Application process

Before you apply

Find out everything about applying for funding from us, from starting an application to our expectations of your organisation if you are successful in getting a funding award (become a grant beneficiary).

You can apply for grant funding if you meet the programme eligibility criteria. Eligibility criteria may be different for each programme. The best way to see if you are eligible is to look at the individual funding opportunity that you want to apply for.

Search funding opportunities for opportunities.

How to apply for funding

Applying for funding is a major undertaking. We have guidance to help you complete and submit an application.

You should read all the relevant guidance before you start your application in order to increase the chance of your application being successful. 

There is also a helpful checklist to support the process of your application. 

Please note changes to the way overseas costs are input which is applicable to all applications (which include overseas costs) submitted after 1 July 2021.

If you have questions about your application, contact the funding opportunity programme manager named in the funding opportunity.

How we make decisions

Met Office funds research and innovation on a competitive basis. Individual applications for research are assessed by relevant independent experts from academia and business.

How we review research proposals

Your proposal for research funding will be assessed by experts.

We appoint experts from the UK and overseas with recognised expertise in the relevant areas of research to review applications independently of each other. They do this against published criteria to assess whether they are fundable.

We endeavour, where possible, to give you the opportunity to respond to reviewers’ comments before your application goes to a panel.

A panel of independent experts then assesses applications against each other and recommends which ones should be funded.

The assessment process is designed to be sensitive to different needs and cultures in the academic community. It reflects the need to support different types of research, from basic or strategic research to adventurous or multidisciplinary research.

Your application is treated as confidential.

Award of the funding once proposals are assessed

Once the proposals have been evaluated against the scoring and assessment criteria, the award and feedback letters will be issued. Timescales will usually follow those provided in the Call Part 1 document. The final element of the application process is negotiating contract terms and then subsequent contract award and issue of a purchase order to cover the duration of the contract. All invoices should include the relevant purchase order number.  

Expectations around performance and delivery

The Programme or Project Manager will have an initial kick off meeting to discuss the agreed delivery plans to ensure a smooth transition to delivery. The agreed Research Plan, payment points for deliverables and reporting will all be monitored as the project progresses.