Win £10K IP Support - SH&P Pitch & Protect Fund For Startups

SH&P Pitch & Protect 2026

Following the success of our inaugural Pitch & Protect initiative in 2025, we are delighted to announce the official launch of the second edition of Pitch & Protect: The £10k IP Fund.

Created to support innovative UK startups and early-stage businesses, Pitch & Protect was launched to help founders better understand, protect and commercialise their intellectual property.

Last year’s competition attracted applications from a wide range of businesses across the UK, with cleantech startup Regeno selected as the winner following our confidential pitching process.

Applications closed: 24 July 2026

Win £10,000 worth of intellectual property support and services

We are once again offering £10,000 worth of intellectual property support and services to an ambitious, invention driven business, helping it protect its technology, innovation and brand.

This includes support focused on:

£8,000 for drafting and filing a UK patent application

£2,000 for clearance searches and filing a UK trade mark application

Strategic intellectual property advice and guidance

Access to experienced patent and trade mark attorneys

Who is Pitch & Protect for?

The SH&P Pitch & Protect competition provides a unique opportunity for one innovative UK startup or early-stage business to secure meaningful intellectual property protection and support without the usual financial burden.

To apply, you should be a startup, early-stage business, UK registered company or a UK-based individual, who has been in business for no more than 5 years and who is developing potentially patentable innovative technology.

Thinking of applying?

Hear from last year’s winner, Regeno Ltd, an exciting UK cleantech startup developing modular wind turbine technology. Here are a few words from Adarsh on why you should apply:

Just do it! I genuinely submitted with 1 hour to go because I thought I wouldn’t get accepted, but I just pushed myself to apply and here we are.

The Pitch & Protect Process…

Complete the online application form. Entry to Pitch & Protect is free.

Tell us about your business, what you are inventing and your aspirations for the business.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to pitch their innovation (confidentially) to the SH&P panel.

All pitches reviewed and winner announced.

Applications close: 24 July 2026

So, if you are a startup founder looking to protect and commercialise your ideas, we would love to hear from you.

You have nothing to lose, and could secure £10,000 in intellectual property funding.

It could be a game-changer for your business.

Supporting innovation from the start

Working with innovative businesses and ambitious founders is at the heart of what we do. Pitch & Protect was created to help startups and early stage companies access valuable intellectual property support while strengthening our connection and relatability with the UK’s innovation community. We understand that protecting new innovative ideas can be challenging in the early stages, which is why one business will receive £10,000 of IP funding and support from SH&P.

Applications for Pitch & Protect 2026 have now closed. To register your interest for the next edition, please fill in your details on the form below.

Click here for full competition terms and conditions.