Faraday Battery Challenge: Innovation feasibility studies, round 2

This competition is the second round of innovation funding for the Faraday Battery Challenge, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.

Projects must support the overall goal of the Faraday Battery Challenge. This goal is for the UK to become a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles. Successful projects will increase productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK businesses.

In line with the objectives of the Faraday Battery Challenge, the  competition is looking to fund projects that address the following technical and supply chain challenges:

• cost: cost reduction at the cell and pack level
• energy density: increasing Wh/kg per cell
• power density: increasing kW/kg per pack
• safety: eliminate thermal runaway risks for enhanced safety
• first life: lengthen cell and pack life
• temperature: broaden the temperature ranges that a pack efficiently operates at
• predictability: new models to better predict range and battery health
• recyclability: towards 95% pack recyclability such as by design, reuse or recycling
• innovation in cell, module and pack production
• integration of cells into modules, packs and vehicles
• battery management systems
• enabling fast charging
• projects that stimulate and broaden innovation in the manufacture, performance and supply of materials such as electrodes, electrolytes, binders, separators, current collectors, cell casings and components for cell integration into modules and packs

Specific themes 

The competition particularly encourages applications that:

• show a clear path towards manufacture and commercial opportunity, at scale, in the UK
• focus on maximising UK return from the battery supply value chain, for example in the manufacture and IP related to electrodes
• support all aspects of the UK’s automotive sector battery supply chain, including niche vehicles and off highway
• have a clear focus on commercialisation in the UK at high volume
• bring new investment and new businesses in to the sector in the UK

Eligibility 

To be eligible for funding you must:

• be a UK based business, academic organisation, charity, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
• carry out your project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from the UK
• work in collaboration with others (businesses, research base or third sector)
• All projects must involve an SME.

Funding 

Innovate UK via the Faraday Battery Challenge has allocated up to £2m for feasibility studies.

Projects should be focused on drawing from existing research in battery technology. Projects should also innovate towards commercialisation in the automotive market, whilst focusing on building the UK supply chain. This includes battery supply business models. At the end of the feasibility study,  projects are expected to be ready to continue in future research and development (R&D) competitions. Or, they should be able to raise private sector investment to take the project outcome to market.

Project size

Total project costs should be between £100k and £500k. Projects should last 3 to 12 months.

Project types 

For feasibility study projects, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of up to 70% if you are an SME.