The Biotechnology Business Incubation Centre (Bio BIC) is designed to support early-stage biotechnology companies achieve their commercial potential.
A collaboration between the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Bio BIC has the expertise and networks needed to enable growth and de-risk the route to market.
The Bio BIC is an incubator programme for early-stage biotechnology start-ups, providing access to a number of UKRI campuses: the STFC Sci-Tech Daresbury campus, and now as part of an expansion phase of the partnership, the BBSRC campuses of Rothamsted Enterprises and AberInnovation, with additional specialist support available from The Pirbright Institute. The Bio BIC provides £50k of R&D funding, a £10k innovation voucher for R&D activity, and technical, commercial and IP support to help start-ups de-risk their technologies and get to market faster.
The Bio BIC builds upon STFC’s strong track record of managing support programmes and facilities for small businesses across its locations nationally. With the support of BBSRC, a major funder of world-leading bioscience in the UK, the Bio BIC will help small biotechnology businesses, emerging from leading bioscience, turn their innovative technology concepts into market reality.
Located within the rapidly growing Sci-Tech Daresbury campus in the Liverpool City Region, the Bio BIC will enable biotechnology businesses to access, and benefit from, the wider collaborative ecosystem on campus. Daresbury Laboratory's scientists and engineers have been pushing the boundaries of modern science for more than 50 years, and startups today can benefit from working side-by-side with pioneers and peers alike.
The campus is also the home to 3 well-established industrial clusters for the North West, specifically dedicated to the health tech, space and digital sectors.
Bringing business ideas to life
The Bio BIC provides an outstanding support package for start-ups. Successful applicants will be provided with:
Eligibility
The Bio BIC supports UK-registered companies under 5 years old that are majority-owned by founders and employees and can demonstrate that you are beyond the concept stage of your product development and/ or market penetration.
We can only accept applications from companies who have received one of the following:
- Received previous UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research funding
- Received Innovate UK commercialisation funding
- Have participated in or received finance from an accelerator or pre-incubation support programme from a UKRI recognised organisation
Expression of interest now live: Deadline 7th September 2025
Expressions of interest are limited to one per company. Submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis but companies are encouraged to submit as soon as possible.
The final deadline for EOI submissions is 23:59 on 7th September 2025.
Applicants will be notified if they have been successfully shortlisted to submit a full application to the Bio BIC within two weeks of submitting this expression of interest and by 8th September 2025 latest. The in-person evaluation board will be held between 21st and 23rd October 2025 at Sci-Tech Daresbury.
Get in touch
For more information please email James Mooney: james.mooney@stfc.ac.uk
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