Rail Funding and Engagement Opportunities – June 2023

Here is my latest list of funding and engagement opportunities within rail;

First of a Kind; Organisations can apply for a share of ￡5.3 million, inclusive of VAT, across 3 themes, to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for up to 12 months. The focus for First of a Kind 2023 is cost efficiency and increasing value for money.

The themes are; reliable and maintainable assets, optimised train operations, customer experience, (all three closing on 26 July) and high speed rail systems installations (closing on 9 August).

The four competitions are listed separately and can be found by searching for their keywords here; Innovation competitions - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Innovate UK Smart Grants -?UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Closes 27 September - Competition overview - Innovate UK Smart grants: June 2023 - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Mass Transit 2 - UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡900,000 for feasibility studies into the use of connected and automated mobility as a mass transit solution. This funding is from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. The aim of this competition is to target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment. It is seeking proposals where Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) will deliver a significantly more cost effective and low carbon solution than traditional public transport options. These can be for example, heavy and light rail, trams and buses. Closes Wednesday 19 July - Competition overview - Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Mass Transit 2 - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

SBRI: Quantum Catalyst Fund, phase 1 and phase 2 - Organisations can apply for a share of ￡15 million inclusive of VAT, to develop proposals for the application of quantum technologies, that address challenges of interests for the UK Government. The UK Government has already identified some areas of interest as an indication of critical areas, which includes transport. Closes Tuesday 27 June - Competition overview - SBRI: Quantum Catalyst Fund, phase 1 and phase 2 - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

SBRI: Quantum Networks, Enabling Components & Systems - Organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡10 million, inclusive of VAT, to develop enabling components and systems for quantum network technologies. Closes: Monday 31 July - Competition overview - SBRI: Quantum Networks, Enabling Components & Systems - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Industrial Decarbonisation: Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans - UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡5 million to develop strategic plans for place-based industrial decarbonisation. Closes Wednesday 2 August - Competition overview - Industrial Decarbonisation: Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Design Foundations Round 2: Net Zero Environments - UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡4 million for people-centred and planet-centred design projects. This is to support R&D activity developing new products and services that transform where we live and work into net zero places. This competition has a second theme which can be found on the innovation funding service website - Design Foundations Round 2: Responsive. Closes Wednesday 26 July - Competition overview - Design Foundations Round 2: Net Zero Environments - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Faraday Battery Challenge Round 6 Innovation Feasibility Studies - UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡10 million for innovation in battery technologies for electrification. Closes Wednesday 12 July - Competition overview - Faraday Battery Challenge Round 6 Innovation Feasibility Studies - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Future Economy Investor Partnerships SME: round 2 - UK registered businesses can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners. Closes Wednesday 5 July - Competition overview - Future Economy Investor Partnerships SME: round 2 - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

?UK-Taiwan Collaborative R&D -?UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡2million for the purpose of developing innovative proposals with Taiwan. They particularly welcome applications from the following sectors:

• green energy technologies for example electric vehicles, hydrogen transportation and renewable energy
• service innovation for example the Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, 5G and 6G. Competition closes:?19 July -?Competition overview - UK-Taiwan Collaborative R&D - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Design Competition?- Network Rail, working in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Design Museum (London), invites proposals for the design of a timepiece to display and communicate time across the UK national rail network -?A New Timepiece for the Railway (ribacompetitions.com)

UK-Swiss Collaborative R&D?-?UK registered organisations, in collaboration with at least one Swiss registered business can apply for a share of up to ￡2 million for research projects resulting in innovative solutions. Swiss partners must apply for equivalent funding from Innosuisse. Closes 26 July -?Competition overview - UK – Switzerland Bilateral: Collaborative R&D - Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)

Various Department for Business and Trade engagement events:?https://eu.eventscloud.com/ehome/trade-events-calendar/all-events

Motability Active Travel Grant?-?Motability’s new Active Travel Grant Programme will help charities and organisations to improve and expand access to quality and affordable active travel equipment and journeys, to ensure disabled people have the same opportunities to make decisions?about how they travel, their impact on the environment and to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that active travel can provide. Charities and organisations can apply for grants from ￡100,000 to ￡4 million at any point over the next three years. -?https://www.motability.org.uk/charitable-grants/grants-to-charities-and-organisations/active-travel-grant-programme/

Innovate 4 Rail project?-?created to stimulate innovation and drive productivity in the rail sector offering support to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire rail sector supply chains. To find out more about contact the project team at?[email protected].?https://www.derby.ac.uk/business-services/funding/innovate-for-rail/

Horizon Europe Guarantee?-?This funding is to deliver the UK government’s Horizon Europe guarantee. There is no submission deadline. This?guarantees funding for successful applicants to the first and second wave of Horizon Europe grant awards regardless of the outcome of the UK’s efforts to associate to Horizon Europe. This funding falls under the areas determined by Horizon Europe, which include Pillar 2, Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility - This cluster will focus specifically on fostering climate action, while at the same time improving the sustainability, security and competitiveness of the energy and transport industry. Actions funded under this cluster will provide the basis for systemic change as well as shaping the necessary technological, industrial economic and societal transformations to achieve climate neutrality in an inclusive and socially fair way. The specific areas of intervention in Cluster 5 include:

• Cross-sectoral solutions for decarbonisation;
• Develop low-carbon and competitive transport solutions across all modes;
• Develop seamless, smart, safe, accessible and inclusive mobility systems. -?https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/apply-for-horizon-europe-guarantee-funding/??

TfL future contract opportunities?-?TfL publishes details of future contract opportunities for all areas of TfL, the GLA and Old Oak Park Development Corporation (OPDC) (over ￡500k) on a periodic basis. -?https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/contract-opportunities

TFL is also committed to open innovation?-?https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/business-and-advertisers/open-innovation?intcmp=55927

Portugal: Expressions of Interest?-?Portugal’s National Investment Plan 2021-2030 includes an investment of €10 billion in rail (new lines, modernisation and electrification - with 100% of the network electrified by 2030 - and rolling stock), and €5 billion in mobility and public transportation - where main projects will focus on decarbonisation of public transportation and promotion of electric mobility. The public rail passenger operator is also looking to upgrade their equipment and services. CP – Comboios de Portugal has recently acquired 51 trains to be refurbished and the National Investment Plan foresees the acquisition of 129 new trains. DIT Portugal is looking to hear from UK companies offering innovative solutions in the following areas:?Customer focus -Decarbonisation - Digitalisation - Refurbishment & maintenance of rolling stock. Email?[email protected]?for further details and expressions of interest.?

Sell 2 Wales?-?The Sell2Wales website is an information source and procurement portal set up by the Welsh Government. They aim to help;

• businesses win contracts with the public sector across Wales
• public sector buyers to advertise and manage tender opportunities
• businesses promote their services
• businesses find contract opportunities

-?https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/search_mainpage.aspx

Stockholm Metro?–?Do you want to become a supplier to the?Administration for?Extended Metro? Our assignment is to extend the Metro to shorten the distances as Stockholm grows. We plan to begin construction soon?and it will take 6 to 8 years to complete. Now we are looking for contractors who want to join us in building the Metro of the future. Procurement of the works has begun and the first contracts have been awarded. But over the next few years we will be procuring some 30 more major construction contracts. -?https://nyatunnelbanan.se/en/procurement?or contact?Pia Lindberg-Nedby -?Head of Procurement,?Administration for?Extended Metro?[email protected]

Manufacturing Growth Programme?–?grant funding and support for SME manufacturers by identifying and removing barriers to growth. If you’re a manufacturing SME interested in growing and meet the eligibility and suitability criteria, get in contact with your local Manufacturing Growth Manager for support towards your growth ambitions at?https://www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk/contact/?

Space4Rail?–?Rail travel has all of the characteristics and potential to become Europe’s most sustainable, cost-efficient, high-performing and customer-centric form of transport. Digitalisation in railways is instrumental in achieving this. The use of space assets can support innovation in rail, introducing the adoption of new technologies that embed interoperability and continuity of service by default. ESA Business Applications Space4Rail Open Call aims to support the exploitation of space-based assets (satellite navigation, satellite communications and/or Earth observation) in innovative and sustainable applications/services:

1. Related to future control, command and signalling applications of the European Rail system;

2. Improving the performance and attractiveness of the railway, both for railway undertakings and end users. – Closes 31st?December 2024 -?https://business.esa.int/funding/invitation-to-tender/space4rail?utm_source=ESA+Space+Solutions&utm_campaign=c20afe48b0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_10_30_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_74004d26f4-c20afe48b0-215507709

A range of transport (and other) funding opportunities?-?filter by interest/sector on the left hand side -?https://ktn-uk.org/opportunities/

Open and Upcoming HS2 opportunities?–?including?Asset Management,?Health and Safety, Built Environment and more - https://www.hs2.org.uk/contract-opportunities/

Network Rail Challenge Statements?-?Each challenge statement details a specific business obstacle and provides detail on definition, root cause analysis, priority areas of focus and a section outlining guidance for?research and development. Network Rail invites solutions to these challenges;?https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/research-development-and-technology/research-and-development-programme/challenge-statements/

KTN’s Innovation Exchange?-?KTN-iX??provides you with the opportunity to become directly linked to, or collaborate with, key industry stakeholders who are actively seeking the most innovative solutions to help them achieve their full potential. A range of currently open opportunities can be explored at -?https://www.ktninnovationexchange.co.uk

A range of international opportunities?–?at https://ted.europa.eu/TED/browse/browseByBO.do?

A range of innovation funding opportunities?–?at https://www.gov.uk/apply-funding-innovation

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships?-?The?KTP scheme helps businesses in the UK to innovate and grow. It does this by linking them with an academic or research organisation and a graduate. A KTP enables a business to bring in new skills and the latest academic thinking to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project through a knowledge-based partnership.?The academic or research organisation partner will help to recruit a suitable graduate, known as an Associate. They will act as the employer of the graduate, who then works at the company for the duration. The scheme can last between 12 and 36 months, depending on what the project is and the needs of the business -?https://ktp.innovateuk.org