APC 18: developing the UK’s low carbon automotive capability

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) invests up to £30 million, up to 3 times a year, in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects. These are pre-production match-funded projects. In this round APC is investing £25 million. Your project must concentrate on the automotive market as its primary application.

APC 18 is looking for:

• projects that support the UK’s long-term capabilities through securing long-term R&D investment
• projects that can be achieved through its associated supply chain in the design, build and manufacture of zero tailpipe emission vehicles

Your project will preferably deliver both of these, to ensure the UK meets the future demand of vehicle-makers.

Your project must:

• have total eligible costs between £5 million and £40 million
• be a minimum of 50% match funded
• start by 1 November 2021
• last between 18 and 42 months

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• have an active registered business base in the UK
• be a grant recipient
• involve at least one SME if the lead is not one
• include in your consortium a vehicle manufacturer or tier 1 supplier who supplies parts directly to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
• collaborate with others
• carry out its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

Academic institutions and research organisations cannot lead projects.

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution or research and technology organisation (RTO)
• carry out its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

If businesses and research organisations are non-UK based they are only eligible to apply for funding if they set up an active UK registered business base before they start their project, where the funded work will be carried out, and provide evidence that they intend to expand their R&D activity in the UK after the project.

The aim of this competition is to seek proposals for collaborative R&D projects. These must demonstrate the development of on-vehicle technologies, (including material, product and manufacturing processes) for on or off-road vehicles.

Your project must address one of the following:

1. Accelerate the development of technologies capable of low and zero tailpipe emissions, considering their associated ‘cradle to grave’ supply chains, up to and including end of life.
2. Demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions leading to air quality improvements.

Your proposal must clearly align with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and must demonstrate how high value R&D will take place in the UK as a result of this funding.

Technologies in scope are:

• motors
• batteries
• power electronics
• hybridisation
• alternative propulsion systems

Your project must support the growth of these technologies, creating more jobs and capability throughout the UK supply chain.

Your project must focus on one or more of the following strategic technology themes. You must determine which technology or technologies best represent your project:

• alternative propulsion systems
• electric machines and power electronics
• energy storage and energy management
• lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures
• thermal propulsion systems that deliver substantial improvements
• significant reduction in vehicle development timescales
• digitisation for development of low carbon vehicle innovation