£300k innovation funding now open for Tees Valley creative and digital businesses

Ambitious businesses across the Tees Valley can now apply for up to £300,000 funding to help turn strong ideas into commercial progress.

Applications for Tees Valley Innovation Vouchers are now open, allowing eligible digital and creative businesses to access support for innovation projects that drive growth, improve capability, and create wider economic impact.

Delivered through the Tees Valley Investment Zone Research & Innovation programme, the vouchers help businesses explore, develop and accelerate ideas. This could include new products, services, tools, content, experiences, workflows or other commercial opportunities.

Backed by £80m in government funding, the Tees Valley Investment Zone is one of just 12 zones nationally, designed to accelerate economic development in high-potential industries. In the Tees Valley, the focus is clear: digital and creative businesses are the engine of future economic growth.

Funding built around business needs

Many businesses have opportunities they want to pursue but need time, specialist resource or funding to move them forward. You might:

• have a promising but need evidence before investing further
• want to launch something new but lack the time or internal resource to test it properly
• see demand but need support to move faster, reduce risk or strengthen your route to market.

Innovation Vouchers can help you overcome those challenges by providing funding and support for clearly defined projects. They can help you:

• test ideas before committing significant budget
• develop proof of concept and prototyping
• access specialist expertise, researchers, facilities or technical support
• validate customer demand and commercial potential
• build prototypes or pilot new products and services
• improve processes and productivity or develop a product
• conduct feasibility studies, research consultancies and technical scoping
• establish commercialisation and routes to market
• create momentum for growth, jobs and investment.

There are two voucher types available:

Exploration vouchers - up to £50,000 Designed for SMEs that want to test feasibility, validate assumptions and build evidence before progressing a larger innovation project. Ideal for early-stage opportunities where informed decisions are needed.

Acceleration vouchers - up to £300,000 Designed for businesses ready to build, pilot, implement or scale innovation activity that can strengthen growth and cluster capability.

Please note that the £50,000 and £300,000 figures refer to total project value, including the applicant’s 20% match contribution. For example, a project with a total value of £50,000 would require a business contribution of £10,000, with £40,000 supported through the programme. A project with a total value of £300,000 would require a business contribution of £60,000, with £240,000 supported through the programme.

Who can apply

The programme is aimed at businesses that can demonstrate:

• a clear digital or creative innovation project*
• a specific business challenge or growth opportunity the project will address
• the capacity to deliver the work and act on the outcomes
• a realistic route to market, adoption or wider business benefit
• potential value for the Tees Valley through growth, jobs, skills, productivity or partnerships.

*Projects should be innovative and time bound. Routine business-as-usual activity or standard expansion plans will not be funded.

Applications must align to one of the programme’s three innovation themes, depending on the opportunity your business wants to pursue:

• AI for innovation and new products - using artificial intelligence to improve existing offers or create new products, tools or customer experiences. This could include automation, personalisation, smarter digital journeys or new creative formats.
• Market adoption, commercialisation and new audience reach - helping your business win customers, enter new markets and generate more value from what you already offer. This could include testing routes to market, improving conversion, refining pricing models or reaching new audiences.
• Digital and creative product innovation - developing new digital or creative products, platforms, tools, or experiences with clear commercial potential. This could include new software, interactive products, creative technology or scalable tools.

Key dates

• Applications close: Friday 29 May 2026
• Shortlisted applicants notified: Monday 22 June 2026
• Full applications due: Friday 10 July 2026
• Projects can start from: Monday 3 August 2026

Support is available

Businesses do not need to navigate the process alone. If you need help understanding eligibility, choosing the right voucher type, completing an application, finding experts to work with, or building a project team support is available from the team.

All applications are confidential and managed under Teesside University data protection policies. Please email izteam@tees.ac.uk to ask questions, discuss your project or request application support.

Apply now

If your business has an idea worth testing, a product ready to grow or an opportunity you are ready to pursue, now is the time to apply.

Apply below, and find out more about the Investment Zone, and additional funding and support available here.

We will also be hosting an Innovation Vouchers Information Session on Microsoft Teams on Thursday 7 May 2026, 3-4pm. This session will provide an overview of the programme, the application process and an opportunity for applicants to ask questions before submitting their expression of interest. Sign up here.

Tees Valley Investment Zone

Tees Valley Investment Zone is led by Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) in partnership with Teesside University and backed by UK Government.

Tees Valley was confirmed as one of the UK's national Investment Zones in March 2024, part of a UK Government initiative to accelerate economic growth in high potential sectors. Development is led by Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), with Teesside University as the lead educational partner, and is backed by UK Government funding. It is the only UK Investment Zone focused on the growth of digital and creative sectors and builds on strong industry clusters in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

---