Innovate UK has allocated over £3.7 billion in taxpayer funds to support innovation in science and technology since 2004, but this funding has failed to prioritize diversity within the teams it finances. The competitive nature of funding applications has led some companies to misuse and misrepresent their operations to secure grants. As a result, issues of underrepresentation, particularly among women and minorities in engineering and technology roles, persist. To promote meaningful change, it is crucial for Innovate UK to introduce diversity criteria in its funding processes.
Anyone who has worked in an ecosystem where companies are looking to secure Innovate UK funding knows the extraordinary lengths that organizations will go to secure it.
Despite years of public discourse, the representation gap has not narrowed substantially, mainly because systematic change is hard work for those in power.
Innovate UK is in a unique position of power to drive meaningful change by introducing diversity requirements in its funding criteria.
Women are still sidelined in support and non-technical roles, with only 15.7% of roles in technology and engineering filled by women in 2024.
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