IUK Launches £20m DfT-funded Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions

Two funding competitions have been launched to develop innovations for a greener shipping future, including zero-emission vessels and clean port infrastructure. Administered by Innovate UK (IUK) with funding from the Department for Transport (DfT), Strand 1 & 2 of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competitions have £20 million to distribute.

The aim is to support the design and development of technologies for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the UK’s maritime sector and support the transition to Net Zero by 2050. IUK is seeking solutions for all sizes and categories of maritime vessels. Solutions can be suitable for one target size or multiple sizes of vessels. All ports and harbours are in scope, including infrastructure for both freight and leisure.

IUK strongly encourages projects from around the UK to support boosting jobs and economic growth, including ports, vessel operators, vessel manufacturers and their relevant supply chain.

IUK is funding feasibility, industrial research and experimental development projects, which focus on one or more of the following themes:

  • On vessel low and zero emission technologies.
  • Port and shore-side solutions.
  • Investigating green shipping corridors between the UK and other trading partners.
  • Smart shipping technologies.

For Strand 1 (feasibility) DfT has allocated up to £10 million. Each project’s total eligible costs must be between £25,000 and £1 million. For Strand 2 (industrial research and experimental development) DfT has allocated a further £10 million. Each project’s total eligible costs must be between £100,000 and £4 million.

Applications are invited from single applicants and collaborations. The project lead must be a UK registered business of any size, research organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO). If the lead organisation is an RTO or a research organisation it must collaborate with at least one business. Academic institutions cannot work alone. To collaborate with the lead, the organisation must be a UK registered business, research organisation, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit, public sector organisation or RTO.

Project consortia can include the necessary partners, such as a vessel manufacturer, operator or port or harbour authority.

Both competition strands are open until 2 June 2021 (11:00 BST).