Battery innovation: concept development round three
Battery innovation: concept development round three supports business-led collaborations in industrial research to strengthen UK battery manufacturing, management systems and supply-chain security.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: December 2, 2026, 11:00am UK time (Application) | January 13, 2027 (Interview invitations) | February 3–8, 2027 (Interviews) | February 12, 2027 (Notification) | May 1, 2027 (Earliest start) | March 31, 2031 (Latest completion)
Funding Amounts: £500,000–£4 million grant request per project for 12–36 months; up to £25 million total competition funding
Summary: Supports collaborative industrial research to strengthen UK battery cell, module and pack manufacturing and battery management systems.
Key Information: A UK-registered business must lead, with at least one UK-registered SME claiming grant funding.
Description
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, delivers this Battery Innovation Programme competition on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST). It supports collaborative industrial research addressing strategically critical gaps in the UK battery value chain, strengthening manufacturing capability, supply-chain security and domestic economic value.
Projects must demonstrate a credible pathway to UK value creation through cell manufacturing, module manufacturing, or pack manufacturing and battery management systems (BMS). Priorities include automated production, non-destructive testing, high-performance technologies, AI-supported design and simulation, and laboratory-to-pilot or pre-commercial scale-up. Target sectors include automotive, aerospace, battery energy storage, rail, maritime and defence. Defence innovations must be dual-use with clear relevance beyond defence. Applicants must demonstrate target-sector understanding and market demand in the UK, Europe and globally.
