Global Business Innovation Programme in the USA - V2X Bi-Directional and Smart Charging
Innovate UK is inviting companies with expertise in bi-directional charging solutions to participate in a Global Business Innovation Programme with a market visit to the USA.
Opportunity Details
When
Registration Opens
17/04/2024
Registration Closes
19/06/2024
Award
Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, in-market travel, and conference fees for successful applicants. Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative. One representative from each company will be funded.
Organisation
Innovate UK
Note: This opportunity is fully funded support and not monetary funding.
The Global Business Innovation Programme, organised by Innovate UK, consists of a preparation phase, a seven day innovation visit focused on V2X bidirectional charging, a post-visit exploitation workshop and follow up support from an Innovate UK innovation and growth specialist, helping you your business maximise the opportunities identified, including developing innovation projects with partners in the territory. This initiative will be delivered physically and could include virtual activities.
Innovate UK is committed to ensure that anyone, from any background, has an equal opportunity to be successful.
Find out about how our GBIP in the USA can help your business grow.
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A GBIP has three stages:
Prepare for the market
Preparing for the market includes the cohort being briefed by sector and market experts on, for example, cultural aspects of conducting business in that country. Delegates receive help to find business partners and arrange meetings and are advised on best practice including the management and protection of their intellectual property.
Visiting the market
Visiting the market provides opportunities to attend pre-arranged meetings and activities in order to better understand and maximise the opportunities that the visit presents.
Exploiting the opportunity
Exploiting the opportunity is arguably the most important aspect of the programme. To maximise the opportunity, participating companies are given bespoke one-to-one support from an Innovate UK EDGE innovation and growth specialist to help develop and implement an action plan.
The Global Business Innovation Programme operates on a competitive basis and businesses selected are required to participate in all three stages (some or all of which may be online).
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To apply, you must:
- Be a UK based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and internationalise
- Be a company with fewer than 250 employees
- Be able to attend and complete all activities
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The US Government has committed to a net-zero power sector by 2035 and a net-zero transport sector by 2050.
With climate change a major concern in the US, from heatwaves to wildfires to winter storms, there is an urgent need to store and retrieve reliable electricity as a back-up.
V2X solutions can provide this facility whilst also optimizing renewable energy use and deferring expensive utility infrastructure upgrades. Cyber security, resilience, equity and affordability are also key V2X energy considerations shared by both the US and UK.
The US has a Vehicle-to-Everything MOU,² bringing together resources from the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Labs, state and local governments, utilities and private entities to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of bi-directional charging. The Smart Electric Power Alliance’s “Customer-centric pathways to V2X adoption” was published in November 2022, and regular V2G Business, Policy & Technology Forums are run by the American Center for Mobility.
A number of pilot programmes are underway in the US to assess the viability of V2X for energy storage, resilience and flexibility purposes. Some US states already have an established ecosystem bringing together government, research, and industry in a coordinated way, supported by appropriate policy and funding, to test and advance V2X solutions.
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Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) encompasses both managed charging (smart charging or V1G) and bi-directional charging (V2X). VGI is an important tool for achieving both clean energy and Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption goals.
The UK Government has invested over £30M in bi-directional charging development and real-world demonstrations since 2018, to accelerate V2X adoption by both domestic and commercial users. UK companies have generated valuable experience which can be shared with US colleagues, and this GBIP aims to open new
business opportunities for the UK products and services developed.We welcome applications from innovative UK companies working on bi-directional charging solutions to unlock and expand the energy flexibility potential of EVs. Companies developing novel vehicle-to-everything (V2X) hardware, software or commercial flexibility propositions focussed on the transport/energy interface are welcome to apply. Solutions for both domestic and commercial customers, using any of the mainstream EV charging protocols (AC, DC CCS, DC CHAdeMO & MW) to provide energy storage and flexibility services are within scope. This includes V2Grid, V2Home, V2Building and V2Vehicle applications using on-road EVs to deliver either behind-the-meter or grid services propositions.
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- Explore V2X opportunities for doing business in the US
- Find potential collaborators and partners
- Get a better understanding of the challenges for V2X business in the US
- Improve your company’s value proposition
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Register for the applicant briefing session on 7th May 2024 here
Applications close: 19th June 2024
Get ready workshop: 4th – 5th September 2024
Innovation visit: 21st – 28th September 2024
Exploitation workshop: 3rd October 2024