- £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm
and death from drug and alcohol addiction
- Wearable tech, artificial intelligence and virtual reality
projects to be considered
- Part of the government's Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG)
programme to save and improve lives
Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of
government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical
technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol
addiction.
Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and
addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.
Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the
development and deployment of new technologies designed to
improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug
and alcohol addiction.
Health Minister, Dr said:
Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help
ease the suffering – and aid the recovery - of hundreds of
thousands of people.
Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this
government is already doing including expanding access to
vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and
alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.
Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save
thousands of lives and billions of pounds.
Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and
drugs.
Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects which costs England
an estimated £47 billion each year.
The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards - part of The Addiction
Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences -
will help reduce this by supporting those working on new
medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies,
treatment apps and artificial‑intelligence‑enabled tools.
These innovations have the potential to transform care for people
with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes,
preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.
Science Minister, said:
Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of
lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes
for hundreds of thousands more.
Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage
innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from
breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.
This is about using the UK's scientific excellence to
prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping
innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same
time.
Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare
Goals, said:
Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol
addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to
address the immense personal, mental and physical health and
societal impacts they cause.
To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate
UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the
development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital
tools to enhance treatment and care.
These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build
the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring
innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths
and strengthen recovery.
Dr Stella Pearce, Executive Director, Healthy Living and
Agriculture, Innovate-UK said:
Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is
accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and
alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move
quickly from research into real‑world services
By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians
and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with
these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.
Applications open today – with awards of up to £10 million
available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects which can
demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and
progress towards regulatory approval.
These grants will support projects expected to be close to
deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and
care services.
A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with
awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies
demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning
and help them progress.
Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an
education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate
evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification,
approval and roll‑out.
To find out more about the funding available and where to apply
please visit Innovate UK: Supporting
innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges -
Innovate UK Business Connect. Applications for funding close
on 6 May 2026.
