Rail Funding and Engagement Opportunities – March 2022

KTN connects SMEs and others to open funding and engagement opportunities - these can be challenging to find! I strongly recommend you sign up to all relevant newsletters at?https://ktn-uk.org/knowledge-centre/news/ ?(see the bottom of the page to sign up) for further details of opportunities.

There are many exciting funding and engagement opportunities open that relate to rail, some of which are listed below;

UK-South Korea Collaborative R&D - UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡2 million for this competition. This funding is for the purpose of developing innovative proposals with South Korea. Your project must focus on one or more of the following sectors: advanced manufacturing and materials, artificial intelligence and clean energy; specifically battery technologies, hydrogen mobility technologies, and future vehicles. Closes Wednesday 6 July 2022 11:00am -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1100/overview#scope

Eureka Eurostars 3: call 2 - Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to ￡2.5 million to fund collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research. Your project must have high market potential and develop at least one of the following: innovative products, technology based applications and technology based services.?Closes?24 March 2022 11:00 -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1095/overview

Innovate UK Smart Grants?-?UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡25 million for game-changing and commercially viable research and development (R&D) innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. This competition is open to single applicants and collaborations. To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• be a UK registered research and technology organisation
• carry out all your R&D project activity in the UK
• intend to commercially exploit the project results from the UK
• be or involve at least one SME?

Closes 13 April -?https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/innovate-uk-smart-grants-jan-2022/

Rail Live SME zone?-?Taking place each June at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre (Warwickshire), Rail Live offers 200+ businesses the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate their products and innovations to around 5,000 visitors. For 2022 (June 22-23), there will be a new dedicated?Advance in Rail?zone specifically to enable SMEs and businesses that are new to the rail industry to exhibit at the event at a significantly reduced rate and in the easiest possible way.?

Advance in Rail?will take place in a large marquee at the heart of the Rail Live event site and provide an entry-level option for exhibiting at the show. This opportunity is intended specifically for organisations that have never exhibited at Rail Live before, that would benefit from a lower-cost and easier way to take part in the event and make the most of the networking and business-enhancing opportunities on offer. For more information or to book your space in the?Advance in Rail?zone, please contact?Tom Staggs?on?01733 979464?or [email protected]

Switzerland:?Surveillance and security systems and devices - SBB is currently evaluating possibilities for gradually automating of the vehicle fleet in various fields of rail production such as the parking process, in shunting areas or for construction- and maintenance vehicles. To find out more contact?[email protected] .

UK-Singapore Collaborative R&D -?UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡3 million for the purpose of developing innovative proposals with Singapore.?Innovate UK will invest up to ￡3 million in innovation projects in partnership with?Enterprise Singapore . This competition has an open scope.

The aim of this competition is to fund business led collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research. Your proposal must include at least one partner from the UK and one partner from Singapore. The projects we fund are expected to result in a new product, industrial process or service. They must be innovative, involve a technological risk, and have high market potential in the participating countries.

Applications from the Mobility and transport sector are particularly welcome. – Opens 24 January, closes 20 April. -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1085/overview

Derbyshire Accelerator - Businesses based in the Derbyshire Dales or High Peak area can access funded support for pandemic recovery, growth, or innovation in business -?https://www.derby.ac.uk/business-services/funding/derbyshire-accelerator/

Kassel Transport launches tender for up to 40 LRVs - KASSEL Transport (KVG), which operates tram, light rail, bus and trolley bus services in the German city, has launched a tender for up to 40 uni and bi-directional LRVs worth around €130m (￡108.9m) to replace ageing trams.?Bids must have been received by KVG before?Monday 11 April -?https://www.kvg.de

DIT Canada/Gov of Canada: High Frequency Rail project - information session - The Government of Canada is seeking international expertise with experience in complex infrastructure projects to participate in its High Frequency Rail project. The purpose of the Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) is twofold:

1. It details the Government of Canada’s plans for continuing to advance High Frequency Rail, shares its vision and strategy for the project, and explains how it intends to work collaboratively with the private sector and communities as the project moves ahead.
2. It seeks feedback from experienced private sector companies to help shape the High Frequency Rail project, including the forthcoming procurement and project development processes?

An information session will take place April 6th, 11:00 EST. To attend, email?[email protected] ?with “HFR. RSVP for Information Session” as the subject.?

SBRI Competition – Open Digital Solutions for Net Zero Energy?-?The aim of the competition is to develop open software, hardware and data solutions that address the challenges off transforming to a net zero energy system in the UK. The competition will stimulate the development of collective equity for the sector and the creation of communities to support the development of reusable and open net zero energy solutions.

Your open solutions should accelerate the delivery of net zero energy in the UK. The outputs should be adopted by first users and have potential to be supported and adopted by the wider community and other users across the energy sector. – Closes 9th March -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1078/overview#summary

Fully-funded leadership and management training on offer for 100 East Midlands businesses - East Midlands Chamber has announced a new training subsidy to help businesses across the region with their post-Covid growth.

The subsidy covers the upfront 10% fee – usually ￡750 – of joining the Help to Grow management programme, which is designed to help businesses develop leadership, boost productivity, innovate and produce a plan for growth. The remaining 90% cost of course attendance is paid by Government.

A total of 100 eligible businesses can benefit from access to the fully-funded, 12-week executive development leadership and management programme, which blends online and face-to-face sessions. -?https://www.emc-dnl.co.uk/news/2022/02/25/leadership-management-training-help-to-grow/

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

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund?- The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) supports industrial sites with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future. The fund targets existing industrial processes, helping industry to?cut energy bills by investing in more efficient technologies and?reduce emissions by bringing down the costs and risks associated with investing in deep decarbonisation technologies - Phase 2 Spring 2022 competition will open for applications 11am on 31st?January, closes at 3pm on 29th?April.

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? Here you will find all the information you need! 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 Support Services 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

KEEP+?- provides businesses with flexible opportunities for innovation?- With a focus on the development of new products and services. Get up to ￡12,499 in grant funding for support from consultants and researchers or capital costs, all to assist the development of your innovative new product or service.?Already into their fourth year, the programme will run until 31 December 2022 - https://keepplus.co.uk/?utm_campaign=1872375_Women%20in%20Innovation%20Newsletter%20January%202021&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&dm_i=2VFU,144QF,7IO8X5,4AMME,1?

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

Transport for London Innovation?–?TfL invite innovators to submit proposals. If there is an identified, relevant programme or any query regarding your submission, they will be in contact -?https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/business-and-commercial/commercial-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