Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs. Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects, which cost England an estimated £47bn each year.

Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.

Health minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed said: ‘Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery - of hundreds of thousands of people.

‘Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing including expanding access to  vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.

‘Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.'

The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards - part of The Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences - will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and AI‑enabled tools.

These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.

Science minister, Lord Vallance, added: ‘Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.

‘Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

'This is about using the UK's scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.'

Awards of up to £10m are available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects which can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval. These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.

A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5m to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.

Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the MHRA and NICE, supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.