Submit Applications for the CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate Grant (United Kingdom)

The aim of this competition is to support the development of products and Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) enabling services that prove enhanced capability and unlock clear commercial opportunities in CAM within the UK. Successful projects will be expected to reach a technology readiness level where they can be demonstrated and validated in representative environments, actively engage with potential customers or operators, and move toward clear commercial opportunities based on a well defined market understanding. Projects must advance and mature the strategic CAM products and services to at least the stage where they can be demonstrated and validated in representative environments, use those products and services to engage multiple customers and upstream supply chains to increase the commercial readiness of UK businesses to be a significant part of the global CAM supply chain, realising export potential, be led by a business which is a technology developer or an enabling organisation, such as an engineering consultancy or technology service provider, who are directly involved in developing the CAM solution, focus on technologies and systems that ultimately enable the operation of No-User-in-Charge (NUiC) platforms, develop and show the customer pipeline and commercial potential; this may include other applications in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) and adjacent sectors, reach at least TRL of 5 or 6 or MRL of 4 or 5 by the end of the funded project, and be prepared to showcase its outcomes at a Cenex Expo event.

The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder programme aims to lay the foundations for an early commercial market and position the United Kingdom to secure first mover advantage in Europe for deploying CAM products and services. The programme seeks to accelerate technological capabilities within the UK CAM sector by supporting projects that demonstrate CAM operations as commercially viable and safe. The total funding available is up to £20 million, with individual project grants ranging between £500,000 and £2 million.

Eligible projects must last between 9 and 18 months, begin by 1 June 2026, and conclude by 30 November 2027. Projects should lead to demonstrator products or CAM enabling services that result in new commercial opportunities or follow-on investments. Organisations must conduct their project work within the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.

To be eligible, the lead applicant must be a UK registered business of any size. Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone, and non-profit driven entities such as Community Interest Companies and charities are not allowed to lead. Collaborations can include UK registered businesses, research and technology organisations, academic institutions, charities, public sector bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. Each project must meet effective collaboration criteria where no single partner accounts for more than 70% of total eligible costs.

The funding support covers up to 70% of eligible costs for small organisations, 60% for medium-sized, and 50% for large organisations in industrial research projects. For experimental development projects closer to market, the funding covers up to 45%, 35%, and 25% respectively. Research organisations engaged in non-economic activity can claim up to 30% of total project costs, with RTOs and charities eligible for 100% of their costs and Je-S registered academic institutions eligible for 80% of full economic costs.

Projects are expected to fall under one or more of the following specific themes: on-vehicle innovations which support early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities such as vehicle perception and localisation sensors (camera, RADAR, LIDAR, IMU, PNT systems), vehicle control systems (drive-by-wire, electronics, and hardware integration), automated driving systems including ADS software and on-board compute systems, and off-vehicle innovations required to enable early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities such as connectivity and cybersecurity, data management and sharing, mapping services, development tools using AI and Machine Learning, and technical services for verification, validation, testing, safety case development, and audit.

Projects involving early-stage feasibility studies, trials of existing CAM technologies, or those focusing primarily on non-road applications such as air, rail, or maritime are not eligible. The programme follows a portfolio approach to fund diverse projects across various themes, technologies, maturities, and collaboration models.

For more information, visit GOV.UK.