Innovate UK is seeking to support individual companies which are at an appropriate stage in developing a climate tech FOAK commercial project.

Your organisation must be a UK registered micro, small or medium enterprise (SME) to apply.

This competition is open to single applicants only.

An eligible organisation can only lead on one application. Any further applications by the same organisation as lead will be made ineligible.

Your proposed FOAK project must:

• last between 3 and 12 months
• start by 1 March 2027
• end by 28 February 2028

Any organisation receiving funding must carry out its project work in the UK, intend to exploit the results in the UK, and spend most of the funding within the UK.

The FOAK project must focus on one of the following climate technology areas:

• sustainable fuels, excluding those that rely on carbon from fossil sources as an input or municipal solid waste
• grid technologies, including energy storage, or technologies or solutions that enable grid efficiency or operational improvements delivered through the deployment of hardware
• engineered carbon removals, including direct air capture and innovative point source carbon capture technologies
• low carbon material production and recycling, including concrete, steel, chemicals or other key industrial inputs, including critical materials

In addition, an eligible FOAK project must:

• demonstrate that an innovative technology, process or configuration is commercially viable and can operate at commercial scale
• involve a technology, process or configuration that has not previously operated successfully at commercial scale anywhere in the world
• go beyond a small-scale demonstration or pilot that only proves technical feasibility
• be currently at or beyond Front-End Loading (FEL) stage 1 for all project components (Technical, Commercial, Financial, Project Management and Team)
• be in a position to make significant progress towards FID as a result of the support
• demonstrate the potential impact of the UK economy and relevant supply chains as a result of deployment at commercial scale

The FOAK Builder is not suitable for early stage research and development, initial pilots, or small scale technology demonstrations.

Successful applicants will participate in the Climate Tech FOAK Builder programme. This will involve working with Innovate UK and the FOAK Builder Technical Assistance Supplier (TAS) to:

• develop a deeper understanding of the applicant’s FOAK project
• define a bespoke FOAK Development Plan and a FOAK Support Plan
• enact the FOAK Support Plan, if it is approved by Innovate UK; and
• take part in wider FOAK Builder activities

Wider FOAK Builder activities may include:

• networking with other participating businesses
• meeting potential investors
• attending FOAK Builder events
• supporting promotional activities
• taking part in workshops

This list is not exhaustive.

Your EOI must focus on your specific FOAK project. Support for your FOAK project is the focus of the FOAK Builder and assessments will need to understand your proposed FOAK project and the benefits you think the FOAK Builder will bring to your business.

Businesses in the FOAK Builder will work with experts to develop a FOAK Development Plan and a FOAK Support Plan and, subject to Innovate UK review and approval, access funded bespoke support to deliver their FOAK Support Plan (in Phase 1). Businesses may also be invited to apply for a grant (in Phase 2) to support their FOAK Development Plan. Businesses should expect to be involved for the duration of the programme, including participation in reviews, events and key milestones. Further detail will be provided to successful applicants.

FOAK Builder entry competition

To enter the FOAK Builder, you must apply to the cohort entry competition and be selected. You must complete an application through the Innovation Funding Service, including the submission of the evidence requested in relation to your specific FOAK project.

If your application passes the first stage of assessment, you may be invited to attend an interview, where you must give a presentation. Your interview will take place either online or at a designated location.

FOAK Development Plan

The FOAK Development Plan will be managed and supported by a dedicated mentor and will establish an integrated plan for the FOAK project, including a stage-gate framework, project tracker, budget, schedule, risk register and stakeholder register.

FOAK Support Plan

The FOAK Support plan will identify specific activities from the FOAK Development plan that can be funded support activities to strengthen credibility, coordination and investability. This could include the following themes:

• Technical and Engineering, e.g. developing engineering, procurement and construction plans
• Financial, e.g. developing the project’s investment case, planning how the project will be financed
• Commercial, e.g. supply chain mapping, feedstock and offtake agreements
• Project Development, e.g. legal advice on all project aspects, including environmental, planning, etc., insurance strategy, risk identification and mitigations
• Team and Governance, e.g. recruitment, including finding senior leaders and core project development and execution team members

FOAK Builder support

Funding of activities in the FOAK Support plan is subject to approval by Innovate UK. Once a support plan is approved, the business will implement the plan, which will involve receiving intensive commercial and technical work package support from the TAS supplier.

This is Phase 1 of a two-phase competition. Successful phase 1 applicants will have funded access to expert technical assistance advisors providing practical expertise and guidance to help accelerate FOAK deployments towards Final Investment Decision (FID).  This could include engineering, legal, planning, policy and regulatory, investment, team development or project development work packages and will be delivered by Carbon Limiting Technologies (CLT), the Technical Assistance Supplier (TAS), and its partners.  Partners include WSP, Precursor, FGS, Longspur Capital, Blue Reef Capital, PA Consulting, Jacobs, Hatch, Philip Lee, Pinsent Masons and Hyperion Search.

Successful businesses will work with Innovate UK and the TAS to develop a FOAK Development Plan and a FOAK Support Plan. Plans will be tailored to the needs of each business and the challenges facing it in developing its proposed FOAK project from concept to FID.  The FOAK Development Plan will be managed and supported by a dedicated mentor – an experienced project developer – and will establish an integrated plan for the FOAK project, including a stage-gate framework, project tracker, budget, schedule, risk register and stakeholder register.

The FOAK Support plan will identify specific activities from the FOAK Development plan that can be funded to strengthen credibility, coordination and investability. Funding of activities in the FOAK Support plan is subject to approval by Innovate UK. Once a support plan is approved, the business will implement the plan, which will involve receiving intensive commercial and technical work package support from the TAS supplier and its partners.

Applicants successful in developing a FOAK Support Plan may also have the opportunity to apply for Phase 2 grant funding, for eligible project development costs. Only applicants successful at Phase 1 and with an agreed FOAK Development Plan and FOAK Support Plan can be invited to apply to Phase 2. Larger DevEx grants will be available to help deliver the FOAK Development Plan in Phase 2 to businesses invited to apply for these. Up to £4.77 million, in total, will be awarded in funding across both stages of the competition.

Innovate UK will hold a live briefing event at 1pm on Monday 12 October 2026: click here to register for a place.  Briefing slides will be available to download from the competition webpage after the event.

Following this briefing, three online drop-in sessions will give you the opportunity to ask follow-up questions and receive further guidance throughout the competition application period:

• Friday 16 October, 12pm – drop-in clinic 1
• Friday 23 October, 12pm – drop-in clinic 2
• Friday 30 October, 12pm – drop-in clinic 3

Places at the drop-in clinics can be booked at the same time as the briefing, using the link above.