Innovate UK Net Zero Living Digital
UK registered small and micro businesses can apply for a share of up to £2 million to develop data driven digital applications solving challenges in delivering net zero.
Do you have an idea that revolutionise our built environments and the way we connect? The aim of this competition is to provide a package of targeted support to enable ambitious UK registered micro and small businesses to develop and deliver net zero solutions through data driven digital applications. Innovate UK is offering UK registered small and micro businesses a share of up to £2 million in grants. In addition to the grant support, you will be offered tailored business support delivered by Innovate UK EDGE.
For the Net Zero Living Digital projects, £1.5 million has been allocated for innovative approaches using multiple databases, generating synthetic data to create a product or a service that supports the net zero agenda. We want the businesses to acknowledge and support Innovate UK net zero living data guidance principles. You must focus on data driven digital innovation supporting the net zero agenda.
The User Focused Products programme of work is part of Innovate UK’s broader Net Zero Living programme – a £60 million, three-year initiative that helps places and businesses across the UK to accelerate the delivery of the transition to net zero. Under this programme, Innovate UK are delivering the Net Zero Living Digital Competition.
The programme’s goal is to support businesses to better understand and respond to the needs, opportunities and barriers that are preventing the large-scale roll out of net zero solutions. As with the overall programme, the focus here is not on developing more technology solutions, but better using what we have by ensuring that solutions are addressing real needs and challenges.
For the Telecoms Technology Missions Fund projects, £500,000 has been allocated for innovation in the telecommunications domain specifically. Projects funded will develop and deliver solutions using data to drive Net Zero in networks including public and private fixed and wireless.
Your innovation must lead to new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of others currently available, or propose an innovative use of existing products, processes, or services. It can also involve a new or innovative business model.
We will be hosting two Q&A sessions on 12 December 2023 and 9 January 2024 for any questions and to gain networking opportunities. Register here.
-
To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered micro or small business.
If your business has been funded directly by Innovate UK previously, you are not eligible to apply for this competition. If however you have received funding directly from Innovate UK EDGE or a Catapult scheme, you are still eligible to apply for this competition.
Businesses with directors who have previously received a grant or Innovation Loan from Innovate UK as part of a different company, are eligible to apply but will be considered on a case by case basis. A business with a previous award to a parent or subsidiary would also be eligible to apply, but the parent company must be classified as a micro or small business. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period. If the grant for this competition would take your business over that limit, you will not be eligible.
An eligible UK business can submit one application only. We will only award grant funding to one project per business.
-
Your project must:
- have total project costs and grant request of between £25,000 and £50,000
- start by 1 April 2024
- end by 30 September 2024
- last between 3 and 6 months in duration
- carry out its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
Your total project costs will be 100% funded. Total project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the maximum project size. If your total project costs are below the minimum of £25,000 or exceed the maximum of £50,000 then your application will be made ineligible.
-
Your proposal must be a software or data lead solution in one or more of the net zero challenges:
- power
- heat
- mobility
- product manufacture and usage
Your digital product must be for domestic, commercial, industrial, or public authority users. Links to other sectors are also welcome where relevant to the delivery of net zero.
It must make use of a number of open and shared data sets or synthetic data across a range of net zero relevant topics, including but not limited to:
- energy vectors and assets
- citizens and communities
- buildings
- geography
- transport
- carbon emissions
- industry
- economy
Your digital products or services must help to accelerate the net zero agenda, be replicable and scalable. You can focus on decision making tools, cost evaluation, reporting tools, prioritisation, or citizen engagement.
For the Telecoms Technology Missions Fund projects, £500,000 has been allocated for innovation in the telecommunications domain specifically. Projects funded will develop and deliver solutions using data to drive Net Zero in networks including public and private fixed and wireless.
-
In your application, you must demonstrate that you:
- have a great idea
- need public funding
- have the capability to deliver the project
- will deliver the project
We are particularly interested in how your proposal will help you:
- develop both your ambitious idea and your business
- create a new revenue stream, for example new products, services or IP
- evidence and enable your market, funding and commercialisation plans
- show what is feasible, in helping you decide whether to pursue your idea further
- catalyse further innovation on your path to commercial success
- respond to changing market conditions
-
The Net Zero Living programme’s objective is to help places to open markets by removing the non-technical barriers to demand. It also aims to drive widespread business growth and innovation across the economy and unlock significant additional private investment to enable true levelling-up, both between and within places.
The programme has 2 challenge areas:
- Thriving Places: providing support to local authorities, their partners and communities to overcome non-technical systemic barriers to the scaling and adoption of net zero solutions
- User-Focussed Products: supporting business to better understand and respond to the needs, opportunities and barriers that are preventing the large-scale roll out of net zero solutions
This competition forms a part of the ‘User-Focussed Products’ Challenge area.
The wider Net Zero Living programme will include a community of over 50 Local Authorities and organisations such as businesses, public sector and the third sector, who are tackling Net Zero challenges based on place, across the UK.
Successful projects through this competition will have opportunities to present their project outcomes and networking opportunities with the Net Zero Living community of organisations.
-
The competition opens on 2 January 2024 and closes on 24 January.
Innovate UK KTN will hold a Q&A session noon-1pm on Tuesday 9 January 2024: click here to book a place.
The recorded competition briefing is now available, providing a comprehensive understanding of the competition. Please revisit to watch the recording and learn about the scope, eligibility criteria, and how your innovative ideas can make a lasting impact.
If you would like help with your application, you are welcome to contact Innovate UK KTN’s Net Zero team or our Digital team.
Related Events and Recordings
Related programme
Net Zero Living
Innovate UK’s £60 million, three-year Net Zero Living programme aims to help regional authorities and businesses accelerate the transition to net zero, across the UK and internationally.