BBSRC запускает программу ICURe Explore для проверки рыночного потенциала британских биотехнологических идей

Deadline: 20-Nov-2026 The BBSRC ICURe Explore programme supports UK bioscience researchers in testing and validating the market potential of innovative ideas, products, and services through an intensive 12-week, full-time market exploration programme. The programme uses lean start-up methodology to help researchers apply scientific approaches to understanding commercial viability. Participants investigate customer needs, market opportunities, supply chains, regulations, competitors, and other factors before presenting their findings to a panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and experts. Funding of up to £35,000 per team is available, alongside specialist advice, networking opportunities, and potential routes into further commercialisation through ICURe Exploit. About BBSRC ICURe Explore BBSRC ICURe Explore is designed to help bioscience researchers determine whether their research-based innovations have genuine market potential. Rather than requiring researchers to immediately establish a company or commercialise their technology, the programme provides a structured opportunity to test key assumptions and understand whether there is a viable market for the proposed innovation. The programme combines scientific thinking with the lean start-up methodology, allowing researchers to systematically investigate customer problems and test whether their innovation can provide a valuable solution. How the 12-Week Programme Works The programme runs for 12 weeks on a full-time basis. Participants undertake an intensive market exploration process that begins with training and continues with extensive engagement outside the research environment. The programme includes: - Four days of intensive bootcamp training. - Business model development. - Identification of customer pain points. - Market and customer research. - Supply-chain engagement. - Engagement with regulators. - Customer discovery. - Competitor research. - Testing of commercial assumptions. - Final presentation to a specialist panel. The process is designed to move researchers beyond assumptions and generate evidence about the real-world potential of their innovation. Lean Start-Up Methodology BBSRC ICURe Explore uses lean start-up principles to help participants test whether their bioscience innovation addresses a genuine market need. Researchers can use scientific approaches to formulate assumptions, gather evidence, speak to potential users and stakeholders, and refine their understanding of the opportunity. This approach helps participants determine whether they should continue developing the idea, modify their proposition, pursue another market, or explore a commercialisation pathway. Four-Day Intensive Bootcamp The programme includes a four-day intensive bootcamp focused on developing the foundations required for market exploration. Training includes areas such as: - Business model development. - Understanding customer pain points. - Identifying assumptions. - Planning market exploration activities. - Preparing for customer discovery. The bootcamp prepares participants for the intensive research and engagement that follows. Deep In-Market Research A major part of ICURe Explore involves direct engagement with the market. Participants can conduct research involving: - Potential customers. - Supply chains. - Regulators. - Competitors. - Other relevant market stakeholders. This research enables participants to test whether their scientific innovation solves a meaningful problem and whether customers or other stakeholders would potentially adopt or support it. Customer Discovery Customer discovery is central to the programme. Researchers are encouraged to move beyond laboratory-based assumptions and directly investigate customer needs, challenges, behaviours, and priorities. Understanding customer pain points can help teams determine whether their innovation provides a solution that people or organisations genuinely value. Supply Chain and Regulatory Engagement Market potential can depend on more than customer demand. Participants can also explore the wider ecosystem surrounding their innovation, including supply chains and regulatory requirements. Engagement with these stakeholders can help researchers identify potential barriers, dependencies, opportunities, and requirements for future development. Competitor Research Participants investigate existing and potential competitors as part of the market exploration process. Competitor research can help teams understand: - Existing solutions. - Market gaps. - Competitive advantages. - Potential differentiation. - Customer preferences. - Barriers to market entry. This evidence can inform the team’s business model and commercialisation strategy. Final Investor and Expert Pitch The 12-week programme culminates in a pitch to a panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and experts. Participants present what they have learned through their market exploration and demonstrate the evidence gathered during the programme. The final pitch provides an opportunity to receive feedback from experienced individuals familiar with bioscience innovation, funding, entrepreneurship, and commercialisation. What Types of Bioscience Projects Are Supported? BBSRC ICURe Explore prioritises projects that are biological in nature or have a strong connection to biology. Eligible innovations may: - Be biological in nature. - Interact with biological entities. - Involve biological processes. - Address biological challenges. The programme welcomes applications from across the biosciences. Priority Bioscience Areas Applications are welcomed across a broad range of bioscience fields, including: - Agriculture and food. - Healthy ageing. - Engineering biology. - Industrial biotechnology. - Innovative tools and technologies supporting biological research. The programme is therefore relevant to researchers working across both fundamental and applied areas of bioscience where there may be potential for commercial or societal impact. Funding Available Teams can receive up to £35,000 in funding. The funding is divided into two main components: - Up to £20,000 for the Entrepreneurial Lead’s salary. - Up to £15,000 for assumption testing and customer discovery activities. This support enables participants to dedicate significant time to the full-time market exploration programme while also undertaking the research and engagement needed to validate the commercial opportunity. Expert Advice and Networking Participants receive access to expert advisors throughout the programme. They also become part of a national network of ICURe alumni, providing opportunities to connect with other researchers and innovators who have participated in the programme. These networks can provide valuable experience, knowledge, contacts, and potential collaboration opportunities. Further Commercialisation Through ICURe Exploit Participants may also have opportunities to pursue further support through ICURe Exploit. This can provide potential routes toward: - Spin-out creation. - Licensing. - Further commercialisation. ICURe Explore therefore acts as an important market-validation stage for researchers considering whether their research innovation could eventually move toward commercial exploitation. Who Is Eligible to Apply? The programme is open to bioscience researchers based at eligible UK research organisations. Eligible researchers can include: - PhD students. - Technicians. - Postdoctoral research associates. - Fellows. - Group leaders. Applicants must be based at: - UK universities. - BBSRC-funded institutes. - Approved public sector research enterprises. Previous ICURe Discover Participation Applicants must have completed ICURe Discover before applying to ICURe Explore. This requirement means the Explore programme is intended for researchers who have already undertaken the earlier stage of the ICURe pathway. Projects Previously in ICURe Explore Applicants cannot apply with a project that has previously participated in ICURe Explore. Teams should therefore ensure that the proposed project is new to the Explore programme before submitting an application. Priority for BBSRC and UKRI-Funded Research Priority is given to teams whose research builds on previous BBSRC or UKRI grants. Researchers should clearly identify relevant previous funding and explain how the proposed market exploration builds on the knowledge, technology, results, or innovation developed through that research. How to Prepare a Strong Application Applicants should clearly describe the scientific innovation and the potential problem it could solve. A strong application should explain: - The biological basis of the innovation. - The problem or challenge being addressed. - The potential users or customers. - Why the innovation could have market potential. - Key assumptions that need to be tested. - What participants need to learn from customer discovery. - Relevant supply-chain considerations. - Regulatory considerations. - Competitor landscape. - Proposed market exploration approach. - How previous BBSRC or UKRI research supports the opportunity, where applicable. - The potential next steps following ICURe Explore. Identifying Key Assumptions Applicants should identify the assumptions that need to be tested during the programme. These could relate to customer demand, technical requirements, market size, regulatory issues, pricing, supply chains, adoption barriers, or competing solutions. Clearly defined assumptions make it easier to design meaningful customer discovery and market-validation activities. Connecting Science With Market Need The programme is not simply about demonstrating that a technology works scientifically. Researchers should also demonstrate why the innovation could solve a meaningful problem for customers, organisations, or other users. The strongest proposals will clearly connect the scientific innovation with a potential real-world need and explain what evidence is required to validate that opportunity. Common Application Mistakes to Avoid Applicants should avoid: - Treating scientific novelty as proof of market demand. - Failing to identify specific customer problems. - Providing no clear assumptions to test. - Underestimating the importance of customer discovery. - Ignoring competitors. - Failing to consider regulatory requirements. - Ignoring supply-chain issues. - Applying with a project that has already participated in ICURe Explore. - Applying without having completed ICURe Discover. - Failing to explain links to previous BBSRC or UKRI-funded research where relevant. - Focusing only on laboratory development instead of market exploration. Key Facts About BBSRC ICURe Explore - Programme: BBSRC ICURe Explore. - Purpose: Test and validate the market potential of bioscience innovations. - Programme length: 12 weeks. - Participation: Full-time. - Methodology: Lean start-up. - Maximum funding: £35,000 per team. - Entrepreneurial Lead salary: Up to £20,000. - Assumption testing and customer discovery: Up to £15,000. - Training: Four-day intensive bootcamp. - Research focus: Bioscience innovations with market potential. - Supported areas: Agriculture and food, healthy ageing, engineering biology, industrial biotechnology, and innovative biological research tools and technologies. - Participants: PhD students, technicians, postdoctoral research associates, fellows, and group leaders. - Eligible organisations: UK universities, BBSRC-funded institutes, and approved public sector research enterprises. - Previous ICURe requirement: Applicants must have completed ICURe Discover. - Previous ICURe Explore projects: Not eligible. - Additional support: Expert advisors and ICURe alumni network. - Potential next pathway: ICURe Exploit for spin-out or licensing opportunities. - Priority: Teams building on previous BBSRC or UKRI grants. Frequently Asked Questions What is BBSRC ICURe Explore? BBSRC ICURe Explore is a 12-week full-time programme that helps UK bioscience researchers test and validate the market potential of their research innovations. How long does ICURe Explore last? The programme lasts 12 weeks and is undertaken on a full-time basis. How much funding is available? Up to £35,000 per team is available. How is the £35,000 funding allocated? Up to £20,000 can support the Entrepreneurial Lead’s salary, while up to £15,000 is available for assumption testing and customer discovery activities. What methodology does the programme use? The programme uses the lean start-up methodology to help researchers test commercial assumptions and investigate market potential. What happens during the bootcamp? Participants undertake four days of intensive training focused on areas such as business model development and identifying customer pain points. What is customer discovery? Customer discovery involves engaging with potential customers and other stakeholders to understand their needs, challenges, priorities, and responses to the proposed innovation. Can participants engage with regulators? Yes. The programme supports deep in-market research that can include engagement with regulators, supply chains, customers, and competitors. Who can apply? Eligible bioscience researchers include PhD students, technicians, postdoctoral research associates, fellows, and group leaders based at eligible UK research organisations. Where must applicants be based? Applicants must be based at a UK university, BBSRC-funded institute, or approved public sector research enterprise. Do applicants need to complete ICURe Discover first? Yes. Applicants must have completed ICURe Discover before applying to ICURe Explore. Can a project that previously participated in ICURe Explore apply again? No. Projects that have previously participated in ICURe Explore are not eligible. What types of bioscience innovations are prioritised? Priority is given to projects that are biological in nature, interact with biological entities, involve biological processes, or address biological challenges. Which research areas can apply? Applications are welcomed across biosciences, including agriculture and food, healthy ageing, engineering biology, industrial biotechnology, and innovative tools and technologies supporting biological research. Are BBSRC or UKRI-funded projects prioritised? Priority is given to teams whose research builds on previous BBSRC or UKRI grants. What happens at the end of the programme? Participants pitch their market exploration findings to a panel of bioscience investors, funders, mentors, and experts. What further support may be available after ICURe Explore? Participants may have opportunities to pursue further support through ICURe Exploit, including potential spin-out or licensing pathways. Conclusion The BBSRC ICURe Explore programme provides UK bioscience researchers with a structured opportunity to test whether their scientific innovations have genuine market potential. Through a 12-week full-time programme, participants combine scientific thinking with lean start-up methods to investigate customers, competitors, regulators, supply chains, and other market factors. With up to £35,000 per team, expert advice, access to a national ICURe alumni network, and potential progression toward ICURe Exploit, the programme can help researchers move from promising bioscience research toward evidence-based commercialisation decisions. Researchers who have completed ICURe Discover and are developing a new bioscience project with potential market value should consider whether ICURe Explore can provide the market evidence and commercial insight needed for their next stage of development. For more information, visit BBSRC.