Automotive Transformation Fund expression of interest: September 2020

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 billion for capital investment and R&D projects that help industrialise the electrified automotive supply chain at scale in the UK.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

21/09/2020

Registration Closes

14/10/2020

Award

For industry led research projects, your total grant funding must not exceed 50% of your total eligible project costs. This is regardless of the individual partners’ grant claims. For capital investment projects the grant available is dependent on the proposed project and will be determined during the second stage of the application process. The grant requested should be the minimum required to ensure sustainability of the investment.

Organisation

Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)

Share this opportunity

The Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) is a new programme that aims to establish a competitive and sustainable UK supply chain.

It offers a share of up to £1 billion of funding for industrial research and capital projects. This will be to support the industrialisation of a high-value, electrified automotive supply at scale in the UK.

This is an expression of interest (EoI) competition. If your application is successful you will be invited to apply to one of the full stage competition strands when they are published:

  1. Research and development (R&D).
  2. Capital investment.

If your project includes both R&D and capital investment you will have to apply for both full stage competitions.

Following assessment, if your application is deemed of national importance to the UK’s automotive sector, ATF may choose to direct your application to an open exceptional Regional Growth Fund (RGF) process outside of the normal full stage competitions.

Your project

Your total eligible project costs and project duration must be appropriate and in proportion to the planned objectives and prioritisation within the Automotive Transformation Fund.

Lead organisation

To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:

Project team

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must:

  • be a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
  • carry out its project work in the UK
  • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
  • be invited by the lead organisation

Multiple applications

There are no restrictions on the number of applications a business can submit.

Funding available

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 billion to fund innovation projects in this competition. For industry led research projects, your total grant funding must not exceed 50% of your total eligible project costs. For capital investment projects the grant available is dependent on the proposed project and will be determined during the second stage of the application process. The grant requested should be the minimum required to ensure sustainability of the investment. Further information on the process will be provided at the full stage.

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

Batteries

  • cathode materials and manufacturing
  • anode materials and manufacturing
  • electrolyte
  • cell assembly components (including separators)
  • cell or module assembly
  • cell testing
  • battery pack components
  • battery pack assembly and test

Motors and drives

  • magnet materials and manufacturing
  • electrical steel materials and manufacturing
  • electrical machine assembly
  • drive line components
  • assembly and test into complete drive unit

Power electronics

  • wide band gap semi-conductors
  • sensors
  • passives
  • power electronics assembly

Fuel cell

  • MEA
  • catalysts
  • bipolar plates
  • gas diffusion layer
  • air handling systems
  • balance of power
  • fuel cell stack assembly
  • storage tanks
  • fuel delivery (where specifically required for development purposes)

Recycling

  • e-motors
  • batteries
  • fuel cells
  • power electronics

The Automotive Transformation Fund provides detailed information on the specific themes of this competition.

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