The Life Sciences Accommodation Programme (LSAP) offers capital funding support for experienced property developers, universities and investment partners. It’ll support the construction and fit-out of new life sciences laboratory and manufacturing spaces in Scotland. Up to £4 million funding is expected to be available per project. Additional funding may be available in some cases.
To start your application, complete an application form and send it to enquiries@scotent.co.uk
The Life Sciences Accommodation Programme (LSAP) offers capital funding support for construction and landlord (Cat-A) fit-out and tenant-specific fit-out for new life sciences laboratory and manufacturing spaces in Scotland. You'll also get access to practical guidance and market insights.
The programme is aimed at experienced property developers, universities and investment partners with projects that address clear gaps in the supply of life sciences accommodation.
Between £250,000 to £4 million funding is expected to be available per project. The amount of support you’ll get will be made on a case-by-case basis, and depends on the strength of your project. Funding support greater than £4 million may be available in some cases.
Targeted support for life sciences accommodation
Scotland’s life sciences sector is growing, but the supply of suitable accommodation has not kept pace. There's strong demand for modern, flexible lab and manufacturing space, particularly for scale-up and grow-on companies.
LSAP will help create new and refurbished laboratory, grow-on and manufacturing space, where market conditions make development difficult.
New supply has been limited by:
High construction and fit-out costs that create development viability gaps
Construction inflation and delivery risk
Rental levels that can be difficult to support speculative development
Limited market transparency, which increases risk for developers and investors
The programme s a targeted economic intervention. It'll help reduce risk, attract private investment and support a more functional market for specialist life sciences space across Scotland.
The programme offers two types of funding support.
Support for construction and landlord (Cat-A) fit-out
Funding can support the delivery of new or refurbished life sciences accommodation where there's clear evidence of unmet market demand.
Support can include:
Construction costs
Landlord (Cat-A) fit-out suitable for a range of life sciences occupiers
Projects we support typically:
Deliver flexible, multi-occupier laboratory or manufacturing space
Operate at a commercially viable scale
Show why the project would not go ahead on the same terms without public funding
Must be delivered within two years of grant offer
Amount of funding available:
It’s expected that support will be available to cover the development gap (the difference between what it costs to build and prepare the space and what the project is financially worth or can generate in income)
It’s anticipated that eligible support costs will be provided, per project, of between £500,000 to £4 million
Support for tenant-specific fit-out
The programme can also support capital expenditure costs for tenant-specific fit-out needed to bring life sciences space into use, such as specialist laboratory services and regulated environments.
To be eligible, your business will typically need to be a life sciences company, occupying space within an eligible development.
To be eligible for support you’ll need:
A minimum total project cost of £1 million
A minimum funding request of £250,000
Clear evidence that the fit-out can be delivered without putting the business at financial risk
Most of your project funding coming from private sources, such as equity, debt or internal resources
Maximum amount of expected funding available:
Up to 40% of capital expenditure costs for small enterprises
Up to 30% of capital expenditure costs for medium-sized enterprises
Up to 20% of capital expenditure costs for large enterprises
UK-registered property developers and investment vehicles
Universities, including commercial delivery arms (universities are eligible only where the accommodation is for commercial company use and not for the academic institution’s own academic purposes)
If your business is a life sciences company, and you're applying for tenant-specific fit-out, you should apply using our Support for life sciences companies page.
To be eligible, you must also:
Have the experience and financial ability to deliver the project
Show clear market demand for the proposed space
Control the site, for example through ownership or a long-term lease
Your project must also be located with the Scottish Enterprise area.
Our support is designed to support business growth and maximise the impact of public investment, allowing for recycling of public funds where possible. So, any LSAP support may be structured to include an agreed level of capital repayment (linked to outcomes or performance-based milestones) and/or instruments that generate financial returns to Scottish Enterprise.
Any such arrangements will be discussed through our appraisal process and agreed in advance of any LSAP funding award.
Assessment and invitation to stage two, to submit more detailed information
Due diligence, panel review and a funding decision
Funding offer, followed by project delivery and monitoring
Timescales will vary depending on the size and complexity of your project.
The programme will have an always-on application process. To ensure we achieve the maximum economic impact from this programme we have set quarterly stage one application deadlines to encourage regular application submissions.
The stage one application deadlines for the 2026/27 submission dates are:
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