Funding competition CMDC Round 4 – Vessel and Infrastructure Combined Demonstrations

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £34 million for innovative clean maritime technologies. This funding is from The Department for Transport.

• Competition opens: Wednesday 2 August 2023
• Competition closes: Wednesday 27 September 2023 5:00pm

This competition is now closed.

Competition sections

Description

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with The Department for Transport (DfT) to invest up to £34 million in innovation projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.

These will be to develop and deploy real world operational demonstrations of clean maritime solutions as well as carry out innovative feasibility studies and pre-deployment trials.

The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 4 is part of a suite of interventions launched by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). UK SHORE aims to transform the UK into a global leader in the design and manufacturing of clean maritime technology.

The aim of this competition is to fund real world demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies into clean maritime technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Your proposal must focus on clean maritime technology. Your project must do one of the following:

• design, develop, test and deploy technology
• conduct a technical and economic feasibility study

This competition is split into 3 strands:

• Strand 1: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Vessel or Infrastructure demonstrations
• Strand 2: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Vessel and Infrastructure combined demonstrations (this strand)
• Strand 3: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Feasibility studies and pre-deployment trials

The aim of Strand 2 is to fund real world demonstrations of clean maritime technologies in an operational setting. Your proposal must, develop, test and deploy novel clean maritime technologies focused on on-vessel technologies and shoreside or offshore infrastructure, including at ports, harbours and wind farms.

It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your application to the correct strand for your project. You will not be able to transfer your application and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.

Funding type

Grant

Project size

Your project’s total costs must be between £500,000 and £8 million.

Who can apply

Text update 14 July 2023: we have changed the following:

Project Impact questions apply to this competition, now referred to in the final paragraph of the Project team section.

Your project

Your project must:

• have total costs between £500,000 and £8 million
• start by 1 April 2024
• end by 31 March 2025
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

You must only include eligible project costs in your application.

Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.

If your project’s total costs or start date fall outside of our eligibility criteria, you must provide justification by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes. We will decide whether to approve your request.

If you have not requested approval or your application has not been approved by us, you will be made ineligible. Your application will then not be sent for assessment.

Lead organisation

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size
• collaborate with other UK registered organisations

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Trust ports and Municipal ports will be treated as businesses.

Project team

To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK registered:

• business of any size
• academic institution
• charity
• not for profit
• public sector organisation
• research and technology organisation (RTO)

Each partner organisation must be invited into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) by the lead to collaborate on a project. Once accepted, partners will be asked to login or to create an account and enter their own project costs into IFS.

To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding when entering their costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application.

Non-funded partners

Your project can include partners that do not receive any of this competition’s funding, for example non-UK businesses. Their costs will count towards the total project costs.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you could not use suppliers from the UK.

You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total project costs.

Number of applications

If you are involved in more than one application, you must clearly state how all projects can be resourced and delivered if successful. You may be asked for further evidence of your resources at interview, if invited.

If Innovate UK have concerns about your ability to deliver multiple projects successfully, we reserve the right to award funding based on evidence of capacity to manage them.

If you are involved in other Innovate UK funded projects, you must show you have the resources in place to deliver further projects funded by this Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).

Innovate UK reserve the right to decide the success of an application based on evidence of capacity to manage multiple live projects. If you are delivering live Innovate UK projects, we will review your current delivery and performance towards expected stated deliverables.

Previous applications

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

We will not award you funding if you have:

• failed to exploit a previously funded project
• an overdue independent accountant’s report
• failed to comply with grant terms and conditions

Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable)

This competition provides funding in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Further information about the Subsidy requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the application stage.

EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. Please see our general guidance to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

Further Information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.

You must always make sure that the funding awarded to you is compliant with all current Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.

This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to, or actually distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.

Funding

Up to £34 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

Innovate UK and the Department for Transport (DfT) reserve the right to move funding between the three strands of this competition.

If your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically but for the purpose of this project will be undertaking commercial or economic activity.

For industrial research projects, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

For experimental development projects which are nearer to market, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 45% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 35% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 25% if you are a large organisation

For more information on company sizes, please refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Research participation

The research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them. Of that 30% you could get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:

• 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-S registered institution such as an academic
• 100% of your project costs if you are an RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation

Your proposal

Text update 11 July 2023: we have changed the following:

Bracketed word (green) after methanol has been removed in the Specific Themes section.

Bullet point entry: the exclusion focusing on the use of synthetic fuels has an additional note of clarification. Synthetic methanol, ammonia and hydrogen are not excluded.

The aim of this competition is to fund real world demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies into clean maritime technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of this strand is to fund real world demonstrations of clean maritime technologies in an operational setting.

Your project must develop, test and deploy novel clean maritime technologies focused on on-vessel technologies, shoreside or offshore infrastructure, including at ports, harbours and wind farms.

Projects that will demonstrate on either vessels or infrastructure separately must apply into Strand 1 of the competition. If you are in any doubt about which strand to apply into, you must check by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes. If you apply into the wrong strand, you will be ineligible, and your application will not be assessed.

If you apply into the wrong strand, you will be ineligible and your application will not be assessed.

Project requirements

Your project must:

• underpin a full commercial and operational technology deployment after March 2025, by delivering a meaningful operational demonstration in real world conditions for at least two weeks before April 2025
• achieve market potential through a clear strategy for commercialising the technology and the products, demonstrating the potential for significant value to the UK
• deliver emissions reduction by demonstrating a significant greenhouse gas reduction
• bring together a team with the necessary expertise and experience to successfully deliver the project objectives, and include at least one representative end user such as a vessel operator, port or harbour authority

At the end of your real-world operational demonstration project, you must:

• produce a clear, detailed and costed plan to fully scale and enter the solution into UK and global markets over the next 3 years, including your technical approach, objectives and business case
• detail your plan for compliance with regulation and how you will work with relevant regulatory bodies for novel technologies
• quantify the reduction of lifecycle emissions and positive economic impacts in the future, including citing usage data from the demonstration
• explain your understanding of any remaining barriers to full market adoption
• detail the expected commercial applications and exploitation to target customers and potential market segments for your outcomes
• share your findings with The Department for Transport (DfT), Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) and Innovate UK in your end of project report
• produce a detailed plan for disseminating the results of your demonstration project and knowledge sharing with clean maritime stakeholders and industry

Successful projects will be required to engage with the Department for Transport (DfT), Innovate UK and any third party contractors appointed by them related to CMDC projects.

Demonstration period

Your demonstration must include the technology and vessel being used in a representative real world operational environment for a period of at least two weeks.

There is no fixed definition of how projects must undertake their demonstration and use this minimum two week period. The demonstration will depend on your project, technology and what is required to prove its performance. We strongly encourage projects to utilise this minimum two week period fully and to gather as much performance data as possible.

Your application must clearly state how you plan to undertake the demonstration, including how much time in operational use you currently expect and why this is appropriate for your project. During the demonstration you must validate the technology or vessel’s operation for the use case or target market and capture data on the performance.

Projects which include a vessel intended to operate at sea must include appropriate demonstrations for a minimum of two weeks at sea. Projects may undertake initial tests in categorised waters before progressing to sea, subject to compliance with relevant regulations, but this will not count towards the two week minimum demonstration period.

Vessel demonstrations should plan to be in a variety of sea states. Vessels must comply with and be certificated in accordance with relevant regulations before proceeding to sea.

Projects which include vessels operating on categorised waters, for example, inland waterways, that will never operate at sea can complete their full demonstration within categorised waters.

Regulation

Vessels must comply with relevant regulations when undertaking voyages and where appropriate, be certificated subject to vessel type. These vessels cannot proceed to sea without relevant seagoing certification.

Projects involving a vessel must engage with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) during the project. The MCA may also contact successful projects shortly after winners are notified to discuss the details of your project. Failure to engage with the MCA when requested could result in your project being suspended or funding withdrawn.

Types of vessel

Technologies for all sizes and categories of maritime vessel subject to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 are in scope. Solutions can be suitable for one target size of vessel or multiple. Pleasure and commercial vessels are in scope.

Where your project intends to utilise a vessel, the vessel is expected to be a United Kingdom Ship, otherwise you must provide justification for use of a non-United Kingdom Ship in your application. United Kingdom Ship is defined in 85(2) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Types of infrastructure

All ports and harbours are in scope, including infrastructure for freight, passenger, pleasure and commercial vessels. Offshore infrastructure is also in scope, such as wind farms.

Value for the UK

We strongly encourage projects from around the UK to support boosting jobs and economic growth, including projects from ports, vessel operators, vessel manufacturers and their supply chain. We welcome projects from areas with existing clean maritime expertise or co-located in clusters of renewable energy production and usage including hydrogen.

You must clearly demonstrate how you will anchor intellectual property (IP) generated by the project in the UK. You must also show how this IP will be exploited for the benefit of the UK supply chain in the future.

Previous applications and projects

We encourage projects that have been successful and were funded by the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 2, to apply for further funding support to continue developing your project. You are not required to have been successful in a previous round of the CMDCs to apply with an eligible project to Round 4.

If funded for a project in Round 3 of the CMDC, you are ineligible for funding to demonstrate the same project or technology concept in Round 4.

Once your project is completed, you are expected to be at the point that you are investment and construction ready to fully scale the solution and take it to market.

UK Domestic green shipping corridors

If your proposal focusses on a demonstration of a domestic green shipping corridor, you must demonstrate a vessel navigating between both ends of the corridor in real-world operational setting. To qualify as a corridor, at least one zero-emission (well-to-wake) vessel must be transiting the route during the minimum two week demonstration period.

If your domestic green shipping corridor project does not require investment in both a vessel and infrastructure at either end of the corridor then you should apply into Strand 1.

At the end of your domestic green corridor project you must also:

• provide annual additional costs of delivering the corridor, considering various market participants, for example, ship owners, ports, fuel suppliers, with clear plans to meet costs, covering both private and public funding sources
• prove the direct and indirect environmental impacts from delivering the corridors, including impacts on greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions
• produce a clear plan for scaling up the number of zero-emission vessels and corresponding landside infrastructure, replicating the corridor elsewhere, and potential additional benefits to other routes and the wider fleet
• demonstrate potential scalable zero emission energy source options for the corridor
• quantify the energy requirements each year, with a clear plan for how this would be produced, imported, distributed, stored and bunkered, and the conditions to mobilise and meet demand
• prove the design of the zero-emission vessels that are being used on the corridor, for example, newbuild or retrofit vessels, with a clear plan for how more vessels would be delivered after the demonstration project
• prove how the fuel will be safely and effectively supplied and bunkered, and stored on board vessels
• include a clear plan for how the corridor would comply with all relevant regulations, for example safety regulations
• develop a clear plan for disseminating learnings and data from the corridor across the industry

Portfolio approach

We want to fund a variety of projects across different technologies, strands, markets, technological maturities, theme, location, and research categories. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

Prioritised themes:

• domestic green corridors
• international ferries
• vessels greater than 24 metres in length
• ammonia solutions

Other themes:

Vessel low and zero emission technologies:

• vessel propulsion and auxiliary engines, for example, batteries, fuel cells, and internal combustion engines using low or zero carbon alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia or multi-fuel combinations
• wind propulsion, including soft-sail, fixed-sail, rotor, kite and turbine technologies, targeting a range of ship types from small vessels to large cargo carriers, both as primary and auxiliary propulsion
• low carbon energy storage and management
• physical connections to shoreside power or alternative fuels, including fuelling lines
• enabling technologies such as motors, drives, sensor and power electronics
• energy efficiency technologies, where they significantly enhance the vessel range or lower alternative fuel usage to enable the fuel’s viability

Projects developing 100% battery electric solutions for vessels less than 24 metres need to show clearly how their project is novel and how it addresses limitations with existing electric vessel solutions.

Infrastructure technologies including offshore solutions:

• shoreside storage and bunkering of low and zero carbon fuel
• charging infrastructure and management for electric vessels
• shore power solutions, such as enabling docked vessels to turn off their conventional power supply for ancillary systems
• physical connections to shoreside power or alternative fuels, including fuelling lines
• shoreside renewable energy generation at the port to supply vessels
• low carbon fuel production, such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia
• zero emission infrastructure, including stationary assets for freight handling and port operations within a port or harbour site
• zero emission offshore infrastructure for wind, oil and gas farms that support zero or low emission vessels

Projects focused on shore power technology need to show clearly how their project is novel and how it addresses limitations with existing shore power solutions.

Research categories

We will fund industrial research projects and experimental development projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.

Projects we will not fund

We are not funding projects that are:

• feasibility studies
• focusing only on increasing the efficiency of current conventional fossil fuels and fossil fuel powertrains of maritime vessels
• focusing on marine conservation and ecology, such as mapping the sea floor
• focusing on autonomy and smart shipping
• focusing on on-vessel power generation and fuel production to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs), for example, wind turbines, solar panels, synthetic fuel production
• for capital investment only
• focusing on non-methanol biofuels, except for projects strictly focused on inland waterway vessels and Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM), which includes port-side machinery
• focusing on nuclear technologies
• focusing on Personal Watercraft (PWC)
• focusing on the creation of open access research facilities in clean maritime
• focusing on the use of synthetic fuels, note: this exclusion does not apply to methanol, ammonia and hydrogen fuels
• focusing on submarines and submersible vessels
• covered by existing commercial agreements to deliver the proposed solutions
• a duplicate of existing innovation

We cannot fund projects that are:

• dependent on export performance, for example giving a subsidy to a vessel manufacturer on the condition that it uses 50% UK sourced components in their product
• dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example giving a subsidy to a vessel manufacturer on the condition that it uses 50% UK sourced components in their product

• 12 July 2023: In person briefing event: watch the recording
• 2 August 2023: Competition opens
• 27 September 2023 5:00pm: Competition closes
• 19 October 2023: Invite to interview
• 13 November 2023: Interview panel
• 15 December 2023: Applicants notified

Before you start

Text update 14 July 2023: we have changed the following:

Project Impact questions apply to this competition, now referred to in section 4.

You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:

• that all the information provided in the application is correct
• your proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria
• all sections of the application are marked as complete
• that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)

You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.

What we ask you

The application is split into 4 sections:

1. Project details
2. Application questions
3. Finances
4. Project Impact

Accessibility and inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes providing support, in the form of reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us. Watch the video on how we are making our application process more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

You must contact us as early as possible in the application process. We recommend contacting us at least 15 working days before the competition closing date to ensure we can provide you with the most suitable support possible.

You can contact us by emailing support@iuk.ukri.org or calling 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Interviews

If your application passes the first stage of assessment, you may be invited to attend an interview, where you must give a presentation. Your interview will take place either online or at a designated location. The date and time of your interview will be included in your invitation.

Before the interview and by the deadline stated in the invitation email, you:

• must send a list of who will attend the interview
• must send your interview presentation slides
• can send a written response to the assessors’ feedback

List of attendees

Agree the list with your consortium. Up to 9 people from your project can attend, ideally one person from each organisation. They must all be available on all published interview dates. We are unable to reschedule slots once allocated.

Presentation slides

Your interview presentation must:

• use Microsoft PowerPoint
• be no longer than 30 minutes
• have no more than 30 slides
• not include any video or embedded web links

You cannot change the presentation after you submit it or bring any additional materials to the interview.

Written response to assessor feedback

This is optional and is an opportunity to answer the assessors’ concerns. It can:

• be up to 10 A4 pages in a single PDF or Word document
• include charts or diagrams

Interview

After your presentation the panel will spend 45 minutes asking questions. You will be expected to answer based on the information you provided in your application form, presentation and the response to feedback.

After your interview

The panellists will individually score your application and these will be averaged for your overall interview score. This score will supersede the one you received from initial assessment unless stated otherwise in the competition brief. We will notify you whether you have been successful or not by email and you will receive feedback on your interview within a week of notification.

1. Project details

This section provides background for your application and is not scored.

Application team

Decide which organisations will work with you on your project and invite people from those organisations to help complete the application.

Application details

Give your project’s title, start date and duration.

Research category

Select the type of research you will undertake.

Project summary

Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it innovative. We use this section to assign the right experts to assess your application.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Public description

Describe your project in detail and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your project funding, we will publish this description. This could happen before you start your project.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Scope

Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope it will not be sent for assessment. We will tell you the reason why.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

2. Application questions

The assessors will score all your answers apart from question 1. You will receive feedback for each scored question. Find out more about how our assessors assess and how we select applications for funding.

You must answer all questions. Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.

Question 1. Applicant location (not scored)

You must state the name and full registered address of your organisation and any partners or subcontractors working on your project.

We are collecting this information to understand the geographical location of all applicants.

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 2. Need or challenge

How will your project support the transition to zero emission shipping?

What is the business need, technological challenge, or market opportunity behind your innovation?

Explain:

• the main motivation for the project
• the project objectives
• the project deliverables, including the nature, location and duration of the demonstration, how you will meet the minimum two week requirement and why the demonstration you propose will validate the performance of your technology
• how the project will support the adoption of technology which will reduce the level of lifecycle greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, when compared to conventional fuels and propulsion
• how the project relates to the maritime sector, what parts of the sector the project addresses and how the project outputs will impact on them
• whether you have identified any similar innovation and its current limitations, including those close to market or in development
• any work you have already done to respond to this need, for example, if the project focuses on developing an existing capability or building a new one
• the wider economic, social, environmental, cultural or political challenges which are influential in creating the opportunity, such as incoming regulations and using our Horizons tool if appropriate

Explain how the project will demonstrate the transition to clean maritime technologies and how the project objectives overcome barriers to adoption of these technologies, including but not limited to:

• how this project might support or enable the development of regulation, including engagement to date with relevant regulatory bodies
• how the project will further the understanding of the current gaps in knowledge on the technical aspects of the technology

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

Question 3. Approach and innovation

What approach will you take and where will the focus of the innovation be?

Explain:

• the technical detail and approach of your proposed project, with reference to barriers that the project seeks to overcome
• how you will respond to the need, challenge or opportunity identified
• how you will improve on any similar innovation that you have identified
• whether the innovation will focus on existing technologies in new areas, the development of new technologies for existing areas, or a totally disruptive approach
• the technology development or progress that will be achieved by the project, including defined success criteria
• the estimated level of ‘well-to-wake’ GHG emission savings resulting from your technology, including both direct, and future indirect (such as opportunities to provide clean fuels or energy to other transport sectors) savings from the demonstration project itself and any subsequent commercial deployment, stating any assumptions and evidence where possible, with 'well-to-wake' defined as the emissions associated with production, distribution, storage and usage of energy
• how your project is tailored to maritime applications, and how you have considered the environmental, operational and practical challenges of innovation in the marine environment
• how your approach has considered the regulatory landscape and challenges to implementing the technology, you must demonstrate a clear understanding of the regulatory context
• how your project will engage with the relevant regulatory authorities in order to provide the assurances to enable the project to proceed for both the innovative and non-innovative elements of your project, for example vessel structure, stability and marine equipment
• the freedom you have to operate
• how this project fits with your current product, service lines or offerings
• how it will make you more competitive
• the nature of the outputs you expect from the project, for example reports, demonstrator, know-how, new process, product or service design, and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

You can submit one appendix to support your answer. It can include diagrams and charts. It must be a PDF, up to two A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 4. Team and resources

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Explain:

• the roles, skills and experience of all members of the project team that are relevant to the approach you will be taking
• the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the project and how you will access them
• the details of any vital external parties, including subcontractors, who you will need to work with to successfully carry out the project
• the current relationships between project partners and how these will change as a result of the project
• any roles you will need to recruit for

Your answer can be up to 600 words long

You can submit one appendix, with a short summary of the main people working on the project to support your answer. It must be a PDF, up to 4 A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 5. Market awareness

What does the market or markets you are targeting look like?

Describe:

• the markets and sub sectors, for example, crew transfer vessels, short sea ferries, you will be targeting in the project and any other potential markets, either domestic, international or both
• the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, backed up by references where available
• the structure and dynamics of the target markets, including customer segmentation, together with predicted growth rates within clear timeframes
• the target markets’ main supply or value chains and business models, and any barriers to entry that exist
• the current UK position in targeting these markets
• the size and main features of any other markets not already listed

If your project is highly innovative, where the market may be unexplored, describe or explain:

• what the market’s size might be
• how your project will try to explore the market’s potential

Your answer can be up to 600 words long

Question 6. Outcomes and route to market

How are you going to grow your business and increase long term productivity as a result of the project?

Explain:

• your current position in the markets and supply or value chains outlined, and whether you will be extending or establishing your market position
• your target customers or end users, and the value to them, for example, why they would use or buy your product
• your route to market
• how you are going to profit from the innovation, including increased revenues or cost reduction
• how the innovation will affect your productivity and growth, in both the short and the long term
• how you will protect and exploit the outputs of the project, for example through know-how, patenting, designs or changes to your business model
• how you will anchor IP generated by the project in the UK and you must also show how this IP will be exploited for the benefit of the UK supply chain in the future
• your strategy for targeting the other markets you have identified during or after the project

Describe how your project will be exploited for the benefit of the UK supply chain in the future, including:

• the route to commercialisation for your technology or fuel after the project
• the potential benefits of future commercialisation within the UK
• the potential benefits from export of the technology

If there is any research organisation activity in the project, describe:

• your plans to spread the project’s research outputs over a reasonable timescale
• how you expect to use the results generated from the project in further research activities

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

Question 7. Wider impacts

What impact might this project have outside the project team?

Describe and, where possible, measure the economic benefits from the project such as productivity increases and import substitution, to:

• external parties
• customers
• others in the supply chain
• broader industry
• the UK economy

Describe and, where possible, measure:

• any expected impact on government priorities, including economic growth around the UK, boosting productivity and creation of jobs
• any expected environmental impacts, other than greenhouse gas emissions such as air quality either positive or negative
• any expected regional impacts of the project

Describe any expected social impacts, either positive or negative, on, for example:

• quality of life
• social inclusion or exclusion
• jobs, such as safeguarding, creating, changing or displacing them
• education
• public empowerment
• health and safety
• regulations
• diversity

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

Question 8. Project management

How will you manage your project effectively?

Explain:

• the main work packages of your project, indicating the lead partner assigned to each and the total cost of each one
• your approach to project management, identifying any major tools and mechanisms you will use to get a successful and innovative project outcome
• the management reporting lines
• your project plan in enough detail to identify any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

You must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, up to two A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 9. Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

Explain:

• the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial and environmental risks
• the timeline for delivery of your minimum two week operational demonstration before March 2025
• how you will mitigate these risks
• any project inputs that are critical to completion, such as resources, expertise, and data sets
• any output likely to be subject to regulatory requirements, certification, ethical issues and other requirements identified, and how you will manage this

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

You must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, up to two A4 pages long, and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 10. Knowledge sharing and clean maritime market development

How will this project enhance the UK’s position as a world leader in clean maritime technology through shared-learning, dissemination and knowledge-exchange?

Describe:

• what processes you will adopt for ensuring that lessons are learned across the clean maritime sector, including input from stakeholders and potential customers
• how you will ensure that your project takes account of other relevant work, for example successful and unsuccessful clean maritime projects, previous government-funded or EU-funded work in the UK and academic studies
• what knowledge sharing arrangements you will put in place and how you will ensure that information is disseminated effectively, including considerations such as timeliness and means of communication
• what evidence and data will be collected, including how and when this will be done and who will be responsible
• the types of information you plan to share with other stakeholders which you have identified
• how your project offers learning and development in relevant clean maritime technologies and enables research and innovation across the wider supply chain
• the scalability and replicability of your project, and how you will build on experience to support future market development and cost reduction

Your answer can be up to 600 words long

Question 11. Added value

How will this public funding help you to accelerate or enhance your approach to developing your project towards commercialisation? What impact would this award have on the organisations involved?

Explain:

• what advantages public funding would offer your project, for example, appeal to investors, more partners, reduced risk or a faster route to market
• the likely impact of the project outcomes on the organisations involved
• what other routes of investment or means of support you have already approached and why they were not suitable
• how any existing or potential investment or support will be used in conjunction with the grant funding
• what your project would look like without public funding
• how this project would change the R&D activities of all the organisations involved

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 12. Costs and value for money

How much will the project cost and how does it represent value for money for the team and the taxpayer?

In terms of your project goals, explain:

• your total project costs
• the grant you are requesting
• how each partner will finance their contributions to your project
• how this project represents value for money for you and the taxpayer
• how it compares to what you would spend your money on otherwise
• the balance of costs and grant across the project partners
• any subcontractor costs and why they are critical to your project

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

3. Finances

Each organisation in your project must complete their own project costs, organisation details and funding details in the application. Academic institutions must complete and upload a Je-S form.

For full details on what costs you can claim see our project costs guidance. You can also view our Application Finances video.

4. Project Impact

This section is not scored but will provide background to your project.

Each partner must complete the Project Impact questions before being able to submit the application.

More information can be found in our Project Impact guidance and by viewing our Impact Management Framework video.

Background and further information

UK SHORE and CMDC

The £206 million UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme was announced as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh on 10 March 2022. This is the greatest ever government investment in UK commercial maritime and focuses on accelerating the technology necessary to decarbonise our domestic maritime sector.

UK SHORE interventions are aimed at addressing various barriers to maritime decarbonisation over the full range of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). This includes the flag-ship Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which provides match-funding to support the design and development of low-mid TRL clean maritime technologies.

CMDC Rounds 1 to 3 have allocated over £95 million to 105 projects across the UK to deliver feasibility studies, collaborative R&D trials and demonstrations in clean maritime solutions. This competition, CMDC4, is the latest round of the CMDC.

Successful projects from this competition will be expected to support key transport decarbonisation events in the UK and in UK government led international initiatives, including initiatives around these events and communications activity.

Guidance on UK domestic green corridors

A green shipping corridor is a maritime route on which scalable zero emission (well-to-wake) vessels are demonstrated and supported. This involves sourcing or production of scalable zero-emission fuel or energy, arrangements for its transportation and distribution. Putting in place storage and refuelling or recharging infrastructure in port and deploying zero-emission capable vessels to operationally demonstrate zero-emission shipping on a given route. Corridors must, therefore, be a collaboration across the full shipping value chain.

Corridor demonstrations are not intended to be a one-off, but to kickstart a wider transition and should continue over a sustained period of time. To qualify as a corridor, at least one zero-emission vessel must be transiting the route. However, where possible, the number of zero-emission vessels should increase on the route over time, with plans being made and efforts taken to facilitate this scale up.

Corridors can be established on UK domestic routes, and in any shipping segment with the specified operating profile.

Green corridors are about stimulating early adoption of promising long-term solutions to reach zero emissions in shipping by 2050, with scalable zero emissions energy sources.

Scalable zero emission energy sources are energy sources that have the potential to achieve zero or near zero greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis, while also scaling production in line with the required pace of the transition, for example, green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol and battery electric.

Impacts and evaluation

Innovate UK will work with projects awarded grants or contracts, to implement a new Impact & Evaluation framework. Your project will be required to collect and report key metrics and data as specified by the programme and in line with the centralised evaluation framework. This will include the collection of both evidence and counterfactual data to support impact and attribution claims.

You will be required to work with Innovate UK to analyse and interpret the data using the techniques specified in the evaluation plans, to support the production of reports at an agreed annual reporting schedule.

You will be briefed on the specific metrics and evidence following notification of your award. For planning, forecasting and budgeting purposes, each organisation within a consortium will be expected to allocate 3 working days to supporting this requirement over the life of the project.

You will also be asked to respond periodically to further requests, following your project’s conclusion, recognising Innovate UK’s obligations, and the benefits of evaluating impact over time.

Data sharing

This competition is jointly operated by Innovate UK, and The Department for Transport (DfT) (each an “agency”).

Any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application can be shared by one agency with the other, for its individual storage, processing and use.

This means that any information given to or generated by Innovate UK in respect of your application may be passed on to DfT and vice versa. This would include, but is not restricted to:

• the information stated on the application, including the personal details of all applicants
• scoring and feedback on the application
• information received during the management and administration of the grant, such as Monitoring Officer reports and Independent Accountant Reports

Innovate UK and DfT are directly accountable to you for their holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with their own policies. Accordingly, Innovate UK, and DfT will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application. Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy is accessible here.

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of GDPR, and is committed to upholding the data protection principles, and protecting your information. The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Find a project partner

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN.

Support for SMEs from Innovate UK EDGE

If you receive an award, you will be contacted about working with an innovation and growth specialist at Innovate UK EDGE. This service forms part of our funded offer to you.

These specialists focus on growing innovative businesses and ensuring that projects contribute to their growth. Working one-to-one, they can help you to identify your best strategy and harness world-class resources to grow and achieve scale.

We encourage you to engage with Innovate UK EDGE, delivered by a knowledgeable and objective specialist near you.

Next steps

If you are successful with this application, you will be asked to set up your project.

You must follow the unique link embedded in your email notification. This takes you to your Innovation Funding Service (IFS) Set Up portal, the tool that Innovate UK uses to gather necessary information before we can allow your project to begin.

You will need to provide:

• the name and contact details of your project manager and project finance lead
• a redacted copy of your bank details
• a collaboration agreement
• an exploitation plan

In order for us to process your claims, you must make sure you have a valid UK bank account. It is possible that it can take several weeks for a new account to be created. We would recommend starting this process as early as possible to avoid any delays to you project start date.

The bank details you give to us must relate to a UK high street bank that is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). The account must have a BACS clearing facility and be in the same company name as your application.

If you have any doubts that your bank account will not meet Innovate UK's funding criteria, you can use the sort code checker. If you input the sort code and find a tick next to the ‘BACS Direct Credit payments can be sent to this sort code’, this will give you an indication that the bank account you hold is acceptable.

Finance checks

We will carry out checks to make sure you are an established company with access to the funds necessary to complete the project.

You must check your IFS portal regularly and respond to any requests we have sent for additional information to avoid any delays.

Failure to complete project setup may result in your grant offer being withdrawn.

Your Grant offer letter (GOL)

Once you have successfully completed project setup, we will issue your GOL.

The GOL will be made available on your IFS portal. You will need to sign and upload this before you start your project.

Your GOL will show the start date for your project, do not start your project before this date. Any costs incurred before your start date cannot be claimed as part of your grant.

If your application is unsuccessful

If you are unsuccessful with your application this time, you can view feedback from the assessors. This will be available to you on your IFS portal following notification.

Sometimes your application will have scored well, and you will receive positive comments from the assessors. You may be unsuccessful as your average score was not above the funding threshold or your project has not been selected under the portfolio approach if this is applied for this competition.

Contact us

If you need more information about how to apply or you want to submit your application in Welsh, email support@iuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.

Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

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