Zero Emission Generators (ZE-Gen) Accelerator Phase 1: Discover

This is phase 1 of a potential 3 phase accelerator competition. Phases 2 and 3 are separate closed competitions and are only open to projects funded in the previous phases:

The three phases are:

• Zero emission generators (ZE-Gen) accelerator: phase 1 discover. (this phase) For feasibility studies and consortium building
• Zero emission generators (ZE-Gen) accelerator: phase 2 lift off. For Industrial research for product development and testing of your innovation
• Zero emission generators (ZE-Gen) accelerator: phase 3 flight. For experimental development and will involve demonstrating and validating your innovation in either Nigeria or the Philippines

The decision to proceed with phase 2 and 3 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1. It will involve an assessment of a separate application into a subsequent phase 2 and then phase 3 competition.

There are two types of leads in the ZE-Gen Accelerator programme, these are:

• an administrative lead
• a technology lead

UK registered organisations can be both the administrative and technology lead if the criteria is met for both types of leads. Only UK registered businesses can work alone.

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 (not an academic institution).

A technology lead will be responsible for the development of the scope, work packages and any other technical work. The technology lead must be a business, and can be of any size from anywhere in the world.

The technology lead must send a representative on the consortium building activities: see below.

Both leads must claim grant funding through this competition.

Project team

To collaborate with the lead, 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)

The project must involve at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), from anywhere in the world.

We strongly encourage the inclusion of international partners (business or other), where relevant to the project.

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

A central part of this accelerator is consortium building with partners in Nigeria or the Philippines. For funded projects, a representative from the Technology Lead organisation is required to attend a funded in person visit to either Nigeria or the Philippines depending on your country of focus which is decided at the point of application.

We are calling these activities “Ignite” and are to enable the delegation of funded projects to find local collaborators in their focus region ahead of applying to phase 2 of the accelerator in November 2024. It is expected that a representative of the technology lead organisation will:

• attend the visit in person
• attend pre and post visit activities
• present their project to overseas stakeholders
• network with local partners
• effectively and professionally represent the ZE-Gen programme

Innovate UK will fund travel and subsistence and organise the agenda with input from the phase 1 consortium of projects. We are planning for the visits to take place in October 2024. More specific details will be shared with successful applicants.

This programme is similar to Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) and Energy Catalyst’s brokerage activities. Failure to attend could lead to the removal of the project from the accelerator programme.

Your project must:

• have total costs between £50,000 and £150,000
• last for 10 months only
• start on 1 June 2024
• end on 31 March 2025
• ensure Nigeria or the Philippines is the primary beneficiary of the innovation
• be compliant with ODA (Official Development Assistance) funding
• include a UK registered administrative lead
• partner with a UK administrative lead, if you are an international organisation
• involve at least one micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), from anywhere in the world

The ZE-Gen technology accelerator programme aims to accelerate the innovations needed to effectively replace fossil fuel generators with renewable alternatives.

The aim of this competition is to support feasibility projects developing a range of technology and business models focussed on Nigeria or the Philippines.

Your project must:

• develop an integrated technology which directly replaces one or more fossil fuel generators
• be safe, flexible and appropriate to multiple applications
• be affordable, reliable and low carbon
• target commercial, domestic, public sector or humanitarian use cases where fossil fuel generators are the only source of electricity or used as back up for an unreliable grid
• charge using AC or DC renewable generation technologies or from the grid as a backup source of energy
• be capable of storing energy
• be scalable
• utilise local supply chains where possible
• propose an end-of-life circularity plan for the renewable alternatives developed with this funding

At the end of phase 1, successful projects will be invited to apply for the phase 2 competition.

We are not funding projects that:

• will not contribute significantly to energy affordability, security and reduced carbon emissions
• do not address clean energy requirements
• are not Official Development Assistance (ODA) compliant
• do not take into account and plan to manage Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) issues
• are projects where energy innovation is not the primary focus (if more than 50% project is focussed on other innovations)
• aim to improve fossil fuel generators
• use combustion technologies
• are inflexible and tailored to a specific use
• do not propose an end of life circularity plan for the renewable alternatives developed with this funding
• are large scale infrastructure projects, including industrial processes and utility scale solutions

Innovate UK will hold an online briefing on Tuesday 21 Nov at 11.30am UK time: click here to register for a place.

If you would like help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Energy and Infrastructure team or Global Alliance team.