Innovation
Collaborate, cocreate, commercialise
Accelerate your journey to commercialisation with a late-stage, collaborative R&D project.
About this competition
Collaborate is a consortium-based programme, with a lead partner nominated from the start.
To collaborate with the lead partner, you must be a UK-registered business representing:
- A business of any size, SME, OEM or Tier N
- An academic institution
- A charity or not-for-profit
- A public sector organisation
- A research and technology organisation (RTO)
Our team of experts can help you build a consortium that works for you, using our network of established business partners, so start talking to us now to see how we can help.
Key dates
Applications open: 22 June 2026
Applications close: 23 September 2026
Get in touch with us today to discuss your application.
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Have an eligible grant-funding request of between £2.5 million and £25 million, a minimum of 50% match-funded.
- Prove your intent to exploit this technology in the UK
- Achieve TRL7-8 or MRL6-7 by completion
- Be collaborative
- Deliver the project within a timescale of between 18-36 months
Scope
Your project must fall within one or more of the following themes:
Zero-emission vehicles:
Focus on product and process innovations that contribute toward achieving zero-emissions for on-board vehicle applications throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
Manufacturing Competitiveness:
Use R&D innovation to improve the efficiency, productivity, and cost-competitiveness of manufacturing plants and their related supply chain, enabling the competitive transition to manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles in the UK and/or lowering embedded carbon emissions in the manufacturing process.
Software Defined Vehicles (SDV) and Electronic and Electrical Architectures (EEA):
Focus on innovations in automotive software and EEA to enhance zero-emission vehicle functionality and reduce time to market. These projects will leverage the UK’s established reputation for innovation and build global product competitiveness.
For more detailed scope and eligibility criteria, visit the IFS website.
Success stories
Ford: Lighter chassis, stronger performance
Spearheaded by Ford, the eShadow project represents an innovative approach to addressing the challenges of optimising vehicle weight and payload in electric commercial vehicles.
Driving innovation: BMW pioneers next-generation BEV technology
@FutureBEV focused on delivering mainstream, competitive EV powertrains, both in function and cost, simultaneously fostering a new domestic supply chain for subcomponents and system capability, enabling the UK’s transition to future electromobility.
H1PERBAT to Hyperbat
H1PERBAT is a project led by Williams Advanced Engineering, and inspired them and Unipart Manufacturing group to set up a joint venture, Hyperbat limited.
Manure-powered CNH Industrial tractor is helping bring food from farm to fork
The world’s first 100% methane-powered tractor has been developed through a project that received £9.1 million in government funding.
The green Wrightbus: a UK export success story
Wrightbus built the world’s first double decker hydrogen fuel cell bus, and now has fleets operating in five cities across the UK and Ireland.
ALIVE and demonstrating: Constellium enclosures
Standing for Aluminium Intensive Vehicle Enclosures, ALIVE aimed to take a major step with disruptive high-strength aluminium alloys and processing and joining technologies.
How to apply
Applications for Collaborate open twice a year, and the next date is 22 June 2026. If you’ve got an exciting project that fulfills the eligibility criteria outlined above, get in touch with us now to find out more.
Lifecycle CO2e measures applicant guidance
What’s new:
Updated Value for Money (VfM) forms
New VfM forms have been created to capture project jobs, total project expenditure, additional investment, and TRL progress to provide a more complete picture of project impact.
Optional Lifecycle CO₂e reporting
Applicants can now evidence lifecycle greenhouse gas benefits, not just tailpipe CO₂. This widens the scope to include supply chain improvements, materials changes, manufacturing efficiencies, and reuse/remanufacture benefits.
Built‑in CO₂e lookup data
The new forms include APC‑commissioned lifecycle CO₂e lookup values, helping applicants estimate emissions savings without needing to carry out full LCA work.
All grant-funding is subject to HMG approval.