DBT areas of research interest · first published 22 May 2023
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has published its Areas of Research Interest (ARI) — a list of priority questions it wants academics and researchers to help answer. This is not a contract or grant offer; DBT is explicitly clear that the ARI carries no research funding. The five broad themes are: Industrial Strategy and Business Regulation; International Trade and Investment; Labour Market and Employment Rights; Economic Security and Supply Chain Resilience; and Research Methodology. For small businesses, the document is most useful as an intelligence signal: it tells you which topics DBT is actively building policy around — including SME growth, access to finance, technology adoption, and supply chain resilience — meaning these areas are likely to attract future publicly-funded programmes, pilots, and contracts. If you are a researcher or consultant with relevant expertise, you can submit evidence or express interest via DBT's online form. Externally commissioned research projects, when they do arise, are tendered on Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
For SMEs that sell research, consultancy, data, or advisory services to government, this document maps the exact topics DBT will commission work on over the coming years — making it a useful pipeline intelligence tool. SMEs in technology adoption, supply chain analysis, trade economics, or employment-rights advisory should register their interest now, as DBT explicitly wants diverse stakeholders including businesses, not just universities. The clearest near-term route to contract work remains Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace, which the document itself names as the tendering channels.
1. Monitor Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace regularly for DBT-commissioned research tenders in the five ARI themes — these are the only channels DBT uses to award paid research work.
SMEs offering research, consultancy, data analytics, or advisory services to government — The document states explicitly: 'Externally commissioned research projects are competitively tendered on Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace.' Watching these platforms is the direct route to revenue.
2. Submit an expression of interest to DBT via the ARI online form (or email ARI@businessandtrade.gov.uk), positioning your firm's expertise against one or more named ARI themes.
SMEs with expertise in SME finance, technology adoption, AI, supply chains, or trade economics — DBT explicitly invites diverse stakeholders including businesses to engage, and notes that 'relevant teams might be able to support [your research] by providing insights and letters of support for grant applications' — early contact builds the relationship before tenders are issued.
3. Reference DBT's ARI in grant applications where your work addresses named priorities (e.g. SME scale-up, AI/automation productivity, supply chain resilience) to strengthen your 'public impact' case.
SMEs applying for Innovate UK or other public research grants — The document states: 'we hope referencing DBT's ARI will help to strengthen your case for the possible public impact of the research' — this is a free credibility signal for grant bids.
4. Watch for the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) ARI publication expected in 2026, which will signal a further wave of evidence-commissioning activity aligned with the Industrial Strategy.
SMEs in technology, supply chain, or trade advisory sectors — The document confirms 'ISAC is also planning to publish a list of ARIs in 2026' — a further pipeline intelligence signal for firms in relevant sectors.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
The ARI carries no research funding and is not an offer to collaborate on projects; speculative funding approaches will not receive a response. (All respondents to DBT ARI)
“The ARI are not linked to any research funding, nor are they an offer to collaborate with researchers on projects. We cannot respond to speculative approaches for research funding.”
Externally commissioned DBT research projects are tendered competitively on Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace. (All suppliers seeking DBT research contracts)
“Externally commissioned research projects are competitively tendered on Contracts Finder and the Research Marketplace.”
DBT's five ARI themes are: Industrial Strategy, Business Regulation and Growth; International Trade and Investment; Labour Market and Employment Rights; Economic Security and Supply Chain Resilience; and Methodology. (All external researchers and stakeholders engaging with DBT ARI)
“Industrial Strategy, Business Regulation and Growth • International Trade and Investment • Labour Market and Employment Rights • Economic Security and Supply Chain Resilience • Methodology (tools, methods and disciplinary approaches)”
SME growth factors, access to finance, and technology adoption are explicitly named research priorities within the Industrial Strategy theme. (Industrial Strategy, Business Regulation and Growth theme)
“This requires understanding which factors hinder or support the economic growth of all segments of the economy, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), identifying and adopting interventions, and agile regulations that help them to succeed. We want to better understand how to measure the impact that access to finance, including grants, venture capital markets, and government-backed support, has on scale-up efforts.”
AI, automation, and digitisation as drivers of productivity and competitiveness are a named evidence priority. (Industrial Strategy, Business Regulation and Growth theme)
“Increases in technology adoption and diffusion is central to our work, and we seek evidence on how artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digitisation can accelerate productivity and competitiveness.”
Supply chain resilience, critical mineral dependencies, and global trade flows are named priorities in the Economic Security theme. (Economic Security and Supply Chain Resilience theme)
“We have included questions that relate to trends for supply chains, global economic challenges to business growth, critical mineral dependencies, and global trade flows.”
The Methodology theme seeks innovative methods to evaluate business growth services, policy interventions, Industrial Strategy programmes, and free trade agreement impacts. (Methodology theme)
“DBT seeks robust, innovative methods to assess topics including: the impact of emerging technologies including Blockchain and AI • the long-term effects of its business growth services • the short, medium and macro-economic impacts of policy interventions and Industrial Strategy programmes”
DBT welcomes submissions from experts at all career stages and from a diverse range of stakeholders, not only academics. (All external stakeholders)
“The department is happy to receive general expressions of interest and more detailed submissions from experts, at all career stages, who are interested in sharing their research with us.”
DBT may provide letters of support for grant applications where research aligns with ARI priorities. (Researchers and businesses applying for external grants aligned with DBT priorities)
“Depending on the nature of your ongoing or planned research, relevant teams might be able to support it by providing insights and letters of support for grant applications.”
The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) plans to publish its own ARI list in 2026. (Stakeholders tracking Industrial Strategy evidence priorities)
“The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) is also planning to publish a list of ARIs in 2026, which will contribute to its work reviewing the Industrial Strategy and making recommendations for improvements based on high quality research and evidence.”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
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