Transport Accelerator: Maritime 2025

Connected Places Catapult is excited to introduce the Transport Accelerator: Maritime; a dynamic initiative dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with pioneering solutions that could be applicable to the maritime industry and the wider transport sector.

This six-month programme is seeking a cohort of up to eight SMEs operating at TRL 5-8.

The Catapult is collaborating with a consortium of programme partners: Serco, Port of Tyne,  National Shipbuilding Office,  University of Plymouth, Portsmouth International Port, Royal Navy Maritime Enterprise, and Maersk.

SMEs that join the programme will benefit from engaging with, and being supported by, the programme partners either with their trials or with mentoring, depending on the solutions within the cohort.

Every SME on the programme will receive bespoke commercial support. This is scoped through a thorough business needs assessment process and could include market analysis, value proposition refinement, strategic pricing, financial forecasting, and developing compelling communication strategies.

In addition to the business support, successful applicants will be able to apply for between £10K and £20K of programme funding to deliver a four-month trial of their solution as part of an agreed collaboration with a programme partner.

The partners bring a wealth of knowledge and will be able to provide invaluable access to internal expertise and testing facilities to the SMEs.

The Transport Accelerator: Maritime builds on the past three years of success of the Catapult’s previous Maritime Accelerator programme, during which time 22 SMEs were supported, and nine trials were delivered.

Programme challenges

1. Autonomous Operations
How might we improve integration of connected and autonomous plant and machinery?

2. Storage and distribution of future fuels
How might we enable seamless integration of future fuels in ports?

3. People’s safety experience
How might we improve safety for both operators and passengers in and around the operational environment?

4. Open Challenge
Although this Accelerator focuses primarily on three challenge areas which are of specific interest to Connected Places Catapult and our partners, the open challenge welcomes any innovative solutions that could yield significant advantages for the UK Maritime sector and the wider transport sector. This might also include solutions which could encourage retention and career development in the maritime sector.

Who can apply?

To be eligible:

• you must be a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• you must be UK-registered
• you must have a solution which is technical readiness level (TRL) 5 – 8. This means that the solution has, at least, been tested or demonstrated in its intended environment and, at most, has been deployed as a first-of-a-kind commercial system
• your solution must address one or more of the identified challenges
• you already operate in the maritime sector, or be looking to bring your solution into maritime space from another sector
• you must be willing to travel on occasion for face-to-face meetings such as the Welcome Day on Thursday 11 September 2025
• you must be willing to participate in the programme activities between September 2025 and March 2026 inclusive