To lead a project as a solution provider your organisation must be a UK registered:

• micro, small or medium sized enterprise
• academic institution
• research and technology organisation (RTO)
• community interest company (CIC) or charity
• subcontractors are allowed in this competition

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your ususal procurement process.

Your project must:

• have a grant funding request of up to £25,000
• last for three months
• must end by 31st March 2027

Any funded organisation needs to carry out their project work in the UK and must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.

• Launch of the Competition: 28 April 2026
• Deadline for applications: 5 June 2026
• Selection and notification of finalists: 22-23 June 2026
• Pitch Day: week commencing 10 July 2026
• Confirm selected solution provider by: 17 July 2026
• Submission to Innovation Funding Service (IFS): 5 August 2026
• Project length: 3 months

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to Tata Steel. The winning applicant, as selected by the company, will then be eligible to apply for £25,000 grant funding to kickstart the development of the proposed solution through a 3-month project. Selected solutions will be trialled by Tata Steel with potential for further adoption if trials are successful.

Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.

Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.

Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP be not disclosed, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).

Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect do not take any share of IP ownership or enter commercial ventures through the iX programme.

Functional Requirements

The solution must / should:

• Operate effectively in high‑volume scrap‑yard environments where large, irregular, and mixed scrap streams are handled, as well as in laboratory or controlled settings for more detailed analysis.
• Detect and differentiate key contaminants and high‑risk materials, including stainless steels, coated steels (Zn, Sn, Cr, Ni), and embedded copper‑bearing components inside motors, coils and other nonferrous materials.
• Be scalable for deployment across different handling systems, including ground-level inspection, mobile equipment, rail‑wagon top / unloading and conveyor/belt‑feed systems, in line with Port Talbot’s anticipated scrap throughput.
• Provide rapid testing capability to avoid bottlenecks and maintain the throughput required for EAF feedstock preparation.
• Be suitable for outdoor use, with equipment that is:
  • weather‑resistant / protected from rain, dust, vibration, and temperature extremes
  • safe around heavy vehicles and lifting equipment
• Be operator‑friendly and portable, requiring minimal specialist training and enabling safe operation near scrap‑handling machinery.
• Integrate digitally with existing or future scrap‑management systems, providing:
  • downloadable data (e.g., via 5G, Wi‑Fi, API, or cloud)
  • structured outputs suitable for blend optimisation and traceability
• Use non‑destructive testing methods, avoiding any process that damages scrap, slows operations, or introduces safety risks.
• Offer opportunities for future expansion, such as automated classification, bulk‑material scanning, or integration with machine‑vision and sensor‑fusion platforms

Technical Requirements

The solution must / should:

• Detect key contaminants and residual‑forming elements such as stainless steel, coatings (Zn, Sn, Cr), and copper (including embedded components) and other nonferrous materials.
• Provide quick, reliable, and repeatable readings suitable for real‑time scrap assessment.
• Offer quantitative or semi‑quantitative outputs to support scrap grading and blend optimisation.
• Use non‑destructive testing methods, safe around heavy machinery and irregular scrap geometries.
• Integrate digitally with existing systems via simple data export (e.g., CSV/API) for traceability and decision‑making.
• Operate in industrial environments (dust, vibration, weather) with low maintenance and stable performance.
• Require minimal calibration or maintenance, remaining stable in harsh industrial conditions.
• Provide consistent performance on mixed, compacted, corroded, or dirty scrap surfaces.
• Be portable but adaptable for semi‑automated, or fixed‑installation use cases (e.g. conveyors, rail‑wagon areas).
• Be ideally TRL 6+, with a clear path to field trials and near‑term deployment.

Operating Conditions

The solution must / should:

• Operate safely and reliably in outdoor scrap‑yard environments, withstanding exposure to rain, dust, vibration, high noise levels, and variable temperatures.
• Be suitable for mobile, portable, or temporary fixed‑position use. Where possible, power should be self‑contained to enable flexible deployment within the stockyard.
• Be capable of assessing predominantly shredded steel scrap with a top size of ~100 mm, but also applicable to larger scrap items up to 2.5 m in length.
• Deliver rapid assessments that do not interrupt or delay scrap‑handling operations.
• Operate in areas where space is generally unrestricted outdoors; however, a 5 × 5 m space is available in the laboratory preparation room for temporary fixed‑position equipment setup.
• Comply with all Tata Steel site safety requirements, including permits, operating rules, and mandatory PPE (gloves, helmets, visors, hearing protection, etc.).

Make use of reasonable support that can be provided on site, including access to mobile plant and other required services.

The application form for this challenge will require applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions – Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property – each with a limit of 300 words.

Additionally, the following documents must be attached for your application to be considered:

• Project plan
• Project costings – only eligible costs will be funded, please read the Innovate UK Costs guidance for further information

We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle “Stage Complete” for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked “Submit Idea” at the bottom of the Summary page.