Niche Vehicle Network R&D Competitions

Key Features

Sponsored by Innovate UK, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), Niche Vehicle Network will run their annual collaborative R&D competition to fund SMEs active in the UK niche vehicle, low carbon vehicle technology sector.

Programme:     Niche Vehicle Network

Award:     Up to £250,000 per project

Opens: 22nd Apr 2020

Closes: 8th Jun 2020

! This scheme is now closed

Proof of Concept – 

Provides grants for UK niche vehicle manufacturers and associated design and engineering companies to undertake the research and development of early market low carbon technology demonstration projects, primarily applicable to non-human powered road and off-highway low volume vehicles.

It it expected that the technologies to be developed through this stream of the competition will (if necessary) already have undertaken a feasibility study, or otherwise established that they are feasible. Ideally, successful projects should aim to advance both the technology and manufacturing towards proof of concept, such that by project end:

  • The technology has been validated
  • Performance results demonstrate the value of the technology
  • A physical proof-of-concept has been developed
  • Initial bill-of-materials cost projections have been made
  • Initial supply chain requirements have been mapped out

Funding

  • Maximum total project costs: £300,000
  • Maximum total project grant: £150,000
  • Minimum total project costs: £200,000
  • Maximum project grant intervention rate: 50%
  • Maximum partner grant intervention rate: 50%
  • Maximum share per partner: 50% of total project grant
  • Large companies cannot receive >30% of total project grant
  • Number of partners (including Lead) per project: 3 or 4

Production Readiness – 

Provides grants for UK SMEs and their supply chain to take existing low carbon vehicle technologies from demonstration through to production readiness in a compressed timescale, leading to significant economic benefits whilst reducing CO2 emissions.

It is expected that the technologies to be developed through this stream of the competition will already have achieved the proof of concept level as defined above, with a physical technology demonstration completed. Ideally, successful Production Readiness projects should aim to advance both the technology and manufacturing towards pre-production readiness, such that by project end: Test and demonstration have been completed

  • The technology has been proven in the intended application
  • The performance has been validated
  • Pilot production (or equivalent) capability has been developed
  • Cost targets have been shown to be viable
  • The supply chain requirements have been identified

Funding

  • Maximum total project costs: £500,000
  •  Maximum total project grant: £250,000
  •  Minimum total project costs: £300,000
  •  Maximum project grant intervention rate: 50%
  •  Maximum partner grant intervention rate: 50%
  •  Maximum share per partner: 50% of total project grant
  •  Large companies cannot receive >30% of total project grant
  •  Number of partners (including Lead) per project: 3 or 4