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Applications for the Royal Academy of Engineering LIF Global Programme 2025 are now open. LIF nurtures bold, scalable innovations from all areas of engineering and technology that are addressing some of the world's most complex environmental, economic, and societal challenges.
Opportunity Details
LIF (Leaders in Innovation Fellowships) Global is a flagship entry-point programme that supports entrepreneurs with a technology prototype to create an entrepreneurial mindset. LIF nurtures bold, scalable innovations from all areas of engineering and technology that are addressing some of the world's most complex environmental, economic, and societal challenges.
The LIF Global programme provides innovators with opportunities to:
The programme offers:
Only innovators from the following countries are eligible to apply for LIF Global 2025: Brazil, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand*, and Vietnam.
Thai candidates follow a separate selection process with the Programme Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC). If you have not been invited by PMUC to apply to Stage 1 and 2, please do not proceed with your application. For more information on Thai candidates’ selection process, click here.
1. The innovation must be at technology readiness level 4 or above, and evidence of a prototype should be provided in the application.
Learn more about technology readiness levels
2. The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields, including, but not limited to:
3. Candidates must be the original innovator and own shares in the company created.
4. innovation should have the potential to benefit the applicant’s country, or other developing countries, in terms of improving social welfare and driving economic development, and they should contribute one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
5. The primary application of the innovation must NOT be in the defence, military, or fossil fuel-based energy sectors.
6. LIF alumni cannot apply to LIF Global 2025. They can, however, apply to Advance.
7. Candidates cannot apply with an innovation/business that has been supported by LIF before (LIF 1 to 7, LIF Global 2022, LIF Global 2023 or LIF Global 2024). LIF Global supports businesses only once. In addition, co-founders can't both apply to LIF Global 2025 with the same business or technology.
8. Applicants must be able to commit to LIF Global for a minimum of 4 hours during onboarding (week of 9 December), and at least 20 days for training and mentoring between January and July 2025, including 4 days (travel excluded) of in-person training in their country and 14 days for the UK Residential in July 2025. This implies being able to secure permission from all relevant employers to attend the programme if selected. The Academy will provide documentation on LIF counting as training or continuous personal development if required once you have joined the cohort.
9. Applicants must be able to commit to travel internationally. All costs associated with the LIF Global programme will be paid for by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with the exception of visas and travel insurance. Participants will be asked to purchase a travel insurance covering COVID-19 testing and quarantine costs. The Academy will consider covering the costs of any caring needs related to travel on a case-by-case basis.
10. Applicants will not need to cover any costs associated with the training programme in London, nor need to have any funds to support a trip to the UK.
11. Candidates will need to demonstrate fluency in English to participate. This will be a key assessment metric. Please note that the residential programme will be conducted entirely in English. Make sure to write your application and upload materials fully in English to avoid being penalized: most UK reviewers are native English speakers. Please note that the residential programme will be conducted entirely in English.
12. Applicants must be committed to LIF Global and Academy goals.
13. Applicants must have a strong interest in commercialisation. Though previous experience of commercialisation or involvement with technology transfer is not required, this criterion is essential to successfully completing the programme, and will be a key assessment metric.
If your question is not covered in the FAQ page please contact the LIF team: