Eligibility criteria
This competition is open to collaborations only.
To lead a collaborative project, your organisation must
-
be a UK-registered business of any size
-
collaborate with other UK-registered organisations
-
Include in your consortium a vehicle manufacturer or Tier 1 supplier who supplies parts directly to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
Your project must
-
have a total grant funding request of between £2.5 million and £25 million
-
be late-stage R&D targeting direct commercialisation at the end of the project
-
last between 18 and 36 months
-
start by 1 March 2026
-
end by 28 February 2029
Additional information
DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) is funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK. This innovation fund aims to support R&D projects that design, develop and manufacture strategically important technologies in the automotive sector.
This competition is split into two strands
Strand 1 DRIVE35 Innovation Fund Collaborate (this strand)
Strand 2 DRIVE35 Innovation Fund Demonstrate
Applications open on 14 July and close on 1 October 2025.
