Automotive Transformation Fund expression of interest: September 2020
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 billion for capital investment and R&D projects that help industrialise the electrified automotive supply chain at scale in the UK.
Opportunity Details
When
Registration Opens
21/09/2020
Registration Closes
14/10/2020
Award
For industry led research projects, your total grant funding must not exceed 50% of your total eligible project costs. This is regardless of the individual partners’ grant claims. For capital investment projects the grant available is dependent on the proposed project and will be determined during the second stage of the application process. The grant requested should be the minimum required to ensure sustainability of the investment.
Organisation
Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)
The Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) is a new programme that aims to establish a competitive and sustainable UK supply chain.
It offers a share of up to £1 billion of funding for industrial research and capital projects. This will be to support the industrialisation of a high-value, electrified automotive supply at scale in the UK.
This is an expression of interest (EoI) competition. If your application is successful you will be invited to apply to one of the full stage competition strands when they are published:
- Research and development (R&D).
- Capital investment.
If your project includes both R&D and capital investment you will have to apply for both full stage competitions.
Following assessment, if your application is deemed of national importance to the UK’s automotive sector, ATF may choose to direct your application to an open exceptional Regional Growth Fund (RGF) process outside of the normal full stage competitions.
Your project
Your total eligible project costs and project duration must be appropriate and in proportion to the planned objectives and prioritisation within the Automotive Transformation Fund.
Lead organisation
To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- carry out its project work in the UK
- exploit the results from or in the UK
- address the requirements of the Automotive Transformation Fund
Project team
To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
- carry out its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
- be invited by the lead organisation
Multiple applications
There are no restrictions on the number of applications a business can submit.
Funding available
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 billion to fund innovation projects in this competition. For industry led research projects, your total grant funding must not exceed 50% of your total eligible project costs. For capital investment projects the grant available is dependent on the proposed project and will be determined during the second stage of the application process. The grant requested should be the minimum required to ensure sustainability of the investment. Further information on the process will be provided at the full stage.
Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
Batteries
- cathode materials and manufacturing
- anode materials and manufacturing
- electrolyte
- cell assembly components (including separators)
- cell or module assembly
- cell testing
- battery pack components
- battery pack assembly and test
Motors and drives
- magnet materials and manufacturing
- electrical steel materials and manufacturing
- electrical machine assembly
- drive line components
- assembly and test into complete drive unit
Power electronics
- wide band gap semi-conductors
- sensors
- passives
- power electronics assembly
Fuel cell
- MEA
- catalysts
- bipolar plates
- gas diffusion layer
- air handling systems
- balance of power
- fuel cell stack assembly
- storage tanks
- fuel delivery (where specifically required for development purposes)
Recycling
- e-motors
- batteries
- fuel cells
- power electronics
The Automotive Transformation Fund provides detailed information on the specific themes of this competition.