IUK Launches Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility Competitions

UK registered organisations can apply for a funding for feasibility studies into the use of connected and automated mobility as a mass transit solution; and to support new automated transport service projects.

Through the Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility Competitions, Innovate UK (IUK) will work with the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to invest in innovation projects across two competitions.

The competitions aim to support the CCAV ambition to progress technologies, products and services into commercial offerings. They will target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities, and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment. The two competition strands are:

• Strand 1: Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Deployments
  
  In this strand, proposals must target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment.
• Strand 2: Connected and Automated Mobility: Mass Transit
  
  In this strand, proposals must identify applications and quantify the real-life potential of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) as a mass transit solution.

Up to £41.5 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects across the two strands.

For the Deployments strand IUK has allocated up to £40 million to fund experimental development projects. Each project’s total grant funding request must be between £500,000 and £9 million.

For the Mass Transit strand IUK has allocated up to £1.5 million to fund feasibility study projects. Each project’s total grant funding request must be between £50,000 and £200,000. Applicants should apply for the minimum amount of funding required to make their project viable.

The Deployments strand is open to collaborations only. To lead a project an organisation must be a UK registered business of any size or public sector organisation (local authority or transport authority). The lead must collaborate with at least two other UK registered organisations. To collaborate with the lead, an organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation or RTO.

The Mass Transit strand is open to collaborations only. The lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, research organisation, research technology organisation (RTO) or public sector organisation (local authority or transport authority). It must collaborate with one other UK registered organisation. To collaborate with the lead, the organisation must be one a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, not for profit, public sector organisation or RTO. Projects must include as a lead or grant claiming partner a local or regional authority or a local or regional transport authority; Connected & Automated Mobility (CAM) technology provider or an infrastructure provider.

The deadline for applications for both competition strands is 20 July 2022 (11:00 BST).

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)