Deadline: 6-Oct-21
The UK Government has announced the applications for Developing Automotive Technologies and Growing Capability.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) provides funding, support and insight, in developing automotive technologies. It aims to grow capability to support the UK’s transition towards net zero product manufacturing and supply chain in the UK automotive sector.
The aim of this competition is to seek proposals for collaborative R&D projects. These must demonstrate the development of on-vehicle technologies, (including material, product and manufacturing processes) for on or off-road vehicles.
Your project must address one of the following:
- accelerate the development of technologies capable of low and zero tailpipe emissions, considering their associated ‘cradle to grave’ supply chains, up to and including end of life
- demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions leading to air quality improvements
Focus Areas
In aligning with the UK’s Green Industrial Strategy, projects must advance technologies in the following areas:
- battery cell components or systems
- fuel cell and associated balance of plant
- electric machines and power electronics
Specific Themes
You must consider which technology or technologies best represent your project and rank them in order of their significance and impact to your project. A ranking of one must be the lead technology. Equal rankings are not permitted:
- electric machines and power electronics
- energy storage and energy management
- lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures
- thermal Propulsion Systems
- significant reduction in vehicle development timescales
- digitilisation for development of low carbon vehicle innovation
Funding Information
- In this competition round APC is investing up to £25 million.
- Your project’s total eligible costs must be between £5 million and £40 million and be a minimum of 50% match funded, with a suggested maximum number of 6 partners.
Projects they will not fund:
- focussed only on the development of clean fuels
- not aligned with the UK’s Green Industrial Strategy
- requesting more than 50% grant for total eligible project costs
- dependent on export performance – for example giving a subsidy to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of cars to another country
- dependent on domestic inputs usage- for example giving a subsidy to an OEM on the condition that it uses 50% UK parts in their product
Eligibility Criteria
- Your project must:
- have total eligible costs between £5 million and £40 million
- be a minimum of 50% match funded
- start by 1 April 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
- Lead organisation
- 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
- To lead a project your organisation must:
- Project team
- To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered:
- business of any size
- academic institution
- charity
- not-for-profit
- public sector organisation
- research organisation
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
- To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered:
- Non-UK registered or based businesses and research organisations are only eligible to apply for funding if they:
- set up an active UK registered business base, where the funded project work will be carried out, before starting the project
- provide evidence of an intention to expand their R&D activity in the UK after the project
For more information, visit https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/990/overview#summary