Dates:
Competition opens: 27 February 2023
Competition closes: 28 June 2023, 12pm
Applicants notified: 22 September 2023
Project start date & duration: 01 April 2024 for 6-36 months
Scope
To accelerate the innovations needed to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific region. Creating a just and inclusive energy transition, and extending the benefits of clean energy to all to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) 7 and 13. A clear social or economic benefit in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific Region is required. Your project must address both energy access and clean energy. Over 50% of your project must focus on energy access and energy innovation to be in scope (determined from project costing and work packages).
Specific Themes
- Energy Access – speed up access to affordable, clean energy services for poor households, enterprises and social institutions in ODA eligible countries by creating new energy access in unserved regions and/or improving existing access to provide a more reliable service
- Clean Energy – must create clean energy which is Affordable, Reliable and Low Carbon
Projects that will not be funded
- innovations unlikely to contribute significantly to energy affordability, security & reduced carbon emissions.
- Projects where energy innovation & energy access are not the primary focus.
Eligibility
- Subsidy Control Act 2022 & Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding rules apply.
- involve at least one partner with a legal entity in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific region, this can include in-country offices.
- involve testing and/or demonstration work in an eligible ODA country.
- include a UK registered administrative lead (business of any size claiming grant via this competition).
- Technology lead – business of any size, from anywhere in the world claiming Energy Catalyst grant funding.
- involve at least one SME, from anywhere in the world.
- involve at least one legally separate collaborator.
- UK business can be both the administrative and technical lead.
Funding rates
Total eligible project costs between £50,000 to £5,000,000 (£10M pot), dependent on stage:
- Early-Stage: Feasibility Studies (TRL2-3): £50,000 to £300,000; 3-12 months duration
- Mid-Stage: Industrial Research (TRL3-5): £50,000 to £1,500,000; 6-24 months duration
- Late-Stage: Experimental Development (TRL6-7): £50,000 to £5,000,000; 6-36 months duration
For Feasibility Studies or Industrial Research you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:
- up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
- up to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisation
- up to 50% if you are a large organisation
For Experimental Development you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:
- up to 45% if you are a micro or small organisation
- up to 35% if you are a medium-sized organisation
- up to 25% if you are a large organisation
Research organisations in your consortium can share up to 30% of the UK total eligible project costs.
How PNO can support you
The UK team has a strong track record in securing some of the most competitive national and European grants on behalf of its clients, with a full understanding of how a project should be presented to stand the highest chance of success. Each year in the UK alone, we are responsible for the submission of more than 100 funding applications across all sectors and priority areas. Based on this extensive experience, through careful project selection and using key insight into how a project should be best positioned, we consistently achieve success rates that are more than 5 times the typical success rates for UK national schemes and EU programmes.
For further information or to discuss a project idea please contact PNO Consultants
0161 488 3488 | info.uk@pnoconsultants.com
