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.
