The Technology Strategy Board is launching a program of funding for business-led innovation to stimulate the development of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, starting with two competitions for feasibility studies.
Through the Building Fuel Cell Manufacturing and the Supply Chain competition, up to £5 million will be invested through grant funding to encourage the development of manufacturing capabilities and novel supply-chain partnerships to support the production of fuel cells. The aim is to enable businesses to make step changes in production volumes and in lifetime cost reduction through the innovative application of approaches and capabilities available from other business sectors or the academic community.
Up to 1 million is available for feasibility studies that explore the potential for innovative ideas and new partnerships as a precursor to further development. A further 4m will then be available for collaborative research and development to take the most promising ideas forward in a second competition that will open once the feasibility projects have concluded.
Through the Supporting competition, the Technology Strategy Board will invest up to £1 million in feasibility studies to encourage businesses working in fuel-cell and hydrogen technologies to explore potential partnerships with EU businesses, as a precursor to further development. The aim is to facilitate collaboration with potential European partners to enable the development of European supply chains, strengthen access to markets and increase the level of UK business participation in EU programs.
The competitions open on 26 November 2012 and the deadline for registration is 9 January 2013. Applications must then be received by 16 January 2013. A briefing event held in London on 4 December 2012 highlighted the main features of the competitions and explained the application process.