News story

Driving the electric revolution: apply for funding

Businesses can apply for a share of £19 million to develop supply chain processes that will help deliver electrification in 7 sectors.

• From: Innovate UK and UK Research and Innovation
• Published: 25 July 2019
• Last updated: 25 July 2019 — See all updates

The UK will need to switch to electrification across many sectors from automotive to energy distribution in order to meet its carbon reduction targets.

This change also represents a significant global opportunity for UK businesses making the power electronics, machines and drivers that will be required.

The UK government has launched the £80 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge to help businesses to meet this need.

Its aim is to accelerate the UK’s ability to deliver the supply chains required to enable electrification in the automotive, aerospace, energy, industrial, marine, off highway and rail sectors.

There is up to £19 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to invest in projects that support the creation, development and scale-up of supply chains in power electronics, machines and drives.

Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Projects must address opportunities in one or more sectors

The competition aims to develop a UK supply chain in power electronics, machines and drives by supporting innovative ways of filling in gaps in the supply chain or of scaling up existing supply chains.

Projects should address commercial opportunities in one or more of these sectors:

• aerospace
• automotive
• energy generation and distribution
• industrial (production equipment)
• marine
• off highway (construction, agricultural equipment)
• rail

Examples that projects might include:

• power electronics: passive components production, productivity improvements and supply chain efficiency such as solutions that address solving supply chain bottle necks or automation
• electric machines, generators and motors: automated stator winding, materials recovery from end of life, raw materials refining, stamping and lamination stack productivity improvements, advanced testing
• drive systems: systems integration and testing
• projects that consider supply chain gaps, from raw materials to recycling

The competition has 2 strands:

• one for larger projects with total costs between £1 million and £3 million
• another for smaller projects with total costs between £250,000 and £1 million

Find out more about applying for Innovate UK funding.

Competition information

• the competition opens on 29 July 2019, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 25 September 2019
• businesses of any size may apply
• we expect projects to range in size between £250,000 and £3 million
• briefing events will be held in Newport, Belfast, Glasgow and Newcastle during July and August

Find out more about the competition for larger projects and apply.

Find out more about the competition for smaller projects and apply.

Published 25 July 2019
Last updated 25 July 2019 + show all updates

1. 25 July 2019

   Clarified that the competition aims to develop the supply chain to enable electricification in 7 sectors. Projects should address one or more sector.

2. 25 July 2019

   First published.