Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund

Every year we engage with industry and other stakeholders to learn about and identify the most important energy network innovation challenges, based on problems that users and consumers are facing. These challenges provide you with focus and direction on the most pressing issues needing to be tackled.

Through our ‘Call for Ideas’ process we ask you to generate and submit new ideas for processes, products and services that will target the challenges identified. After a robust review process, the best ideas are asked to pitch their proposal to the networks. Unsuccessful projects that are close to being fundable are offered individual support to improve their proposal for future submission to SIF.

Successful ideas are invited by networks to form effective partnerships with them, and other stakeholder project partners such as industry and academia. Working in collaboration to develop the proposal into an application into SIF. Applications are submitted by the lead network onto the Innovation Funding Service portal.

Working with subject matter experts, Innovate UK and Ofgem select and fund the most promising ideas that meet the challenge criteria. Successfully funded projects begin a journey with three phases. At each phase projects compete for higher levels of funding, with fewer projects going through each time. Discovery: many projects, feasibility studies lasting 2-3 months, up to £150k. Alpha: fewer projects, proof of concept, lasting up to 6 months, up to £500k per project. Beta: a few projects, large scale, real world demonstrator developments lasting up to 5 years, multi million pound funding. Every year, three cycles will be open for opportunities to apply into the available rounds of the SIF. The cycles will open in January, May and September and close in February, June and October. All three phases, Discovery, Alpha and Beta will be available for applications within each cycle.