Rail Funding and Engagement Opportunities – November 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;

Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE): Innovation in Railway Construction Competition -?UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡575,000 for feasibility studies with projects to propose, deliver and demonstrate Innovation in Railway Construction, with phase 2 opportunities around ￡7m. Funding is from the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. Closes Wednesday 14 December 2022 -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1351/overview/bdd3a659-97a5-4fd2-8450-0244297defdb

There is also an upcoming GCRE meet the buyer event -?On Wednesday 7th December the team will be holding a ‘Meet the Buyer’ day in London to discuss in more detail the opportunity ahead for potential equity investors/strategic partners. The event will include presentations on the GCRE project, with supporting speakers from government and the wider industry.?-?https://directory.railbusinessdaily.com/gcre/

HS2 meet the bidder event -?Tier 1 contractors Taylor Woodrow and Gülermak are seeking to engage their supply chains for HS2's development at Washwood Heath, Birmingham. This event will help attendees understand the opportunities available and have one-to-one meetings with short-listed tenderers. This will take place on 7 December at 10am - 1pm via Microsoft Teams. RSVP to?[email protected].?

Zero Emission Propulsion CR&D - UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡10 million for net zero propulsion innovative projects, covering maritime, rail, automotive or aerospace. Your project must: have total costs between ￡250,000 and ￡1.5 million, have a maximum project duration of 18 months, start by 1 August 2023, claim the grant funding by 31 March 2025, carry out all of its project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK. This funding is from Innovate UK. Closes 07 December -?https://ktn-uk.org/opportunities/zero-emission-propulsion-crd/

Innovate UK Smart Grants: October 2022 - 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 Wednesday 18 January 2023 -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1330/overview/314566f0-6e69-4516-a0a2-31c9182c4a36

Innovation Loans Future Economy Competition: Round 7 - UK registered businesses can apply for loans for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy. Closes 11 January -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1375/overview/1a5b8bf6-a721-4137-85a6-ac6c41f06cf9

Track Buckle Detection Design contest - Applications are now open for Connected Places Catapult’s track buckle detection design contest, which has been launched in partnership with Network Rail.?This design contest is seeking solutions that address the challenge of accurately identifying buckles in track alignment while increasing the safety of workers at operational Critical Rail Temperature (CRT) sites. We are looking for startups and businesses with technology that has the potential to tackle this challenge. Successful applicants will receive: Financial support for trialling and development of technology, support from Network Rail engineers and maintenance experts to provide technical support and insight on end-user requirements, support to develop and deliver a trial programme including product acceptance support. Closes?December 2022. -?https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/track-buckle-detection-design-contest/

Hydrogen Transport Hub Demonstration Phase 2 - Strands 1 and 2 - UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡20 million to demonstrate how hydrogen can be used to power transport solutions for end users. Closes 30 November -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1246/overview/42fac4af-4aa0-4ea3-996d-d6d8a0de89a7#scope?and?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1247/overview/c34543ab-0834-4cb7-bebd-b28440686cbe#summary??

Ireland - Drogheda Depot Modifications for DART + BEMU Fleet -?Iarnród Eireann-Irish Rail Ireland are seeking bids for tender for depot modifications, with main items of work including?roof access gantry, lighting, train jack equipment, storage, wifi and more. Closes 8 December -?https://www.great.gov.uk/export-opportunities/opportunities/8189-drogheda-depot-modifications-for-dart-bemu-fleet?

Ireland - Multi-Disciplinary Consultant Services for the DART+ BEMU Infrastructure Project- Iarnród Eireann-Irish Rail Ireland have opened a call to competition for the procurement of Multi-Disciplinary Consultant Services for the following phases of the DART+ BEMU Infrastructure Project: Tender Action and Evaluation,?Contract Award, Detailed Design, Construction and Implementation?and Close Out and Review. Closes 9 December -?https://www.great.gov.uk/export-opportunities/opportunities/multi-disciplinary-consultant-services-for-the-dart-bemu-infrastructure-project

Zero Emission Mobility Innovation Fund -?The Zero Emission Mobility Innovation Fund (ZEMIF) provides discretionary grants to Scottish-based companies to help them manufacture and deploy zero-emission niche and heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) components, systems and vehicles that will help to reduce the carbon emissions of HDVs in Scotland and globally.?The fund is for companies of any size based in Scotland.?The 2 main strands of the fund are:

• Innovation2Manufacture - for research and development (R&D) projects focused on enabling the manufacture of prototype zero emission vehicles, components and systems, through to small scale manufacturing
• Innovation2Deployment - for R&D projects aimed at the rapid testing of new transport ideas using technology, business model, software, and financial innovation

https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/service/funding/zero-emission-mobility-innovation-fund

Internationalisation fund?-?SMEs in England can apply for funding to improve international trade performance through co-investment in approved activity. The Fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) running from December 2020 to early 2023.?

Co-investment funding between ￡1k and ￡9k - total amount of funding available varies in LEP areas. Eligible expenditure:?Advice from third party private sector experts to help SMEs prepare for international trade, which may include:- market research, market selection and entry advice, advice on Intellectual Property Rights, cross cultural negotiation support and standards, translation and cultural advice, international trade legal advice, international marketing, routes to market and more. SME participation in Trade Fairs, Trade Missions and independent market development visits may also be eligible. SMEs should initially contact?DIT’s Regional Network?and discuss their plans with an adviser and agree an export action plan here:?https://www.great.gov.uk/contact/office-finder/

You may also find various DIT engagement events of use:?https://eu.eventscloud.com/ehome/trade-events-calendar/all-events

Pre-announcement: Green Transition Ecosystems -?Apply for funding to conduct research to address distinct challenges posed by the climate crisis, including but not limited to realising net zero goals. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. The full economic cost of your project can be up to ￡4.625 million. Each GTE will identify the green transition challenges it is uniquely able to address and develop a programme of research and innovation activity tailored to addressing them through high-quality, multidisciplinary and intersectoral design research. Such challenges might include (but are not limited to): developing low or zero carbon or non-extractive materials, products and services, region-focused solutions, for example transport systems and infrastructure supporting rural communities, and designing for diversity.?https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/green-transition-ecosystems/

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/

Circular Economy for SMEs -?innovating with NICER, round 2?- UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡1.5 million to research, test and develop step-change circular economy approaches. The aim of this competition is to support feasibility studies, industrial research and experimental development projects that address the challenges of transitioning to a circular economy. Your proposal must demonstrate how you will create a step-change in the adoption of circular economy approaches. Closes Wednesday 7 December -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1310/overview/915ed7d3-c659-4eee-b877-49ab7d92be78#summary

PEMD Scale-up: Strand 1, adopting manufacturing best practice -?UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to ￡5 million to scale up manufacturing in the power electronics, machines and drives supply chain. This strand will fund feasibility studies for innovative manufacturing solutions from other sectors. – Closes 7 December -?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1300/overview/cb4556a9-3db9-4ee7-b6e6-30a1128a5380?Strand 2?-?https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/1301/overview/f64a4bcf-9007-43cf-a8f1-5e6c0a5c90c9

Belgium-Brussels: Provision of a Toolset for Model-Based System Engineering, Conceptual Data Model and Federated Dataspace to the Europe’s?Rail?Joint Undertaking?-?This competitive dialogue is leading to procure services for deployment, configuration, development and maintenance of a collaborative platform for EU-RAIL, addressing?railway sector needs aimed at fostering the development of a digital engineering ecosystem and at making available to stakeholders the resulting digital resources.??E-mail:?[email protected]?-?https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:396076-2022:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

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/

Tender for the feasibility study for the Durres-Pristina Railway Line?-?The Durres-Pristina Railway Feasibility Study open call is expected to be published in August-September 2022 time period. It will be an open call for bids from local and foreign companies. Albanian and Kosovo governments will co-finance the feasibility study in the region of €2 million. The tender procedure will be published in September 2022 in the?Agency of Public Procurement of Albania. For more details, email?[email protected]

Austria-Vienna: Software package and information systems?–?including?data-processing machines (hardware), an industry specific software package, vehicle-fleet management services and vehicle-fleet-support services. E-mail:?[email protected]?-?https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:430634-2022:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

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/??

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/

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 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

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