Innovate UK Net Zero Living Digital

To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered micro or small business.

If your business has been funded directly by Innovate UK previously, you are not eligible to apply for this competition. If however you have received funding directly from Innovate UK EDGE or a Catapult scheme, you are still eligible to apply for this competition.

Businesses with directors who have previously received a grant or Innovation Loan from Innovate UK as part of a different company, are eligible to apply but will be considered on a case by case basis. A business with a previous award to a parent or subsidiary would also be eligible to apply, but the parent company must be classified as a micro or small business. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

Grant funding in this competition is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA). This allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period. If the grant for this competition would take your business over that limit, you will not be eligible.

An eligible UK business can submit one application only. We will only award grant funding to one project per business.

Your project must:

• have total project costs and grant request of between £25,000 and £50,000
• start by 1 April 2024
• end by 30 September 2024
• last between 3 and 6 months in duration
• carry out its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

Your total project costs will be 100% funded. Total project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the maximum project size. If your total project costs are below the minimum of £25,000 or exceed the maximum of £50,000 then your application will be made ineligible.

Your proposal must be a software or data lead solution in one or more of the net zero challenges:

• power
• heat
• mobility
• product manufacture and usage

Your digital product must be for domestic, commercial, industrial, or public authority users. Links to other sectors are also welcome where relevant to the delivery of net zero.

It must make use of a number of open and shared data sets or synthetic data across a range of net zero relevant topics, including but not limited to:

• energy vectors and assets
• citizens and communities
• buildings
• geography
• transport
• carbon emissions
• industry
• economy

Your digital products or services must help to accelerate the net zero agenda, be replicable and scalable. You can focus on decision making tools, cost evaluation, reporting tools, prioritisation, or citizen engagement.

For the Telecoms Technology Missions Fund projects, £500,000 has been allocated for innovation in the telecommunications domain specifically. Projects funded will develop and deliver solutions using data to drive Net Zero in networks including public and private fixed and wireless.

In your application, you must demonstrate that you:

• have a great idea
• need public funding
• have the capability to deliver the project
• will deliver the project

We are particularly interested in how your proposal will help you:

• develop both your ambitious idea and your business
• create a new revenue stream, for example new products, services or IP
• evidence and enable your market, funding and commercialisation plans
• show what is feasible, in helping you decide whether to pursue your idea further
• catalyse further innovation on your path to commercial success
• respond to changing market conditions

The Net Zero Living programme’s objective is to help places to open markets by removing the non-technical barriers to demand. It also aims to drive widespread business growth and innovation across the economy and unlock significant additional private investment to enable true levelling-up, both between and within places.

The programme has 2 challenge areas:

• Thriving Places: providing support to local authorities, their partners and communities to overcome non-technical systemic barriers to the scaling and adoption of net zero solutions
• User-Focussed Products: supporting business to better understand and respond to the needs, opportunities and barriers that are preventing the large-scale roll out of net zero solutions

This competition forms a part of the ‘User-Focussed Products’ Challenge area.

The wider Net Zero Living programme will include a community of over 50 Local Authorities and organisations such as businesses, public sector and the third sector, who are tackling Net Zero challenges based on place, across the UK.

Successful projects through this competition will have opportunities to present their project outcomes and networking opportunities with the Net Zero Living community of organisations.

The competition opens on 2 January 2024 and closes on 24 January.

Innovate UK KTN will hold a Q&A session noon-1pm on Tuesday 9 January 2024: click here to book a place.

The recorded competition briefing is now available, providing a comprehensive understanding of the competition. Please revisit to watch the recording and learn about the scope, eligibility criteria, and how your innovative ideas can make a lasting impact.

If you would like help with your application, you are welcome to contact Innovate UK KTN’s Net Zero team or our Digital team.