Business and researchers are being invited to apply for a share of £25m in the latest phase of the Faraday Battery Challenge.
Innovate UK has up to £25m to invest in new automotive battery technologies that help to build the vehicle battery supply chain in the UK.
The Faraday Battery Challenge is a £246m investment over four years which falls under the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
It will support the development of safe, cost-effective, durable, lighter weight, high-performing and recyclable batteries in the UK.
Batteries for future electric vehicles are seen as a major opportunity for UK businesses.
Projects in this competition must support the challenge’s aim to make the UK a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries.
The Faraday Battery Challenge also forms part of government’s sector deal with the automotive industry. This is a joint commitment to work together and invest in areas of UK strength, including connected and autonomous vehicles, battery technology and ultra-low and zero emission vehicles.
Areas that could attract funding include:
- cost reduction at the cell and pack level
- increasing energy and power density
- eliminating thermal runaway risks for enhanced safety
- lengthening cell and pack life
- broadening the temperature ranges that a pack efficiently operates at
- new models to better predict range and battery health
- improving recyclability
- 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.
There are two competitions where up to £23m is available for collaborative research and development and a further £2m is available for feasibility studies.
Conditions of entry are that: projects must be led by a business or a research and technology organisation; businesses must work with at least one SME. Research and technology organisations must work with at least two partners, including one SME; and projects are expected to range in size from £500,000 to £15m and to last up to 30 months.
The competitions open on 22 January 2018, and the deadline is 28 March 2018 with briefing events held in London, Newcastle and Cardiff throughout January and February.