Contracts for Innovation: Local Partnerships Clean Energy Demonstrators

To lead a project, you can:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or with the subcontracted skills and expertise of others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations, or the third sector (charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups)

Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. Subcontractors can be used, but only for specialist skills.

Projects must:

• start on 1 July 2025
• end by 31 March 2027
• last between 12 months and 21 months
• have total costs of between £500,000 and £1.5 million, inclusive of VAT
• involve demonstrating or field testing of your innovation in an ODA eligible country for a minimum of three months duration, with in country users in real life operating conditions
• clearly demonstrate local partnerships, for example with subcontractors who are based in the focus ODA eligible country
• ensure the ODA eligible country is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• be compliant with ODA funding

Your application must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services, including solution exploration and design.

The aim of this competition is to accelerate the innovations needed to create new or improved clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia the Indo-Pacific region or South and Central America.

To create a just and inclusive energy transition by integrating gender equality, disability and social inclusion to ensure we are extending the benefits of clean energy to all to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) 7 and 13.

This funding is part of the Ayrton Fund. The activities supported by the project must be complete by 31 March 2027.

This is to contribute to:

• developing an innovative product, process, or service
• an inclusive and clean energy transition
• extend the benefits of clean energy to all
• meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13
• a just transition to ensure gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI)

A key aspect of this competition is to leverage local partnerships with organisations in the focus ODA-eligible country.

Your project must:

• clearly leverage local partnerships with organisations in the focus ODA-eligible country
• contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13
• improving energy access in one of the specified ODA-eligible countries
• develop a technology or business model which is innovative, affordable, reliable and low carbon
• involve demonstrating or field testing of your innovation in one of the specified ODA eligible countries for a minimum of three continuous months, with in country users in real life operating conditions
• contribute to the reduction or mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
• ensure the ODA eligible country is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• be compliant with ODA funding
• demonstrate impact to either local communities or local organisations
• utilise existing and local supply chains if available and where reasonable
• Incorporate end of life planning into the development of your innovation
• contribute to a just transition, ensuring gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI)
• clearly demonstrate a social or economic benefit to your focus country

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results. Contracts will be given to successful applicants.

Your project must focus one or more of the following eligible countries:

• Colombia
• India
• Mexico
• South Africa
• Brazil
• Indonesia
• Nigeria
• AOSIS
• Bangladesh
• Ethiopia
• DRC
• Philippines
• Kenya
• Egypt
• Malaysia
• Pakistan
• Vietnam
• Cambodia
• Kazakhstan
• Madagascar
• Angola
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Peru
• Zambia
• Morocco
• Mongolia
• Argentina

While projects can focus on any of the above ODA eligible countries, we are particularly keen to receive projects which focus on Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, DRC, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.

We will not be supporting any projects operating in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) red zones.

Your project must also utilise existing local supply chains if available, and where reasonable. For example, if there is a local supplier of a particular component, and it’s at a reasonable price, we would expect them to be the supplier used for the project. If the cost is significantly lower, the use of the supplier would need to be justified for the cost and shipping of parts from other countries.

Your innovative technology or business model must create access to clean energy which is:

• affordable
• reliable
• low carbon

Your project must focus on one of the following Ayrton Challenge Areas:

• sustainable cooling for all: help to meet a growing global off and weak grid demand for cooling access, in a warming world, in a sustainable and economically viable way
• energy efficiency: improve the efficiency, performance, availability, and affordability of a range of appliances for some of the worlds’ poorest people
• energy storage: sustainable and affordable energy storage, including batteries, for distributed renewable energy usage in stationary and mobile applications
• smart energy systems: accelerate a series of related technologies which enable more efficient and effective network delivery of energy
• industrial decarbonisation: support industrial decarbonisation technology innovation in developing countries to accelerate the pilot-testing of innovative clean technologies towards commercialisation
• clean hydrogen: diversification from Diesel Gen sets and fossil fuel choices, particularly to support next generation solar mini grids
• critical minerals: address critical minerals as a key enabler in clean energy transitions and the high political or commercial interest on supply chain sustainability for clean energy technologies
• clean transport: accelerate the uptake of clean transport technologies to reduce emissions and pollution and enable inclusive and resilient economic growth in developing countries
• inclusive energy and leave no one behind: ensure that the benefits of the clean energy revolution reach the poorest and most marginalised (for example, women, people with disabilities, refugees, IDPs, healthcare patients in unelectrified clinics)

An online briefing event will be held at 12 noon UK time on Wednesday 19 March: click here for the joining link.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect or visit the b2match platform for more information. The b2match platform will be available from 10 March 2025 to 23 April 2025.

If you have any questions about the scope requirements of this competition, email support@iuk.ukri.org.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us. We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).