Successful applicants will benefit from an intensive 9-12 month, three-phase programme with bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist throughout.

Get ready: A two-day preparation workshop to build knowledge and understanding of the market and opportunities, including cultural aspects, how to do business, protecting Intellectual Property, and support to better articulate your value proposition.

Visit the market: Explore the innovation opportunities first-hand through pre-arranged matchmaking events, meetings with key contacts, research organisations and potential collaborators and partners.

Exploit the opportunity: An exploitation workshop and one-to-one bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist to help you follow-up and maximise the opportunities identified through the programme.

To apply for this GBIP, you must be:

• a UK-based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and scale globally
• a company with fewer than 250 employees
• the CEO, founder, or senior decision maker in the business
• able to attend all workshops and complete all activities

Businesses that have been on a previous GBIP (in the same market and/or technology area) will need to demonstrate they have exploited the previous opportunity to be considered and how this programme will add significant additional benefit.  Preference may be given to businesses that have not participated previously.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, a business can only take part in two GBIPs in any rolling 12-month period (measured by the date of the Get ready workshop).

Germany offers the following:

1. Government Support & Strategic Focus: Battery innovation is a key pillar of Germany’s new HighTech strategy which commits to advancing battery technologies across the entire value chain. The Government aims to support battery competence clusters focused on:
   • Battery materials (specialty chemicals)
   • Battery production (including plant engineering)
   • Solid-state batteries

2. Industry Leadership: Germany is home to global leaders in battery technology, manufacturing, and automotive electrification, making it a prime destination for collaboration. Germany also boasts a highly skilled workforce and world-renowned engineering education, giving access to top talent.
3. Advanced R&D Ecosystems:  Germany benefits from a world-class research and innovation landscape and generous R&D funding. approach connects cutting-edge science with industrial application and drives the development of battery value chains through strategic alliances. German and UK participation in the Horizon Europe funding programme also allows for additional cooperation and funding opportunities.
4. International Collaboration & Export Orientation: Germany is the UK’s second largest trading partner, actively promotes international partnerships and advocates for fair global market conditions. It also regards international collaboration as a key cornerstone of science and innovation promotion. Its strong export focus, central European location, advanced logistics infrastructure and pan-European engagement make it an ideal partner for UK businesses seeking growth and impact.

This year, the UK and Germany signed a historic ‘friendship treaty’ – The Kensington Treaty – which commits to closer cooperation in several areas, including Science, Innovation and Technology. Flanking this Treaty is a Strategic Science and Tech Partnership, which aims to deepen cooperation in select priority technologies, including batteries. This builds on previous close R&D collaboration and provides an important framework for this GBIP.

• Introductory briefing
• Visits to research and technology organisations
• Participation in the Batterie Forum Deutschland in Berlin as part of a UK delegation
• Company visits and meetings with key contacts
• Focused B2B events and tailored 1-2-1 meetings
• High quality networking opportunities

Applications will be considered from SMEs working on battery technologies across the value chain. Key areas are below:

• Materials and cells
• Manufacturing and process capability
• Degradation, aging and safety
• Recycling, battery passport and circular economy integration
• Testing, simulation and digital tools

Out of scope: 

• SMEs who do not work in battery innovations

• Build market knowledge and intelligence
• Seed new business partnerships, develop RD&I collaborations, and identify partners for bilateral funding calls
• Introductions to senior figures and influential contacts
• Raise your profile and stimulate new business opportunities and ideas
• Improve your value proposition, hone your skills, and grow in confidence to tackle global markets
• Connect with peers, expand your network, and learn from like-minded, ambitious businesses

• Applicant briefing – Monday, 22 September 2025 – Click here to register
• Application deadline – Sunday, 26 October 2025
• Application outcome – Monday, 10 November 2025
• Get ready workshop – Tuesday, 9 & Wednesday, 10 December 2025
• Market Visit – Sunday, 18 until Friday, 23 January 2026 (including travel)
• Exploit the opportunity workshop – Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, in-market travel, and conference fees for successful applicants.

Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative.  Only one representative from each company will be funded and the same person is required to participate in all parts of the programme.

On acceptance to the programme a commitment fee of £1000 will be obtained from each delegate, which will be refunded on completion of the full activities and agreed work plan.

Non-completion after formal acceptance may result in forfeiting some or all of the commitment fee