Applicant journey
Applicants should ensure they read the applicant guidance and FAQs before submitting their application.
| Stage | Activity | Description |
| 1 | Application submitted | 23 September 2026 |
| 1 | Eligibility checks | September 2026 |
| 2 | External review | October 2026 |
| 3 | Feedback sent to applicants | November 2026 |
| 4 | Funding panel review | January 2027 |
| 5 | Applicants informed | February 2027 |
| 6 | Kick off workshops | April 2027 |
| 7 | Funding announced | May 2027 |
| 8 | Project commences | May 2027 |
Eligibility
Ingenious grants are available for projects that provide engineers with training and practical experience of public engagement activities and include creative activities that enable the engineers to engage public audiences.
Funds for the next round will be awarded to successful projects in April 2026 and project research may begin from this time. However, any project activity development and delivery must take place after 1 May 2027. Projects working with school groups must be completed by 31 July 2028, whilst projects choosing to alternatively or additionally work with families or community groups must complete their projects by 31 August 2028.
To be eligible:
- Applicants must be UK residents.
- Applicants must be over 18 years of age.
- All projects must involve engineers in the development or delivery of projects and provide them with training, enabling them to gain skills, knowledge and experience in public engagement.
- Applicants cannot hold more than one Ingenious grant at the same time. Current Ingenious projects need to have finished before submitting a new proposal.
- The engineers involved in the project must be based in and studying or employed in the UK. They must be graduate level or equivalent and above (including those at senior level) and can be from academia, industry or the public sector. Engineers may also be apprentices and technicians. Applications that only engage undergraduate or apprentice engineers are ineligible for Ingenious.
- Activities developed under the Ingenious programme should be free to access
- Applicants cannot hold more than one Ingenious grant at the same time. Therefore current Ingenious projects need to have finished before submitting a new proposal.
Recent awardees may also wish to consider the newly introduced Follow on Fund Scheme.
We welcome proposals from universities, colleges and schools, youth charities, science and engineering communicators and engagement professionals as well as those working in the arts and cultural sectors. We also welcome applications from engineers from small and medium enterprises who are interested in public engagement. Large enterprises as classified under the UK Companies Act 2006 are not eligible to apply
For more information please read the supporting documents on this page and visit the FAQs page.