The Glasgow City Region has launched a substantial £25 million Open Call for project proposals aimed at fostering transformative local innovations within its burgeoning Health and Life Sciences sector. This initiative forms part of a wider £50 million funding package allocated to the region, designed to stimulate economic growth and enhance lives through cutting-edge research and development.
Targeting projects that accelerate the commercialisation of research – moving discoveries from the laboratory into practical, real-world applications such as product development, prototyping, and technology transfer – the fund seeks to bolster a sector already recognised for its significant economic contribution.
The strategic focus on Health and Life Sciences is a result of detailed analysis by the Region’s Intelligence Hub, which identified the sector as having the most substantial potential for economic expansion, a finding validated by industry experts.
A Rapidly Growing Sector with National Ambition
The Health and Life Sciences sector in the Glasgow City Region currently supports over 10,000 jobs and experienced a 47% increase in employment between 2019 and 2023. Nationally, Scotland’s broader life sciences cluster reported a turnover of approximately £10.5 billion in 2022, supporting over 46,000 jobs. The Scottish Government’s “Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision” aims to grow the sector to a £25 billion industry by 2035, underscoring the significant national ambition for this area.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader of Glasgow City Council, highlighted the sector’s dynamic nature. She commented:
“Health and Life Sciences is an example of a dynamic sector where Glasgow is at the forefront – one ranked by DSIT as more innovative than comparators in London and the OxCam Cluster, and which is projected to grow by three hundred per cent across Scotland in the next decade. Benefitting from an ecosystem with unparalleled access to clinical expertise, the city has become a live testbed for new health technologies and treatments.”
Key sub-sectors driving this growth include MedTech, BioTech, and Pharma and Biopharma. The Glasgow City Region reportedly accounts for almost 60% of the total turnover across Scotland in this sector.
Glasgow City Region is one of three areas, alongside Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, earmarked to receive a total of £50 million from the LIPF, following an initial allocation of £30 million and a subsequent £20 million boost.
The £50 million allocated to Glasgow City Region is structured into three key areas:
- £25 million from the Open Call dedicated to the commercialisation of Research and Development.
- £20 million set aside for new laboratory space, addressing a recognised barrier to growth within the sector. This infrastructure fund is expected to launch in the week commencing 15 December 2025, and will remain open for 14 weeks.
- £5 million for a complementary skills programme, to be delivered via the Region’s colleges, aiming to provide career opportunities and meet the growing demand for Health and Life Sciences professionals.
A Proven Track Record and Future Potential
The new funding builds upon the success of the earlier Innovation Accelerator pilot scheme, which saw Glasgow City Region benefit from £43 million in UK Government funding to support breakthrough technologies across various fields. The pilot programme across Glasgow, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands successfully leveraged over £140 million in co-investment and created hundreds of jobs.
In Case You Missed It:
The Open Call also welcomes proposals from businesses focusing on Digital Enabling Technologies that drive digitally powered innovation in Health and Life Sciences. This acknowledges the accelerating role of data science, AI, and quantum computing in medical and biotechnological breakthroughs.
Application Details
Project proposals must meet specific eligibility criteria, including a requirement for private sector match funding of at least 2:1 from non-public sources, meaning every £1 of public spend must be matched or enabled by £2 of private investment.
Applications can be submitted via the Glasgow City Region Open Call website, with a deadline of 20th February 2026. A shortlisting process is scheduled for completion in March 2026. An online MS Teams event for prospective bidders to ask questions will be held on Monday, 15 December 2025, at 4 pm. Interested parties can contact [email protected] for further details.
