Battery manufacturing training initiative: expression of interest

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £2 million as part of the Faraday Battery Challenge. This is to develop one or more innovative battery manufacturing workforce training initiatives, supporting regional battery industry needs.

The aim of this competition is to:

• support regional battery manufacturing industry workforce requirements
• develop innovative approaches to battery workforce development
• catalyse investment in battery workforce development
• develop a battery industry workforce of the right quality and quantity in the UK
• develop innovative approaches to outreach which will attract diverse talent to careers in the battery industry

Your proposal must focus on the vocational or technical training infrastructure requirements to train the battery manufacturing workforce. This can include facilities, equipment and people. We expect to fund at least one regional battery manufacturing training initiative.

This is the phase 1 expression of interest (EOI) of a 2 phase competition. Phase 2 is the full-proposal stage of the competition. There is no funding at this EOI stage. If you are successful in phase 1, you will be invited to apply to the phase 2 full stage collaborative competition.

Your initiative must be established and start to deliver training within the phase 2 funded timescale. We encourage ambitious, impactful projects which can meet the aims of this competition.

If we receive multiple submissions invited to phase 2 from one region, we may encourage you to work together to submit a phase 2, full-stage application.

Eligibility

Your full stage 2 project must:

• have a grant funding request of up to £2 million
• start by 1 October 2023
• end on 31 March 2025
• last for 18 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

To lead a project, work alone, or collaborate, your organisation must be a UK registered:

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

A business, academic institution, research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not for profit or public sector organisation can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in a further 2 applications. If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to:

• support regional battery manufacturing industry workforce requirements
• develop innovative approaches to battery workforce development
• catalyse investment in battery workforce development
• develop a battery industry workforce of the right quality and quantity in the UK
• develop innovative approaches to outreach which will attract diverse talent to careers in the battery industry

Your proposal must focus on the vocational or technical training infrastructure requirements to train the battery manufacturing workforce at skills level 2 to 3. This can include facilities, equipment and people. We expect to fund at least one regional battery manufacturing training initiative.

Specific themes

Your project must focus on the skills level 2 to 3 for the production workforce for manufacturing of battery technologies including:

• electrode manufacture
• cell assembly
• formation, aging and testing
• module and pack assembly

Your project can also address one or more of the following:

• the workforce for battery technology research and development, for example research technicians
• the workforce for the scale-up of battery technologies
• the maintenance and engineering workforce within a battery manufacturing environment
• the quality control and assurance workforce within a battery manufacturing environment

An online briefing event was held on 9th March 2023: click here to watch the recording.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Energy team.