Innovative projects that can help decarbonise, digitise and decentralise energy and support the UK’s transition towards a low carbon economy are being offered a share of £4 million.
The Clean Growth Innovation Fund, launched by Innovate UK – part of UK Research and Innovation – and French utility company ENGIE, is seeking businesses to apply for funding to cover project costs.
Applicants leading a project must be a UK-based small or medium-sized business and can team up with other organisations.
Total eligible project costs must be between £100,000 and £1.2 million although the competition may consider funding one project over the life of the programme of £1.5 million.
They must start no later than March 2021 and be completed by June 2023.
To meet the grant and investment criteria, proposals must include one or more of the following:
- A new technology or business model which develops distributed energy, green gas, e-mobility, energy efficiency, renewables, digitisation, energy services, sustainable development or system decarbonisation
- A technology-enabled innovation which encourages positive consumer behaviour and business actions at scale to improve energy use
- A new scientific and technological improvement in the energy, sustainability and cleantech space
The first round of the competition closes on 14th August 2019.
Nicola Lovett, CEO of ENGIE UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be working with both Innovate UK and ENGIE’s Paris-based New Ventures team to directly assist innovative UK companies in the clean growth sector – in areas such as renewables, energy services and e-mobility. This initiative also supports our own ambition to be a leader in making zero carbon transition possible for businesses and local authorities.”
