Final call for technology developers to apply to fifth round of APC funding and business support

A few weeks left for early-stage technology developers to gain access to up to £135,000 in funding.

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) is this week issuing a final call for applications to the fifth wave of its Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP). The organisation is looking for ambitious micro, small and medium-sized companies that are working to develop on or off-vehicle technology, products or services that support either zero-emission vehicle development or the shift to net-zero carbon automotive products. Companies can apply for the chance to receive up to £135,000 in funding, as well as invaluable business support.

TDAP takes technology developers through an exciting 18-month journey from concept to a viable market proposition. The selected companies will benefit from holistic financial and business support – including unparalleled access to industry experts in route-to-market strategy, intellectual property protection, and new product development.

Josh Denne, Head of SME Programmes, said:

TDAP has a demonstrated history of expertly identifying and accelerating the ideas that will help to solve the automotive industry’s greatest net-zero challenges. We look forward to guiding our fifth cohort of innovators through the programme, and encourage eligible developers to express their interest now.

Now in its fifth funding cycle, TDAP has successfully supported several British enterprises since 2017. One such example is Brill Power, who participated in Wave Three. An Oxford University spin-out, which develops intelligent battery management systems, joined the programme with just the core technology and proof of concept demonstration for their next-generation battery management system which optimises pack-level battery performance through advanced embedded control algorithms. As part of TDAP, Brill Power received around £100,000 of grant funding and support to achieve industry-readiness. Since completing the programme, the company has also been successful in raising significant seed funding.

Stuart Grondel, Strategy and Operations Manager, Brill Power says:

The great thing about TDAP is that it doesn’t just cover the development of the fundamental tech, it includes the other issues around that, like strategic management and IP protection. It showed us how to build our company and our processes to a suitable standard to engage with the major players in one of the toughest markets out there.

Applications close on 14th April 2020 with a target start date of July 2021.