Funding competition: Energy Catalyst round 4
Innovate UK is offering businesses and universities a share of up to £19 million to develop innovative solutions to global energy challenges.
Documents
Details
This competition opened on 4 April 2016 and is now closed for registrations.
Competition dates
Registration closes for the mid-stage and late-stage awards on 8 June 2016. Registration closes for the early-stage award on 7 September 2016. All 3 competitions close on 14 September 2016.
An additional brokerage event for Energy Catalyst Round 4 will be held in central London on 4 July 2016 to link applicants to organisations with expertise in developing countries. A recording will be made available after the event.
The opportunity
Technology innovation is needed to solve the global energy sector ‘trilemma’ of:
- low carbon
- security of supply
- affordability
These challenges are creating major global market opportunities. Innovative businesses in the UK can develop world-leading solutions to these challenges.
This funding competition
The fourth round of the Energy Catalyst is now open. There are 3 awards, each open to businesses, universities and research organisations:
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early-stage award - technical feasibility
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mid-stage awards - technology development
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late-stage awards - pre-commercial technology validation
The competition supports innovative solutions in any technology or sector area. The proposed solutions can focus on any part of the energy trilemma.
This notice provides details of:
- what the competition is about
- the competition’s 3 award stages
- how to apply
The Energy Catalyst
The aim of the Energy Catalyst is to speed up the best of UK innovation at all development stages. It helps businesses progress their innovations to commercial readiness.
Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) set up the Energy Catalyst in 2013. The Department for International Development (DFID) joined as a co-funder of the Energy Catalyst in 2016.
Innovate UK, DFID and EPSRC are co-funding this competition with a budget of up to £19 million. DFID’s funding of up to £6 million will support innovation that is relevant to the needs of developing countries. In particular, this will help transform energy access for communities in sub-Saharan countries.
Innovate UK’s funding of up to £10 million is available only to 12-month projects that are completed by 31 March 2018. It will support projects addressing the energy trilemma for any market or application.
Updates to this page
Last updated 7 September 2016 + show all updates
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Registration has now closed so the link has been removed.
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Early-stage guidance for applicants updated on 17th June 2016.
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Competition guidance and brief titles have been frontloaded
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Additional brokerage event now being held. Innovate UK has approved additional grant funding of up to £10m for Energy Catalyst Round 4.
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The Guidance for Applicants document for the Energy Catalyst round 4: early-stage awards (technical feasibility) has been updated. The cap for all research organisation costs is 50%, not 30% as previously stated.
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First published.