Launchpad: net zero industry, Southwest Wales – Rd2 CR&D

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• collaborate with other UK registered organisations
• be growing your innovation activities in the net zero industrial innovation cluster in Southwest Wales
• have a demonstrable ambition for business growth

If the lead organisation is an RTO it must collaborate with two businesses (one SME, and one business of any size).

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation
• research and technology organisation (RTO)

A business, or research and technology organisation (RTO), can only lead on one application, and can be included as a collaborator in any number of applications. Any other organisation can collaborate in any number of applications.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Your project must:

• have a total grant funding request of between £150,000 and £750,000
• last between 6 and 18 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• not start before 1 September 2025
• end by 31 March 2027

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your project must help to grow your innovation activities in net zero industry.

Your project can focus on the markets for industrial decarbonisation in Southwest Wales and globally. This region consists of Carmarthenshire, Neath-Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea.

Your business must use the funding to grow your innovation activities in the net zero industrial cluster in Southwest Wales, both during and after the project. This could be demonstrated by:

• your local innovation activities
• the value that your innovation activities create in the cluster
• your engagement with other innovation active organisations in the cluster, such as with Net Zero Industry Wales, this Launchpad’s cluster management organisation

Your application may be considered ineligible if you do not describe clearly how your main project activities and work packages meet the scope of this competition. This includes the main project activities of any subcontractors. If you do not describe how your activities in the cluster will continue after your project, then you are unlikely to be offered funding in this competition.

We reserve the right to prioritise projects that:

• are from applicants who have not led successful applications to the CR&D Round 1 competition for this Launchpad for Southwest Wales
• demonstrate more innovation activity or value creation in the cluster or outside the Greater South East of England, during and after the project
• demonstrate more engagement in the innovation cluster, during and after the project
• demonstrate closer alignment to this competition’s scope and specific themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following core areas:

• decarbonisation of industry
• carbon dioxide capture, distribution and storage
• hydrogen energy
• renewable energy, including renewable marine energy
• energy efficiency, including industrial energy efficiency and demand-side management)
• green industry innovation

Projects can also consider the following areas:

• sustainable fuel and platform chemical production
• low carbon heat distribution and utilisation
• mini grid community systems
• industrial transport
• innovation in skills development
• advances that empower your business to start your journey to net zero
• innovation that enables other businesses to learn from you and replicate your example

This list is not exhaustive. Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this competition you can focus on other themes.

An online briefing event will be held on Thursday 6 March at 3pm: click here to book a place. A recording and slides will be available afterwards.

If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Net Zero team or our Place team.