Grant funding: success rates and reasons to be optimistic
Without doubt, average success rates for R&D grant funding have dropped in recent years – so why are we feeling optimistic at Venturenomix?
We have been keeping a close eye on average success rates in R&D grant calls since 2008, when we first started out in this innovation funding domain. Back then, you could get hold of a huge spreadsheet from Innovate UK with every call, applicant, project summary (the public suitable one), and funding awarded – there was so much detail it was a little overwhelming!
Today, and for the past few years, we have relied on regular Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to UKRI and other UK funding bodies, and publicly available data published by the EU Commission to better understand the trends in R&D grant applications.
The headlines look quite depressing: every funder and every call are reporting lower average success rates. However, here is why I think that is actually a positive reality for the SMEs and research teams applying for grant funding in 2026 and beyond.
Success rate – a simple equation
Success Rate = Total Number of Applications/Total Applications Approved for Funding.
By definition, an increase in the Total Number of Applications or a decrease in the Total Applications Approved for Funding is going to reduce the Success Rate. Let’s take a closer look.
Total Number of Applications is up
AI is capable of writing grant applications
This is not in doubt. As a team of experienced grant writers and innovation consultants, we have seen many AI-written grant applications – more and more every year over the past few years. No wonder since it is an attractive option for time-poor startup CEOs who are dealing with many competing projects and an appealing business model for ‘hard-sell’ tech firms with the “let our dedicated AI platform take care of your grant application”.
What we are seeing is a huge increase in ‘hollow applications’ that read well at first glance, but on further investigation, lack strategy, depth, references, quantified benefits, verified market figures, detailed project plans, and specific risk mitigations – in short, everything that separates an average application from a winning application.
LLMs and tech companies are driving the number of grant applications. Indeed one credible rumour was that applications to Innovate UK Smart Grant went from 400 to 1,700 in a single round due to the efforts of a single AI-grant-writing company. However, the quality of those applications is average at best. The same rumour (from an inside source) told me that of the 1,000 applications submitted, one was funded. Even the AI would assess them as ‘average’, let alone the human assessors that are already bored of reading the same, mass produced, generic applications.
Objectively then, as CEOs and CTOs and experienced grant writers, while we are competing against more applications, we also have a much higher chance of standing out from the ‘AI application crowd’.
I would pit our amazing team of grant writers and innovation consultants against Open AI, Anthropic, or Mistral any day of the week!
Increasing numbers of applications trend is changing
We can see in the data that the number of applications has been adjusting down. Funding bodies have responded to high volumes of applications by:
- Ending ‘open calls’ such as Smart Grant from Innovate UK
- Adding gateways such as Expression of Interest, for example with Innovation Loans from Innovate UK
- Requiring humans such as video pitches from EIC Accelerator
- Staging applications so that there are two or more review points
- Taking final decisions based on in-person interviews
- Setting clear priorities around sectors and technologies
These criteria make it much harder to just ‘chuck in a quick application’ and demands additional time, strategy, and consideration before applying. The impact is fewer applications in 2026 compared to 2024/5. We are already seeing the impact in the success rates creeping back up.
I would be positive if your SME or research team is ‘doing things properly’ – setting a funding strategy, focusing on global challenges, and building an innovative solution for the medium-long term.
How are we calculating Total Number of Applications
The published success rates are based on the total number of applications. Through our FOI requests, we have managed to break this number down, so it makes a bit more sense:
- Total Number of Applications = All applications received
- Total Number of Applications Assessed: there is an initial ‘scope check’ where a number of applications are ruled ‘out of scope’ and are NOT sent for assessment
In recent funding calls from Innovate UK (for example) as many as 50% of the submitted applications were deemed ‘out of scope’ and therefore not assessed. This was the case for the Frontier AI and Champion AI calls in 2026 – the scope was poorly defined, perhaps, or applicants felt optimistic about their alignment to scope.
When Success Rate is based on the Total Number of Applications Assessed, the number could be as much as double compared to the Total Number of Applications.
Considering ‘fit to scope’ is a key consideration for our team when we advise clients on potential target grants – it saves time in the medium term. Most successful applicants have spent time assessing if they should apply before jumping in with two feet and an AI platform. If you are approaching grant funding strategically, your chance of success is therefore higher than the published success rate.
What about the other side of the equation?
Total Applications Approved for Funding
How can you influence this I hear you ask? Choose which grant calls to apply to based on the data available. Eurostars has a published success rate of >20% while EIC Accelerator is <3% – even with the large total budget discrepancy, this is a significant difference.
Thematic calls, collaborative calls, and lesser-known calls tend to have a higher % of successful applications. They also tend to be more personal – you can speak to the funder, establish a relationship, and start to turn the odds in your favour.
Taking the time to discover and match grant calls to innovation projects improves your chance of success. SMEs and research teams that spend even 10% of their time on funding strategy before ‘putting pen to paper’ or ‘prompting Chat’ see the benefits.
Grant funding is a realistic funding route
At Venturenomix, we know what it takes to cut through the noise. As your grant funding partner, we work with busy clients as an outsourced R&D grant funding consultancy to turn the odds in your favour. Backed by 18+ years of experience and a track record of >£100 million in funding raised, we provide expert strategic and tactical support that scales seamlessly with the evolving needs of your organisation. If you are ready to approach grant funding strategically, we are here to help you secure the capital you need to innovate.
