Faraday Battery Challenge: Round 4

Dates:

Competition closes: 09 December 2020, 11am

Applicants notified: 29 January 2021

Project duration & dates: between 3 – 12 months and plan to end by 31 March 2022

Scope

The goal of the challenge is for the UK to become a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles. We expect successful projects to increase productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK businesses. Your project must:

• describe how you will mitigate any restrictions due to COVID-19 so that you can deliver the project on time
• be able to progress following the end of the project either by other funding or internal investment
• have a clear route to scale beyond the project to meet the requirements of your target market
• plan to have real-world applications and meet the sector’s cost, performance and regulatory targets
• show a thorough understanding of the system your technology will fit into
• consider end of life implications
• support the overall goal of the Faraday Battery Challenge.

Your project can focus on technological improvements or developing new business models across the battery value chain, but not limited to: cell materials and components; cells; modules and packs; recycling; enabling technologies.

Your project can be focused on battery technology development for automotive applications and sectors outside automotive. Potential sectors include: rail; marine; aerospace; defence; off-highway, or other applications.

Specific Themes

• cost reduction – at the cell and pack level, as well as minimising manufacturing costs
• energy density – increasing Wh/kg per cell
• power density – increasing kW/kg per pack
• safety: eliminate thermal runaway risks for enhanced safety
• first life – lengthen cell and pack life
• temperature: broaden the temperature ranges that a pack efficiently operates at
• predictability – new models to better predict range and battery health
• recyclability – by enabling 2nd life, design for end of life, reuse or recycling
• technologies enabling the efficient design, development or manufacture of batteries
• next generation battery technologies such as Li metal anodes

Projects that will not be funded

• vehicle integration
• business as usual projects
• projects developing technology that cannot demonstrate a clear route to market i.e. fundamental research
• funding for capital equipment which could be accessed elsewhere

Eligibility

• State aid funding rules apply (GBER Article 25).
• Project leads and collaborators must be UK based organisations
• R&D work must be carried out in the UK and project results exploited from the UK
• Subcontractors can be from UK/overseas, with costs justified and appropriate to total eligible project costs

Funding Rates

• For Innovation Feasibility Studies, 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 Innovation R&D 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 Innovation R&D 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 can share up to 50% of the total eligible project costs

Need help?

Please contact us for further information on the funding scheme, to discuss a project or how we can support you with an application.

More details and other funding opportunities from Innovate UK can be viewed here.