Energy Catalyst Round 11

There are two types of leads in the energy catalyst programme, a UK administrative lead, who will complete the application and a technology lead.

An administrative lead is there to act as the recipient of the award and will distribute funding to all other partners. This is known as a ‘hub and spoke’ model. The administrative lead will manage and be accountable for the finances of the project in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award.

The administrative lead must:

• be a UK registered organisation
• claim grant funding through this competition

A technology lead will lead on the development of the scope, work packages and any other technical work.

The technology lead:

• can be a business of any size
• can be from anywhere in the world
• must claim grant funding through this competition
• can be an RO, RTO or academic institution

UK registered organisations can be both the administrative and technology lead if the criteria are met for both types of leads.

We require the inclusion of at least one international partner in the project.

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation, or research and technology organisation (RTO).

All eligible organisations can lead or collaborate on any number of applications.

Your project must:

• have total costs of between £50,000 and £300,000  for early stage, or between £50,000 and £1.5 million for mid stage
• start by 1 September 2025
• end by 31 August 2026 for early stage, or 31 March 2027 for mid stage
• last 6 to 12 months for early stage, or 6 to 19 months for mid stage
• provide a just transition to ensure gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI)
• help deliver innovation for clean energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, or the Indo-Pacific
• include a UK registered administrative lead
• partner with a UK administrative lead if you are an international organisation
• include an international partner
• involve at least one micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) from anywhere in the world

Mid stage projects must involve demonstrating or field testing in one of the specified ODA eligible countries.

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 or Indo-Pacific regions. Creating 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 the sustainable development goals (SDGs) 7 and 13.

To be in scope for Energy Catalyst Round 11 your project must develop an innovative product, process, or service to address both energy access and clean energy. This is to contribute to:

• an inclusive and clean energy transition
• extending the benefits of clean energy to all
• meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13

These goals are:

Sustainable Development Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Sustainable Development Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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

Energy access

Your project must aim to develop an innovation that will speed up access to affordable, clean energy services for low income households, enterprises and social institutions in Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible countries in sub-Saharan -Africa, the Indo-Pacific region, or South Asia. It must do this by supporting the development, testing or scale up of innovative technologies or business models. A clear social or economic benefit in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia or the Indo-Pacific Region is required.

This can include:

• creating new energy access in unserved regions
• improving existing access to provide a more reliable service

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

Sub-Saharan Africa:

• Angola
• Benin
• Botswana
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cabo Verde
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoros
• Congo
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Eswatini (Swaziland)
• Ethiopia
• Equatorial Guinea
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

South Asia:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• India
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

Indo-Pacific (ODA eligible ASEAN):

• Cambodia
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste (not officially part of ASEAN)
• Vietnam

Indo-Pacific (Pacific Islands):

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Marshall islands
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

While projects can focus on any ODA eligible country, we are particularly keen to receive projects from the following countries: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, DRC, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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

• affordable
• reliable
• low carbon
• contributing to a just transition, ensuring gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI)

While any technology which meets the above criteria is in scope, priority will be given to the following Ayrton Challenge priority areas:

• clean hydrogen: scaling zero carbon thermal gas production and uses, reducing remaining need for fossil fuels in hard to abate sectors
• 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: support innovative clean transport solutions in developing countries by accelerating readiness for wide uptake (attractive, affordable, accessible options) as part of the global clean energy transition
• energy efficiency: improve the efficiency, performance, availability, and affordability of a range of appliances and productive equipment for some of the worlds’ poorest people
• energy storage: create and commercialise innovative battery technologies and associated business models for generator displacement and mobility applications in developing countries and emerging economies
• 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, internally displaced people (IDPs), healthcare patients in unelectrified clinics
• industrial decarbonisation: support industrial decarbonisation technology innovation in developing countries to accelerate the pilot-testing of innovative clean technologies towards commercialisation
• smart energy systems: accelerate a series of related technologies which enable more efficient and effective network delivery of energy
• sustainable cooling for all: help to meet growing global cooling demand in a warming world, in a sustainable way

Over 50% of your project must focus on energy access and energy innovation to be in scope. This is determined from your project costing and work packages.

An online briefing event covering both strands will be held at 2pm 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 30 April 2025.