Innovation & Sustainability Grant Specialist

We have an exciting opportunity available to join our dynamic and growing EY Innovation & Sustainability Incentives team, based in one of our national offices. This team specialises in helping clients access government funding to invest in innovation, economic development and sustainability/energy transition‑focused projects. We work across a broad client base – from FTSE100 companies to ambitious scale‑ups, many of whom have declared net‑zero goals and are seeking our support to accelerate their transition through grant funding.

Our service offering includes UK and international R&D tax credits, Government business and innovation grants, Innovation loans, the Patent Box, and increasingly, sustainability‑oriented cash grants and incentives. In response to growing demand, we’re expanding our grants team to support a portfolio of companies committed to the green transition and climate innovation.

You’ll be joining a collaborative and agile team focussing on forward‑looking cash grant and other incentive mechanisms where you will, over time, be supported to develop your own niche within that team’s innovation, economic development & sustainability/energy transition pillars.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Work as an effective member of a project team, exhibiting strong communication skills and collaboration across multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Engage with clients’ senior technical, commercial, and sustainability‑focused stakeholders (e.g. Head of Sustainability, Head of Transformation, Head of Engineering, etc.) to develop a deep understanding of their innovation and net‑zero roadmaps.
• Translate innovative sustainability‑focused projects into compelling grant applications, aligning with national and international funding priorities.
• Participate in and facilitate structured workshops to capture relevant technical, commercial and environmental details for project proposals.
• Conduct horizon scanning of both UK and international sustainability funding calls, including EU‑level funding.
• Support client business development efforts, assessing potential for grant support and contributing to net‑zero‑aligned proposals.
• Maintain technical awareness of innovation within key sectors while also deepening your knowledge in sustainability, clean tech, and environmental innovation.
• Deliver advice and solutions to clients, upholding EY’s reputation for quality, integrity and sustainability leadership.

Skills and Attributes for Success

• You have a STEM background and ideally an advanced degree from a top university.
• Passion for sustainability and an understanding of key topics related to net‑zero, decarbonisation, energy transition, or clean innovation, and technology more broadly.
• Ability to convert complex technical and environmental projects into impactful written content, tailored to specific funding bodies.
• Capability to act as a trusted advisor to clients, facilitating cross‑functional collaboration between sustainability, finance and R&D teams.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to work both autonomously and as part of a wider team.
• High attention to detail and strong problem‑solving capabilities, especially under tight deadlines or limited information.
• Flexibility to adapt to different industry sectors and grant programmes across geographies.
• Experience in managing innovation projects with a commercial or environmental impact lens.

To Qualify for the Role, You Must Have:

• Experience with cash grant applications, bid writing or reviewing, ideally with exposure to sustainability‑driven funding.
• Familiarity with technical or engineering concepts and challenges in areas such as clean energy, sustainable product design, or green manufacturing.
• Strong communication skills and experience engaging senior internal or external stakeholders.
• An interest in helping organisations meet climate goals through grant‑funded innovation.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to juggle multiple projects while maintaining a high standard of delivery.

Ideally, You’ll Also Have:

• Experience interacting with grant funding bodies and understanding their climate‑related policies and criteria – this could include developing policy or assessing grant applications.
• Demonstrable experience contributing to or leading the development of environmental or sustainability‑focused grant proposals.
• Understanding of financial and technological risks in innovation and how these intersect with sustainability transitions.
• Familiarity with tools or frameworks commonly used in the net‑zero planning and reporting space.
• Knowledge of the economic and environmental impact criteria used by grant funders.
• Experience coordinating cross‑functional innovation projects or building effective green tech consortia.

What Working at EY Offers

We offer a competitive remuneration package and the opportunity to develop your career in one of the most exciting and fast‑moving spaces – Innovation, economic development & sustainability/energy transition. Our Total Rewards package includes flexible working support, health and well‑being benefits, and personalised learning paths. You’ll also benefit from:

• Support, coaching and feedback from colleagues at the forefront of innovation and sustainability.
• Opportunities to build new skills and make a lasting environmental and societal impact.
• The freedom and flexibility to work in a way that fits your life and values.