Project team

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size.

Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs in the appropriate application question.

If you are a collaboration the lead and at least one other organisation must request funding when entering their costs into the appropriate application question for this EoI competition.

If you are working in a collaboration the lead and at least one other organisation must request any funding awarded during stage two of this competition through the Department for Business and Trade Central Grants and Loans Team.

Non-funded partners

Your project can involve partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example, non-UK businesses.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use suppliers from the UK.

You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total project costs.

Number of applications

A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in two further applications.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects that:

• do not transform the automotive industry through significant business or production expansion
• are not centred around a product, process or technology that you have already demonstrated
• are not confirmed as technically and economically feasible
• focus on a product or process development which is at prototype or early proof of concept stage
• focus on fuel cell system components other than those listed in the specific themes section
• focus on low-carbon fuels development
• focus on the use of digital or data technologies such as software development
• focus on Complete Knock Down (CKD) or final electric vehicle assembly
• are related to charging infrastructure
• support retail and wholesale fuel supply
• support retail and wholesale energy supply
• support speculative site enabling projects

Innovate UK are not funding projects that are only R&D. If your project is only R&D please see the alternative competitions on the Innovate UK and APC websites.

Innovate UK cannot fund projects that are:

• dependent on export performance, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country
• dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product

Funding Costs

Funding has been allocated for capital focused projects in this competition.

Your project must request a minimum of £1 million in grant funding against your total eligible costs. Your projects total costs and project duration must be appropriate and in proportion to the planned objectives and prioritisation of the ATF.

No funding is awarded at this EoI stage. Successful applicants from this EoI stage will be invited to a second stage where they will be asked to submit a full application.

Capital investment projects will be managed through the Department for Business and Trade Grant Delivery Team. For capital investment projects the grant available is dependent on the proposed project and will be determined during the second stage of the application process.

The grant requested should be the minimum required to ensure sustainability of the investment. Further information on the process will be provided at the full stage.