UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million for UK-developed, late-stage R&D in advanced low carbon propulsion capability in the automotive sector.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK competition is looking for projects that demonstrate the development of on-vehicle technologies for on or off-road vehicles.
Projects must either accelerate the development of low and zero tailpipe emission capable technologies or demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions leading to air quality improvements.
Proposals should align with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and must demonstrate how high-value R&D will take place in the UK as a result of this funding.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre is particularly looking for projects that support the UK’s long-term supply chain, associated capabilities and growth aspirations. This includes improving productivity and competitiveness in the design, build and manufacture of low and zero tailpipe-emission capable vehicles.
Projects must concentrate on the automotive market as its primary application and must be directly focused on or relate to alternative propulsion systems, electric machines and power electronics, energy storage and energy management, lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures or thermal propulsion systems that deliver substantial improvements.
Applications that can demonstrate a positive impact on the UK economy it will take priority and can include projects that will make a major investment in:
• creating new supply chains supporting the transition to electrification and zero-emission vehicles
• adding resilience to existing supply chains
• delivering a UK-centric high-value manufacturing and sourcing footprint
• lowering the overall cost of goods sold to customers
• joining together (simplifying) less productive or mature elements of existing UK supply chains
• attracting new companies into the sector
• risk screening and due diligence to identify risks in the proposed supply chain developments
• improving the manufacturing readiness level of a businesses technology
