DRIVE35: Scale-up Fund Drawdown 6
DRIVE35: Scale-up Fund Drawdown 6 supports business-led projects to develop pilot- and demonstration-scale manufacturing for zero emission vehicle technologies, validating capability and commercial viability.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: January 27, 2027, 11:00am UK time (Application) | March 12, 2027 (Economic responses) | March 18, 2027 (Technical responses) | March 18, 2027 (Presentation and attendees)
Funding Amounts: £2.5 million–£20 million per project from a fund of up to £150 million; minimum 12 months
Summary: Supports pilot- and demonstration-scale manufacturing facilities and processes for zero emission vehicle technologies.
Key Information: Business-led projects must unlock private investment of at least twice the grant requested.
Description
DRIVE35: Scale-up Fund Drawdown 6 supports the creation or conversion of manufacturing facilities and processes at pilot or demonstration scale. Projects should validate manufacturing capability and commercial viability, enabling market entry at their targeted production volume. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) funds the competition, delivered by Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC).
The fund targets strategically important on-vehicle technologies and the UK automotive supply chain. Eligible areas include batteries and supercapacitors, electric machines and drivelines, power electronics including V2X, lightweighting, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and management, and zero emission vehicle assembly. Off-road internal combustion technologies using non-fossil fuels may qualify where they support transition to zero emissions. Projects must address on-highway or off-highway vehicle markets, including Non-Road Mobile Machinery.
