£1bn Automotive Transformation Fund to help move UK auto sector to zero emissions

Tue 14 July 2020 View all news

The competition for the first £10m of a new £1 billion Automotive Transformation Fund has begun. The overall programme will offer a share of up to £1bn of funding for industrial research and capital projects. The aim is to support the industrialisation of a high-value, electrified automotive supply at scale in the UK.

The programme is being delivered as a collaboration between the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), Innovate UK, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for International Trade. 

The programme will support strategically important capital and R&D investments in the UK and will begin by focusing on companies involved in batteries, motors and drives, power electronics, fuel cells and recycling. UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 billion to fund innovation projects in this competition.

£10 million of funding is now available through a feasibility study competition. This funding will support the first wave of innovative R&D projects to scale up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells. 

The aim of this competition is to support commercially-led research and development in the design of elements of the electric automotive supply chain. Projects must focus on both of the following:

  • making it easier to scale up in the UK
  • building supply chains in the UK

The project’s primary focus must be the automotive market.

The project can focus on technological improvements or developing new business models. We encourage projects that bring new investment and new businesses into the sector in the UK.

Projects must fulfil one or more of the following:

  • de-risk scaling up innovative technologies across the electric supply chain
  • remove the technical or commercial barriers to manufacture in the UK
  • support the overall aim of the Automotive Transformation Fund to establish a competitive and sustainable UK supply chain

The Automotive Transformation Fund is particularly looking for projects that support the UK’s long-term supply chain, associated capabilities and growth aspirations.

The deadline for funding is 19 August.

For more information, please follow the associated links.

Related news:  The Advanced Propulsion Centre is also running the Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) competition. This is a fast start competition designed to encourage UK industry to resume R&D after the Covid-19 pandemic, further accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles.

APC is looking for collaborative, business-led late-stage R&D projects that will demonstrate advanced propulsion technologies. The output of these projects must be in the form of a physical demonstrator. Applications must explain how technologies developed will be significantly accelerated through their project, and must have clarity regarding how these products or processes could be brought to market.

Project must start no later than 1st October 2020 and applications close on August 7. More details here


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