Mid-range equipment for biosciences research: ALERT 2025

Closing date: 20 Jan 2026 16:00 UK

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is inviting applications for funding to purchase mid-range equipment for research in areas across its scientific remit through ALERT 2025.

The funding is intended to provide:

• equipment that will be widely used and underpins capability for scientific areas within BBSRC’s remit (relevance to the ambitions set out in BBSRC’s Forward Look is particularly encouraged)
• the use of emerging advanced research technology or utilisation of equipment in new ways, specifically ‘lab-to-field’ equipment which enables the translation (or applied use) of laboratory scale experiments to real-world settings or environments
• equipment that promotes collaboration and increased access to users within industry, public sector, and other institutions for example equipment sharing and access to equipment

Applicants must be a researcher or research technical professional from an eligible UK research organisation to apply for funding, and can only act as project lead on one application.

This is an equipment-only grant. The full economic cost (FEC) can be between £200k and £1.5 million. BBSRC will fund 100% of the FEC. The maximum duration of the grant is 12 months and grants must start by 3 August 2026 at the very latest. No slippage will be allowed to this date, and grant extensions will not be allowed under any circumstances.

For EBNet’s response to the BBSRC Forward Look Community consultation see here.