December 2026 and made available at the online briefing on 2 December 2026 at 12pm. Register your interest here.

How do I find a research partner at Cranfield?

1. Visit cranfield.ac.uk/centreformaterials to see the full range of materials expertise at the University.

2. Browse the world-class equipment available through the Royce at cranfield.ac.uk/RoyceInstitute,

3. Email royce@cranfield.ac.uk to discuss your application.

My problem isn’t covered by Royce at Cranfield; can I still apply for the grant?

Visit the Henry Royce Institute website for more information on scope and project themes outside Royce at Cranfield’s expertise. If you’re struggling to find the right partner to work with, contact the Royce Research and Business Engagement team to discuss your potential project idea and find out more about expertise and capabilities across Royce, using grants@royce.ac.uk

When is the Royce ICP7 application deadline? 

ICP7 applications close 17 February 2027. We recommend getting in touch with the partner you want to collaborate with early to work out your application. 

When will we find out if our ICP7 application is successful? 

ICP7 applicants will be notified by w/c 26 April 2027 whether their application is successful or not.

When do ICP7 projects have to start? 

Projects must start on 1 July 2027 and finish by 30 November 2027 (five months). All costs must be incurred during these five months. 

How can I find out more information about ICP7? 

Find out more about ICP7 at the briefing webinar on 2 December 2026. Mark the date in your diary and follow be sure to follow our LinkedIn page to keep up to date with the latest announcements.

WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE ICP7 APPLICATION AND PROJECT?

The above answers are summarized from the Henry Royce Institute website for ease of reference.

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