UK: Clean Futures Accelerator for Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

For this first cohort of the Clean Futures Accelerator, 20 SMEs will be selected to join a 6-month, challenge-led programme where they will each receive up to £50K to trial their solutions.

Transport represents a huge opportunity to decarbonise, representing 24% of all UK emissions even in 2020 during the pandemic. In order to achieve short to mid-term emissions targets, these must be addressed quickly and effectively. The West Midlands has a rich vehicle manufacturing heritage and is well-placed to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

Successful applicants will also receive bespoke technical and commercial support and benefit from networking and showcasing events to connect with industry and financial partners. They will also have the opportunity to access an extensive range of facilities to support the development of future rail technologies at BCIMO and technical support from both the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering and the Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems at Coventry University.

In addition, all applicants will have the opportunity to join the Clean Futures Catalyst, a network bringing together the wider West Midlands transport community to enhance the region’s capacity for clean technology.

The Challenges

The challenges in this accelerator have been developed around the rail and automotive manufacturing sectors, along with related supply chains.

• Greener EV components: Design or produce components which reduce embodied carbon across the vehicle lifecycle
• Circular Economy of transport: Design or manufacture solutions to reuse or recycle batteries and other vehicle components
• Road freight alternatives: Design or produce systems or sub-systems enabling alternatives to traditional road freight, including using existing infrastructure, facilitating multi-modal freight transportation and exploring shared transport solutions
• Greener transport infrastructure: Design or produce cost-effective solutions for clean transportation infrastructure
• Future Fuels: Produce, transport or store alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biofuels or synthetic fuels.

Benefits

Connected Places Catapult have been running accelerator programmes since x and have a refined process for delivering accelerators with maximum impact for SMEs and industry partners. Participation in the Clean Futures Accelerator will provide successful applicants with a range of benefits as outlined below.

Funding for Testing

• Applicants will be applying for up to £50k of funding, which must be matched in-kind (e.g. labour, materials), to design a testing project of their solution. Testing could include trialling a solution on test facilities, conducting a pilot project or developing a prototype. During the first two months of the programme (Nov – Dec 2023), SMEs will design a project to be carried out during the testing phase. Providing funding for testing through the accelerator enables us to derisk innovation through giving the cohort access to facilities and end-users to develop, test and showcase their technology and solutions.
• Technical Expertise
  • They will link successful applicants with the right technical experts within partner organisations to help shape and evaluate their trial or test project proposals.
• Coaching and Mentoring
  • During the 6-month programme, the cohort will receive bespoke coaching and mentoring from a variety of trusted experts, based on an initial assessment of your unique business development needs. For example, they could link you up with a marketing coach to develop a bespoke marketing plan, or you could work with our investment advisors who will help you get investor-ready and make meaningful introductions with relevant investors.
• Clean Futures Catalyst
  • By joining the Clean Futures Accelerator, the cohort will automatically be involved in the wider Clean Futures Catalyst. This will bring together the wider West Midlands transport community, encouraging networking and knowledge sharing between innovators, local businesses, industry partners, service providers, and local government bodies.
• Showcasing
  • At the end of the programme, the Clean Futures Accelerator will run a ‘Demo Day’ event where the cohort will be able to showcase their solutions and results of their trials in front of a tailored audience of end-users and investors. There will be a focus on celebrating the success of the accelerator and building valuable connections for the cohort.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Clean Futures Accelerator is open to small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in existing supply chains as well as those looking to move into new sectors. Clean Futures also welcomes bids from consortiums of partners, with a lead applicant who will be the funding recipient. In addition, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Your business must have a UK-registered office or address, and ideally, you will operate in the West Midlands
  • Your innovative solution will be at least TRL 5
  • Your technology or solution must be able to address at least one of the challenge statements
  • You must be willing to travel on occasion to face-to-face meetings and events in the West Midlands
  • You must be willing to complete a development, testing or demonstration of your solution in a real or relevant environment, using the BCIMO or Coventry University test sites
  • You must be willing to match fund your grant (up to £50K) with in-kind support (e.g. labour, materials)
• Ideally, applicants will already have an operational presence in the West Midlands, and they emphasise that most successful applicants will have a registered office there (although this need not be the HQ). It is also possible to engage with SMEs that do not have a presence in West Midlands, providing a) you have aspirations to deploy your resulting technology or solution in the region and b) you can expect regional impact from this deployment, in the way of future job or investment opportunities. An applicant based outside of the West Midlands (e.g. Scotland) that wants to join the accelerator to conduct technology development testing in the region but has no intention of creating an on-going presence, would not meet the eligibility criteria.

For more information, visit Connected Places Catapult.