Core Competitions

Our Core Competitions are a £1 billion commitment from Government and industry to accelerate the development of low carbon technology from research to the point of commercialisation here in the UK, safeguarding and creating jobs and attracting foreign direct investment.

With multiple competitions running a year, there is ample opportunity to apply for match-funded financial support complemented by technological support and strategic business advice from our team of handpicked specialists.

The R&D funding landscape over the past 12 months has significantly adapted to address the needs of UK industry. Competitions like ARMD, several Innovate UK initiatives such as the Catalysing Green Innovation 2, as well as Innovation Continuity Grants and Loans aiming to support R&D activity and help with the immediate business challenges brought about by the COVID19 situation.

Furthermore, BEIS and APC have launched the Automotive Transformation Fund, with new grant funding for Feasibility Studies and Expressions of Interest submissions for capital and R&D grants. This all led to APC’s largest ever award announced in November 2020, which included projects to a total value of £92.5m.

Some businesses have achieved funding from multiple projects, and many are now looking to catch up on project work scheduled for 2020.  Bearing this in mind we have taken the decision to defer the start of APC18 until March 2021, a two-month delay. The kick-off of the subsequent competition (APC19) is nominally planned for August 2021, subject to approval.