Wellcome is a global charitable foundation that wants everyone to benefit from science’s potential to improve health and save lives. The funding for initiatives is provided by Do it Now Now by Wellcome.

Innovate Now with Wellcome aims to strengthen Black-led leadership in the UK research ecosystem. It responds to a critical gap: many Black-led initiatives that support the research careers of Black Heritage and Mixed Black Heritage people provide mentoring, safe spaces, networks, and advocacy, yet remain underfunded, under-recognised, and often volunteer-led. Registered or unregistered initiatives are eligible for this opportunity as long as the income gained by the initiative does not exceed £150k annually.

The programme offers multi-year grant funding of £13,000–£48,000, tiered by an initiative’s annual income and legal form, alongside practical support to build leadership, financial resilience, operational readiness, and long-term impact.

Innovate Now runs as a 2–3 year programme focused on long-term resilience rather than short-term delivery. Grantees receive support to strengthen governance and internal systems, develop leadership and wellbeing, and connect through peer learning and collective spaces, with ongoing tailored guidance over the funding period.

Application windows:

• Round 1: opens 28 Jan 2026 - 25 Mar 2026

• Round 2: opens 7 Sep 2026 - 27 Nov 2026

Applications are made through an Expression of Interest, followed by due diligence and a 1–2–1 health check for shortlisted applicants, proposal development support, and onboarding into the longer-term capacity-building programme. Support is built in throughout, including 1–2–1 calls and regular drop-in sessions during application windows.