Government Announces £6.25m Competition for Smart Meter Data Services
The government is committed to ensuring that every home and small business in Great Britain is offered a smart meter by the end of 2020. Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters and are expected to deliver a digital transformation of the UK’s energy system.
The SENS (Smart ENergy Savings) Competition has been established to support the development, trialling and evaluation of innovative feedback products and services that use smart meter data. The aim is to help domestic consumers reduce their energy consumption and at the same time, drive market development.
Successful applicants will be awarded funding to support development of their product or service and in-home trials. The trials will also provide evidence on the impact of products and services that can deliver energy savings, in addition to those currently enabled by the smart meter rollout.
The Competition will provide innovation support in two phases:
1. Phase 1: Development of Smart Energy Savings Products/ Services: grants will be awarded to the selected project teams to develop their products and/ or services to a state that they can be trialled in Phase 2.
2. Phase 2: Trial of Smart Energy Savings Products/ Services: grants will be awarded to the selected project teams to trial their products and/ or services according to the trial design defined in Phase 1.
The government has committed up to £6.25 million for the Competition, and the funding will be allocated through grants. Up to eight applicants will be selected. A maximum grant of up to £700,000 per project will be awarded across the two phases.
A Trial Design and Evaluation Lead (TDEL) will work with successful applicants to a develop a trial of their product and lead a robust evaluation to show the impact on household energy consumption.
The competition will be of particular interest to UK energy suppliers and technology providers and third parties, whether as single organisations or consortia groups.
The deadline for registrations is 11 March 2019 and full proposals must be submitted by 25 March 2019.
More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.
