CFAs: Transport Research and Innovation Grant Programme (UK)

The Department for Transport (DfT) is committed to building a transport system that supports economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. To achieve this, the Department has identified a set of core priorities that drive its investments, policies, and partnerships:

• grow the economy by enhancing the transport network, on time and on budget
• improve transport users’ experience, ensuring that the network is safe, reliable, and inclusive
• reduce environmental impacts by tackling climate change and improving air quality by decarbonising transport.

Categories

• The TRIG 2025 competition is split into two main funding streams, one dedicated to specific challenges and another to a cross-cutting theme:
  • The challenges focus on specific policy and modal areas, including an open call for innovative ideas. This year, our challenge areas focus on Maritime Decarbonisation and Freight Innovation. The ‘open call’ challenge encourages applications with innovative ideas across all areas of transport where there is the potential for benefit, but do not align to the other challenges.
  • The cross-cutting theme emphasises critical technologies such as AI, robotics, and drones, amongst others, which are applicable across all challenge areas.
• Maritime Decarbonisation: Through TRIG, the UK SHORE programme aims to address the crucial challenge of creating a pipeline of early-stage proof of concept, low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) clean maritime solutions that can then be further accelerated towards market readiness and commercialisation.
• Freight Innovation: DfT aims to support the freight sector in growing the economy, delivering value for money and reducing environmental impact. A new plan for freight is currently being developed.
• Open Call: The purpose of the Open Call is to uncover innovative ideas that lie outside the targeted challenges of Freight Innovation and Maritime Decarbonisation but have the potential to make a meaningful impact on the UK’s transport system.

Scope

• Maritime Decarbonisation:
  • This challenge is seeking innovative solutions which contribute towards:
    • Future Fuels: Facilitating skill development in the safe handling and risk management of future maritime fuels, considering novel uses of emerging technology in training programmes, such as AR/VR.
    • Vessels: Enhancing energy efficiency in vessel operation, including route optimising navigation techniques, improved maintenance and engine cleaning.
    • Infrastructure: Easing the adoption of automation in operations to drive efficiency and reduce emissions. Considering the use of modelling and simulations, including digital twins.
• Freight Innovation:
  • They are particularly interested in ideas that help them:
    • Streamline Multimodal Freight Journeys to improve efficiency: Strengthening collaboration across the freight network to improve the reliability and efficiency of journeys.
    • Accelerate Technology Adoption to Reduce Emissions: Developing interoperable energy infrastructure to support zero-emission freight across a multimodal network.
    • Enhance Resilience Across Multimodal Freight Networks: Improving safety, inclusivity, and accessibility in logistics employment, ensuring the sector is welcoming and viable for all, regardless of gender, physical ability, or personal circumstances.
• Open Call:
  • For TRIG 2025, the Open Call will be particularly interested in seeking solutions which address the following areas, but are not limited to:
    • Decarbonisation: they welcome innovations that support the acceleration and scaling of decarbonisation across all modes of transport. Areas of interest include:
      • Strategic energy infrastructure
      • Digital tools for energy planning
    • Connectivity: they seek innovations that strengthen transport connectivity to support economic growth and social inclusion. Priority areas include:
      • Public and workforce safety across the transport system
      • Expansion and integration of micro-mobility solutions
    • Inclusion: they are looking for solutions that promote inclusive, end-to-end transport journeys that meet the diverse needs of both the public and businesses. These may include:
      • Inclusive transport design
      • Inclusive and accessible autonomous transport services
    • Critical Technology Priorities: DfT would be particularly interested in the following critical technologies and applications:
      • AI for efficient operations, lower cost infrastructure and smart construction
      • Novel/alternative position and navigation technologies, e.g. signals of opportunity.

Funding Information

• The Department for Transport (DfT) is offering grants of up to £45,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• TRIG is open to all organisations (including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises), consortia and universities to support research, proof of concept and prototyping work.
• In order to be eligible to apply:
  • Organisations must be based in the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) but are able to conduct elements of work through overseas contractors.
  • Projects must be fully delivered (and deployed) in the UK.

For more information, visit Innovate UK Business Connect.