Status: Closed
Key features: Investment of up to £2 million in technical feasibility studies to encourage new entrants to the energy sector and stimulate the adoption of disruptive technologies.
Programme: Launchpad

Award: Up to £2 million
Opens: 29 Mar 2016, 09:00
Registration closes: No deadline
Closes: 11 May 2016, 12:00
Support phone number: 0300 321 4357

Energy game changer

Summary

**There is no registration close date for this competition as you are applying directly via _connect and do not need to wait for an application form to be sent to you via email. The deadline for video submissions is at noon on 11 May 2016.**

Innovate UK is to invest up to £1.5 million in technical feasibility studies to encourage new entrants to the energy sector and stimulate the adoption of disruptive technologies. Up to a further £500,000 is also available from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for support of relevant projects.

The aim of this competition is to find innovative solutions to long-standing challenges faced by the energy sector. We believe that game- changing technologies can solve these problems, either by the development of completely new ideas or through technology transfer from other sectors. We are therefore seeking proposals that are led by innovative SMEs, which can provide disruptive solutions to the challenges that are in the scope of the competition.

In order to encourage novel and radical solutions, projects must be led by an SME whose main business lies outside the energy sector. They can work alone or collaboratively with partners of any size from any sector.

Small businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs, medium-sized businesses up to 60% and large business partners up to 50%. We expect projects to last 6 to 12 months and to range in size from total costs of £25,000 to £100,000, although we may consider projects outside this range.

The competition opens on 29 March 2016 and the deadline for video submissions is at noon on 11 May 2016.

An information webinar was held on 11 December 2015. There will be a briefing event for potential applicants in London on 6 April 2016 and Cardiff on 12 April 2016.

Brokering events will be held in Glasgow on 23 February 2016, Birmingham on 25 February 2016 and Cumbria on 2 March 2016. This will be a great opportunity for you to hear more about the challenges, network with sector experts and meet potential partners. We strongly recommend potential applicants to attend one of these events.

Scope

This competition will fund projects led by SMEs whose main business lies outside the energy sector.

We particularly encourage applications from businesses engaged in, but not limited to:	We also welcome technology transfer proposals from other sectors, such as:
inspection ICT digital sensors virtual reality gaming robotics autonomous systems advanced materials manufacturing	defence aerospace automotive telecommunications forensics medical space creative industries

We are looking for radical, innovative and cost-effective ideas that contribute completely, or in part, to solving any of the following challenges in oil and gas, nuclear or energy systems.

Taking inspection to the limit
Dealing with data
Engaging in energy

See competition brief for full scope details.

Key dates

Competition opens	29 March 2016
Briefing event	6 April 2016
Deadline for video submissions	noon 11 May 2016
Deadline for invited written proposals	noon 7 July 2016
Pitch sessions	5–7 September 2016

Energy game changer

Scope

Key dates

Supporting documents & links