APC 20: Developing automotive technologies and growing capability towards net zero

Fund Details

The aim of this competition is to seek proposals for collaborative R&D projects that design, develop and manufacture zero emission on-vehicle technologies for on-road or off-road vehicles.

Your project must:

• support growth and security of the UK’s supply chain, increasing capability, whilst improving productivity, efficiency and competitiveness
• deliver vehicle technologies and associated manufacturing processes which support the transition to net zero
• contribute to the UK’s strategic aims in this area, such as the Automotive Council’s Roadmaps

Your project must advance technologies in one or more of the following areas:

• battery cell components or systems
• fuel cell and associated balance of plant
• electric machines and power electronics
• fossil-free fuel internal combustion
• hydrogen storage and management systems
• recycling or recovering materials from any of the above
• digitalisation leveraged during the development, production or in-service phases

The economic benefit of your project will be assessed on criteria including but not limited to:

• scale and impact on the UK economy
• foreign investment anchored in the UK
• jobs created or safeguarded
• upskilling of workforce
• lifetime environmental impact of the vehicle

Your proposal must evidence:

• a clear route to market exploitation, including IP generated for the UK
• a credible consortium led approach to the project, agreed in principle and able to proceed to a formal collaborative agreement
• what would happen should the project not be funded

Projects will be encouraged to disseminate their results to bring benefit to the wider UK automotive industry.

Eligibility

Your project must:

• have total eligible costs between £5 million and £40 million
• be a minimum of 50% match funded
• start by 1 September 2022
• last between 18 and 42 months
• carry out its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

Innovate UK suggests projects contain a maximum of 6 project partners.

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• have an active registered business base in the UK
• be a grant recipient
• involve at least one SME if the lead is not one
• include in your consortium a vehicle manufacturer or tier 1 supplier who supplies parts directly to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
  collaborate with others

Academic institutions and research organisations cannot lead projects.

Talk to us today if you would like to apply for this opportunity.