Faraday Battery Challenge: Innovation R&D, Round 2.
UK businesses can apply for a share of £23 million to work on innovation projects to design, develop and manufacture batteries for the electrification of vehicles.
Competition opened: Monday 22nd January 2018
Competition closes: 12 noon on Wednesday 28th March 2018
Faraday Battery Challenge Innovation R&D Grant Funding Competition – Overview
This competition is the second round of the Faraday Battery Challenge. Innovate UK will invest up to £23 million in innovation projects that focus on identified technical or commercial challenges in battery innovation, development and manufacture through UK supply chains.
These projects should lead to battery technologies that can be exploited at scale by the automotive sector in the UK and globally. The specific aim is to build and create future electric vehicle battery supply chains in the UK.
All projects must be a collaboration between at least 2 partners. A business or research and technology organisation (RTO) must lead the project.
Project Requirements
To be eligible for this Faraday Battery Challenge Innovation R&D grant, projects must support the overall goal for the UK to become a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles. Successful projects will increase productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK businesses.
Innovate UK are looking to fund a portfolio of projects that address the following technical and supply chain challenges:
- cost: cost reduction at the cell and pack level
- energy density: increasing Wh/kg per cell
- power density: increasing kW/kg per pack
- safety: eliminate thermal runaway risks for enhanced safety
- first life: lengthen cell and pack life
- temperature: broaden the temperature ranges that a pack efficiently operates at
- predictability: new models to better predict range and battery health
- recyclability: towards 95% pack recyclability, such as by design, reuse or recycling
- innovation in cell, module and pack production
- integration of cells into modules, packs and vehicles
- battery management systems
- enabling fast charging
- projects that stimulate and broaden innovation in the manufacture, performance and supply of materials (such as electrodes, electrolytes, binders, separators, current collectors, cell casings and components for cell integration into modules and packs)
Projects should address identified technical or commercial challenges of the electrified vehicle battery supply chain. This should be across a variety of technologies, markets and technological maturities. These may include industrial research projects or experimental development projects.
To be eligible for funding you must:
- be a UK based business, academic organisation, charity, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO)
- carry out your project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from the UK
- work in collaboration with others (businesses, research base or third sector)
The lead organisation must claim funding through this competition. At least one other organisation in the consortium must also claim funding.
All projects must involve an SME.
Any one RTO may lead on one application and partner in a further 2 applications.
Project Size
Project total costs should be between £500,000 and £15 million. Projects should last up to 30 months and are expected to be completed by March 2021.