The UK Government has unveiled new plans to support long-term funding for R&D activities exploring innovation in areas such as quantum computing and cutting-edge medical techniques, aiming to provide greater certainty for research organisations and further boost the UK economy.

While specific funding will be determined in the coming weeks, the plans will enable government departments and other public bodies to fund R&D over a ten-year period, allowing researchers to tackle complex issues which often take years to develop and understand, improving their chances of discovering valuable solutions.

According to the government, it could also mean longer-term funding for infrastructure, such as large-scale research facilities and equipment, giving researchers certainty that the tools they need are secured.

It’s hoped that the reforms will enable more long-term projects that tackle key issues facing the UK, and will crowd investment into the sector from businesses attracted to the certainty of public backing.

“Research and innovation, from computing and AI to health breakthroughs need stability of funding,” said the UK’s science minister, Patrick Vallance, on setting out the new plans.

“We are delivering on our manifesto commitment to support and encourage public bodies to deliver long-term ten-year funding streams where appropriate, while retaining the flexibility of shorter-term cycles to deal with emerging priorities.

“This change will provide certainty to certain types of research organisations and unlock vital business investment into our world-class research sector to drive the growth at the heart of our Plan for Change.”

The government has outlined the key criteria that departments and public bodies will use to identify and prioritise ten-year R&D funding proposals.

One focus is on infrastructure and core capabilities, where long-term funding will support the development, maintenance, and effective use of national infrastructure and research assets, aiming to ensure continuity and impact in areas requiring sustained investment.

Another priority is talent attraction and retention, with the government hoping to establish a pipeline of skilled researchers, scientists and engineers that would be difficult under shorter-term funding models.

Projects focusing on international collaboration will also be a key consideration, as will proposals that involve long-term partnerships with industry, charities, and philanthropic organisations. These collaborations must offer wider strategic benefits and address challenges to economic growth, especially in cases where short-term funding would hinder meaningful progress.

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While government departments will operate their own selection process to allow for a targeted approach, the guidance recommends that public bodies should set a maximum limit for the proportion of R&D budget that should be allocated to ten-year funding, ensuring they can respond to new and emerging priorities in the short and medium term.

The government said the new approach is part of its wider plans around reforming R&D funding to align with long-term priorities in key sectors, with the ten-year budgets underpinning the government’s upcoming Industrial Strategy.

The plans follow the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) setting out last month how it will allocate a total of £13.9bn in funding for innovative research and development in the next year across sectors like life sciences, green energy, and space, building on the Chancellor’s promise made during the Budget that the government would protect record levels of R&D spending.

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