Funding competition Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £8 million for innovative smart shipping technologies for maritime decarbonisation. This funding is from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Competition opens: Monday 22 April 2024
Competition closes: Wednesday 26 June 2024 11:00am

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Description

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) to invest up to £8 million in innovation projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and ports. These projects will carry out innovative feasibility studies.

The aim of this competition is to fund detailed feasibility studies for innovative technology demonstrations of scalable smart shipping technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Smart shipping technologies within the scope of this competition are detailed in the specific themes section under the scope tab.

Your proposal must conduct a technical and economic feasibility study associated with the development and demonstration of on-vessel technologies, infrastructure technologies or both.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition has a funding limit, so we may not be able to fund all the proposed projects. It may be the case that your project scores highly but we are still unable to fund it.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Funding type

Grant

Project size

Your project’s total costs must be between £75,000 and £750,000.

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 making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Who can apply

Your project

Your project must:

have total costs between £75,000 and £750,000
last up to five months
carry out all of its project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
start by 1 November 2024
end by 31 March 2025

Projects must always start on the first of the month and this must be stated within your application. Your project start date will be reflected in your grant offer letter if you are successful.

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 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.

Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone.

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 partners have accepted the invitation, they will be asked to login or to create an account in IFS. They are responsible for entering their own project costs and completing their Project Impact questions in the application.

To be an eligible collaboration, the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding when entering their costs into 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

A business can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in two further applications.

If a business is not leading any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications.

Other organisations can collaborate on any number of applications.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

Previous applications

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

You can make a maximum of two submissions to Innovate UK with any given proposal. If Innovate UK judges that your proposal is not materially different from your previous proposal, it will be counted towards this maximum.

If your application goes through to assessment and is unsuccessful, you can reapply with the same proposal once more.

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 the Windsor Framework 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 £8 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

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.

The balance between your total project costs and the amount of grant awarded must be funded by the organisation receiving the grant.

For feasibility studies 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 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 50% 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 50% 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

Your project must conduct a technical and economic feasibility study associated with the development and demonstration of on-vessel technologies, infrastructure technologies or both.

You must plan for the real world demonstration or deployment developed in your project to be operational by the end of 2027.

Your project must:

underpin a future demonstration by delivering a meaningful technology, route to market, or supply chain innovation
achieve market potential through a clear strategy for commercialising the technology and the products, demonstrating the potential for significant value to the UK
illustrate emissions reduction by demonstrating a significant potential greenhouse gas reduction or significant air quality improvements
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 project, you must:

produce a clear, detailed and costed plan for how your technology will be demonstrated in an operational setting in, or between, ports or on vessels, including your technical approach, objectives and business case
quantify the potential reduction of lifecycle emissions and positive economic impacts in the future
outline expected commercial applications and exploitation, and potential market segments
detail your plan for compliance with regulation and how you will work with relevant regulatory bodies for novel technologies
share your findings with the Department for Transport (DfT), Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) and Innovate UK
produce a clear plan for disseminating the results of your project and knowledge sharing
explain your understanding of any barriers to market adoption, including industry and government related barriers
detail the barriers to adoption that the future demonstration will overcome and the innovation that will be delivered
detail the resources needed to carry out your real world demonstration, including funding requirements, timescales for delivery, planning permissions, implications of current and future regulation, new partners and information for a clear business case

Successful projects must engage with DfT, Innovate UK and any appointed third party contractors related to Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund projects.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) may 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 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 smart shipping expertise.

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.

Portfolio approach

We want to fund a variety of projects across different technologies, markets, technological maturities, themes and locations. We call this a portfolio approach.

Specific themes

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

vessel optimisation and smart efficiency technologies
vessel efficiency focused on data, software or autonomy
autonomous vessels including subsystems such as control systems and sensors
sensor and robotic systems both within the port environment and on vessel
smart maintenance operations technologies
port and shipyard operations optimisation and digitisation
digital tools such as for smart route planning and emissions monitoring
big data and AI, how new business models can create value in the maritime sector and for optimisation and planning of maritime traffic
smart shipping safety and skills

Research categories

We will fund feasibility projects as defined in the guidance on categories of research.

Projects we will not fund

We are not funding projects that are:

not focusing on significant potential greenhouse gas reduction or significant air quality improvements
focusing on fuel production
focusing only on fossil fuel powertrains of maritime vessels
focusing on marine conservation and ecology, such as mapping the sea floor
focusing on personal watercraft (PWC)
focusing on the creation of open access research facilities in clean maritime or smart shipping
focusing on submarines and submersible vessels
military applications
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 exports a certain quantity of vessels to another country
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

22 April 2024: Competition opens
1 May 2024: Online briefing event: watch the recording
26 June 2024 11:00am: Competition closes
2 September 2024: Applicants notified

Before you start

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 four sections:

Project details.
Application questions.
Finances.
Project Impact.

Accessibility and Inclusion

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

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.

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 questions 1, 2 and 3. 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. Animal testing (not scored)

Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing?

You must select one option:

We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.

Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.

Question 3. Permits and licences (not scored)

Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project?

We are unable to fund projects who do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.

You must select one option:

Yes
No
In process of being applied for
Not applicable

Question 4. Need or challenge

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
how your project will support the transition to zero emission shipping and smart shipping technologies
how the project will support the adoption of technology which will reduce the level of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions or improve air quality, when compared to conventional maritime technologies
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
the barriers to the adoption of your technology
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 5. 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’ greenhouse gas emission savings and air quality improvements resulting from your technology, including both direct and indirect savings from the future demonstration project itself and any subsequent commercial deployment, stating any assumptions and evidence where possible
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 relevant regulatory authorities to progress both the innovative and non-innovative elements of your project, for example, vessel structure, stability and marine equipment
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, know-how, new process, product or service design, and how these will help you to target the need, challenge or opportunity identified

‘Well-to-wake emissions’ is defined as the emissions associated with production, distribution, storage and usage of energy.

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 2 A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 6. 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 400 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 7. Market awareness

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

Describe:

the markets and sub sectors you will be targeting in the project, for example, crew transfer vessels, short sea ferries or any other potential markets, either domestic, international or both
the size of the target markets for the project outcomes, with 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 400 words long.

Question 8. 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
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 after the project, including further development activity in the UK
the potential benefits of future commercialisation within the UK
the potential benefits from export of the technology
how you will anchor intellectual property (IP) generated by the project in the UK and how this IP will be exploited for the benefit of the UK supply chain in the future
how the project provides the UK with a competitive advantage over other countries

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 9. 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, describing specifically any high skilled job creation
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 400 words long.

Question 10. 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

You must submit a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, up to 2 A4 pages long and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Your answer can be up to 600 words long.

Question 11. Risks

What are the main risks for this project?

Explain:

the main risks and uncertainties of the project, including the technical, commercial, managerial, financial and environmental risks
how you will mitigate these risks
the timeline for delivery of your feasibility study project before March 2025
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 400 words long.

You must submit a risk register as an appendix to support your answer. It must be a PDF, up to 2 A4 pages long, and no larger than 10MB in size. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

Question 12. Knowledge sharing and smart shipping market development

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

Describe:

what processes you will adopt for ensuring that lessons are learned across the smart shipping 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 smart shipping 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 smart shipping 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 400 words long.

Question 13. 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 engaged with 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 will reduce your need for public funding in the future
how this project would change the R&D activities of all the organisations involved

Your answer can be up to 400 words long.

Question 14. 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

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.

As highlighted in the written statement to Parliament on the launch of UK SHORE, the Centre for Smart Shipping (CSmart) is a commitment in the Maritime 2050 strategy to provide a coordinating function in new and emerging technologies. CSmart will build on the UK’s strength in smart shipping systems and enable innovation hubs to support regional clusters of expertise across the UK. The Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund (SSAF), within CSmart, will incentivise companies to develop and commercialise Smart Shipping technologies in the UK.

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.

Innovate UK is delivering this competition in partnership with the Department for Transport and this is part of a wider set of investments across transport.

Working with our partners, Innovate UK are investing to accelerate innovation across Aerospace, Road, Rail and Maritime. Our work covers key themes including Net Zero and future transport opportunities presented by new technologies, for example, autonomy. We aim to tackle practical challenges seen every day in the transport system.

This is aligned to our Transport Vision 2050 which we have published after extensive engagement with UK industry and stakeholders. Click the link to read the UK Transport Vision 2050 and contribute to the debate.

Click the Innovation in transport – UKRI link to find out more information about what we do across our transport programmes.

Impacts and Evaluation

Innovate UK will work with projects awarded grants or contracts to implement a new Impact and 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 two 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

DfT’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

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 Business Connect.

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 Business Growth. 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 Business Growth, delivered by a knowledgeable and objective specialist near you.

Assessment

Your application will be reviewed by up to five independent assessors based on the content of your application and their skills or expertise relevant to your project. All of the scores awarded will count towards the total score used to make the funding decision unless you are notified otherwise.

You can find out more about our assessment process in the General Guidance.

Your submitted application will be assessed against these criteria.

Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund - assessor guidance for applicants.pdf (opens in a new window)

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 business bank account. It can take several weeks for a new account to be created if required. We recommend starting this process as early as possible to avoid any delays to your project start date.

The bank account which grant is to be paid into must:

be a business account in the same name as the organisation listed in IFS
be from a UK bank regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)
have a cheque and credit clearing facility

Online accounts are eligible as long as they meet the above criteria.

Innovate UK will accept most banking societies apart from:

Viva Wallet
Intesa Sanpaolo
Equals Money UK Limited

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 for us to approve. Once approved we will send you an email with permission to start your project on your confirmed start date.

You must not start your project before the date stated on your email and GOL. Any costs incurred before your agreed start date cannot be claimed as part of your grant.

If your GOL is approved on or before the fifteenth of the month it will be dated from the first of that month. If your GOL is approved after the fifteenth, it will be dated the first of the next month.

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 UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Need help with this service? Contact us