GrantFinder is a curated grants database for researchers. UKDataAPI aggregates UKRI, Contracts Finder, and grants data via API with scoring.
GrantFinder (now part of Idox) is a long-established UK grants database used by universities, charities, and businesses to find funding opportunities. Subscriptions start at around £500/year for basic access, rising to several thousand for institutional licences. GrantFinder's strength is curation — human editors categorise and describe grants from hundreds of funders, making it easier to find relevant opportunities. UKDataAPI's Funding endpoint takes a different approach: it aggregates UKRI research funding, government grants, and Contracts Finder procurement opportunities programmatically, with a proprietary Funding Opportunity Score. You won't get GrantFinder's editorial curation or international funding coverage, but for developers building funding discovery tools or grant tracking systems, UKDataAPI provides structured data via API at a fraction of the subscription cost.
| Feature | UKDataAPI | GrantFinder / Idox |
|---|---|---|
| UKRI research funding | Active projects and funding amounts | UKRI grants included in database |
| Government grants | Matching grants with values and funders | Curated grant listings from 100+ funders |
| Contracts Finder tenders | ✓Included — government procurement opportunities | Not included (grants focus only) |
| Funding Opportunity Score | ✓0-100 composite with factor breakdown | No scoring — listing-based |
| International funding | UK sources only | ✓International grant coverage |
| Editorial curation | Automated data only | ✓Human-curated descriptions and eligibility notes |
| Funder profiles | Basic funder information | ✓Detailed funder profiles with priorities |
| Search and filtering | Keyword-based API query | ✓Advanced search with subject, funder, and eligibility filters |
| Output format | ✓Structured JSON API | Web platform + email alerts |
| Batch processing | ✓Up to 500 req/min | Manual search only |
| Email alerts for new opportunities | Build your own with API polling | Built-in email notification system |
| AI agent access (MCP/x402) | ✓Native support | Not available |
UKDataAPI
From £0.005/call (summary) to £0.02/call (full). Pay-as-you-go. Free tier: 200 credits/month.
GrantFinder / Idox
Subscriptions from ~£500/year (individual). Institutional licences £2,000-5,000+/year. No pay-per-use option.
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ "https://www.ukdatapi.com/api/v1/funding/renewable%20energy?depth=standard" # Returns: matching grants, UKRI projects, government contracts, # Funding Opportunity Score (0-100) with factor breakdown # Cost: 10 credits (£0.02)
200 free credits. No contract. No credit card.
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