Who are the Innovators? – Blog Summary

Promoting gender and ethnic diversity is an important aspect of building an inclusive innovation ecosystem. In the first study of its kind, and in keeping with the commitment of Innovate UK to address inequalities in the innovation ecosystem, this project marks a major step in understanding the characteristics of the applicants and beneficiaries of Innovate UK funding. The exploratory study analysed 33,209 Innovate UK funding applications received between 2016 and 2023, with reference to the diversity of applicants in terms of gender, ethnicity and education. The findings also serve to highlight how the intersections of these groups further affect the likelihood of obtaining innovation funding.  

The study adopts an experimental approach to identify the perceived gender, ethnicity, education and age of applicants through the use of machine learning and triangulation with other online data. The full findings of this project are available in the published report: Who are the Innovators? An analysis of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries, but this blog reflects on some of the key findings. 

Does gender matter? 

Yes, applicants gender matters, but not in the way one would think when speaking about access to funding. Project findings show that both men and women have the same chances of successfully securing Innovate UK funding. The main issue is that the majority of applications are submitted by men; 78% to be exact. This indicates that more work is required to understand why fewer women innovators are applying for innovation funding and what measures can be put in place to address any potential systemic barriers.  

What about ethnicity? 

The ethnic profile of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries is characterised by an over-representation of White individuals compared to the UK population. The study also finds that White applicants are 4% more likely to be successful than all ethnic minority applicants in general. Moreover, there are more stark inequalities within other ethnic minority groups. Black applicants are significantly less likely to be successful than all other ethnic groups, while East Asian applicants are just as likely to be successful as White applicants.   

Does educational background matter?  

We characterised the educational backgrounds of applicants, differentiating between those holding a qualification from i) Oxford or Cambridge, ii) Imperial or UCL, iii) Other Russell group universities (i.e. research intensive universities in the UK), or iv) all other universities and non-tertiary education institutes. The findings indicated that applicants holding a qualification from Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL were most successful. These applicants were, on average, 6% more likely to be successful than all other applicants. Whilst this indicates that educational background matters, further research is needed to understand and unpack how education, and social capital more broadly, relates to the application process.  

What happens when identities intersect? 

Understanding inequalities requires us to understand how multiple identities interact, overlap to affect different groups. The results provide greater insights into the heterogeneity of both minority and majority groups, and the effect of intersecting identities on access to innovation funding. The report adopts an intersectional lens to highlight the pools of applicant groups and the implication of these intersectional identities on their success. 

So what? 

The report represents an important step in understanding the characteristics and attributes of Innovate UK applicants and beneficiaries. By better understanding the profile of applicants for, and beneficiaries of, Innovate UK funding, the innovation agency has the evidence base to pursue a more inclusive approach to strengthening the UK’s innovation ecosystem. Since the study was initiated, Innovate UK has extended the range of activities to address some of the issues identified in the report. Innovate UK now routinely collects EDI data on founding applicants for continuous monitoring of the diversity of applicants. Innovate UK has also launched the “No Limits” initiative aimed at encouraging people from all backgrounds into innovation.  

This blog summary is based on the Innovation and Research Caucus and Extend Ventures report, Who are the Innovators? An Analysis of Innovate UK Applicants and Beneficiaries. September 2024