Launchpad: net zero industry, South West Wales

To lead a project in the MFA strand, your organisation must:

• be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• be active or growing your work activities in the net zero industrial innovation cluster in South West Wales

A business can lead on only one MFA strand application for this competition.

To lead a project in the CR&D strand, your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• be or involve at least one grant claiming micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• collaborate with other UK registered organisations
• be active or growing your work activities in the net zero industrial innovation cluster in South West Wales

To collaborate with the lead in the CR&D strand, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

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

A business can lead on only one CR&D strand application for this competition but can be included as a collaborator in any number of applications.

If an organisation is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

If you apply to the MFA strand of this competition, as well as this CR&D strand, each project must be clearly distinctive and separate. We will monitor closely for this separation if you are awarded funding in both competition strands.

For the MFA strand, your project must:

• have a total grant funding request of between £25,000 and £100,000
• last between 6 and 12 months
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• start at the earliest on 1 April 2024
• end by 30 April 2025

For the CR&D strand, your project must:

• be collaborative
• have a total grant funding request of between £150,000 and £1 million
• last between 6 and 18 months
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• start at the earliest on 1 April 2024
• end by 31 March 2026

The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must be active or growing work activities in the net zero industrial innovation cluster in South West Wales, consisting of Carmarthenshire, Neath-Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea.

The geographical requirement is set to align this competition to the Government’s goals in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Your project must focus on net zero innovation for industry.

In addition, you can explore the potential for other businesses to learn from you and replicate your example.

Your project must lead to increased investment into research and innovation. It must contribute to growing business activities and economic impact in the cluster.

Your proposal must explain how your team and project will contribute to equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) in the cluster.

In support of the Government’s Levelling Up goals, we reserve the right to prioritise projects that:

• are shorter in duration
• significantly advance innovation in net zero for industry
• are led by businesses already based in the innovation cluster
• have greater levels of activity outside the Greater South East

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

• Offshore wind (FLOW) Celtic Sea
• Novel onshore renewable generation
• Green or blue hydrogen production and distribution
• CO2 capture, distribution and storage
• Sustainable fuel and platform chemical production
• Fuel switching
• Electrification
• Low carbon heat distribution and utilisation
• Mini grid community systems
• Supporting innovation in skills development

This list is not exhaustive. Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this competition you can focus on other themes.

Innovate UK held an online briefing on Thursday 9 November: click here to watch the recording.

If you would like help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Net Zero team or our Energy team.

In considering the eligibility of your proposal you are encouraged to review:

• Welsh Government’s Net Zero strategic plan
• Welsh Government’s Innovation strategy for Wales
• Regional Economic Framework for South West Wales

Further information about the cluster will be provided in the online briefing event which is now available to view.