New Feasibility Studies for Automotive Scale-up Readiness now open for applications

10 November 2025

Opening for applications today, 10 November 2025, the Scale-up Feasibility Studies offers match-funded grants of between £150,000 to £750,000 to UK-registered single applicant businesses or substantial subcontracts to enable rapid scale-up of manufacturing for essential zero-emission vehicle technologies.

Part of the Department for Business and Trade’s DRIVE35 programme, delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), this zero-emission funding programme will enable successful applicants to validate the future growth and investment potential of their innovative technology.

Businesses can apply for funding to deliver a feasibility study to assess the planning, investment, and business case for manufacturing projects, this can be across pilot scale, demonstration scale, full industrial scale facilities.

Once the business case has been validated, applicants can apply for the next steps of funding including the Scale-up Fund. A funding stream specifically designed to overcome the inherent risks of the scale-up phase by supporting the development of new pilot-scale and demonstration-scale “first-of-a-kind” production processes and facilities and encourage investment, public and private sector, enabling safe passage through the “valley of death. Find out more about the Scale-Up Fund here.

Ian Constance, CEO, APC and Zenzic, said:

“The route to scaling-up production requires distinct phases of technology and manufacturing development, evaluation is one.

The Feasibility Studies competition provides you with a unique opportunity to produce a decision-ready business case, evaluate your product performance, and gain commercial validation for future investment.

The APC is committed to sustaining and enhancing the UK’s long-term automotive capabilities and investments through knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and innovation. Focusing on the following three key funding pillars – Innovation, Scale-up, and Transformation.

Investment is key to helping the UK increase the volume of vehicles made in the UK to over 1.3 million cars and commercial vehicles by 2035. The Scale-up Feasibility Studies will help manufacturers at a crucial point that will really make a difference.”

Further details on the competition, including how to apply are available here.

All awards subject to HMG approval.