Local Innovation Partnership Fund: Overview 

The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) is a new, national programme led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) that will invest up to £500 million over five years to develop and scale high-potential innovation clusters across the UK. The North East has been identified in the Earmarked Strand, as one of 10 regions across the country to receive an allocation of at least £30 million funding over 5 years. 
 
The fund is designed to support commercially viable products, services and technologies ready for private investment, and deliver impact by increasing productivity, attracting investment, and creating high-value jobs. Funding is not devolved to the North East Combined Authority and UKRI will have overall responsibility and accountability for the programme. 
 
Further information on the Fund can be found in the full guidance document published by UKRI: Local Innovation Partnerships Fund – Further guidance.   

Open call for projects 

We have been working closely with UKRI and regional partners to assess the evidence base for the LIPF. In line with the LIPF criteria, we have established a North East Local Innovation Steering Group (triple-helix partnership), to oversee the LIPF process and the development of a project portfolio that will be submitted to UKRI for assessment and approval. The Steering Group has nominated the North East CA to act as the Lead Bidder for the LIPF, and we are now launching an open call for projects to inform the project portfolio.  

We are seeking applications for high-quality and collaborative innovation projects that will support the delivery of the North East Local Growth Plan and our strategic innovation priorities. We are looking for projects that can drive commercialisation and industry adoption, delivering impact at scale and contributing to inclusive, innovation-led growth. 
As set out in the criteria developed by UKRI, the LIPF is designed to be focused on a small number of priority innovation clusters with the greatest potential to benefit from investment, building on established North East strengths and capabilities. We are therefore seeking projects that develop and scale innovation in the following clusters:  

• Materials innovation - underpinned by applications of advanced sustainable materials and formulated products within advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries, enabling sustainable manufacturing processes and accelerating decarbonisation across the economy. 
• Health innovation - underpinned by new innovations in diagnostics, advanced therapeutics and drug discovery, including through the application of AI.
• Space technologies - underpinned by the integration and application of space-based communications, key technologies (including Radio Frequency, AI, cybersecurity, autonomous systems etc.) and advanced materials (including sensors, semiconductors, photonics etc.) 

Depending on the applications received through this call, and feedback from UKRI, there may be further refinement of these cluster definitions in order to shape a project portfolio which is more focussed on specific technologies within these clusters. 

Summary of assessment criteria for LIPF projects 

Projects will be assessed against the following key criteria: 

• Strategic fit: alignment with the North East Local Growth Plan, regional innovation objectives and the UK Industrial Strategy, with a clear focus on at least one of the North East LIPF priority clusters outlined above.
• Funding and Leverage: projects must be supported by committed private matched funding, to meet the minimum 2:1 private-to-public investment ratio across the lifespan of the LIPF project portfolio
• Eligible activity: projects must deliver near-to-market research and innovation activity, with strong potential for commercial application, industry adoption and scalable impact
• Deliverability and Impact: projects must be deliverable within five years and deliver scalable and long-term local economic impact by increasing productivity, attracting investment, and creating high-value jobs
• Outputs and Outcomes: projects should deliver tangible benefits such as new products, services, jobs, and infrastructure, while strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem.

Full details are available in the Applicant Guidance, which should be reviewed before submitting a proposal. 

Application process and timescales  

The open call will be used to identify projects eligible to be funded through the LIPF, and inform our submission to UKRI.  
Projects submitted to the open call will be assessed against the criteria above, and go through an internal and external appraisal process. Further details of the assessment process are included in the Applicant Guidance. Not all the submissions will be taken forward, and participation in this process does not guarantee inclusion or future funding. Projects will also be considered for the extent to which they contribute to creating an overall portfolio focused on specific technologies where the North East has particular expertise. 

Organisations wishing to be considered for inclusion in the North East Local Innovation Partnership Fund (LIPF) submission must complete the LIPF project application form and submit it via email to Lipf@northeast-ca.gov.uk by 11 April 2026. 

Wider development of the innovation pipeline 

Alongside the process outlined above to identify projects eligible for the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, we are also inviting expressions of interest to form a future pipeline of regional innovation projects. This will help us to develop our wider innovation priorities, and to make the case for further regional and national innovation funding. 

Organisations wishing to put forward propositions for innovation pipeline projects must complete the EOI form and submit it via email to Lipf@northeast-ca.gov.uk by 29 May 2026.

Participation in this process does not guarantee future funding. We may extend the EOI window or provide future opportunities to submit projects for consideration.

Please contact Lipf@northeast-ca.gov.uk if you have any questions.