Funding of up to £33 million for UK-registered organisations for late-stage collaborative research and development projects, supporting UK zero emission vehicles and net zero automotive industry.
This competition opens on 5 January 2026 and closes at 11am on 11 March 2026.
Who it is for
This competition is open to single and collaborations.
To lead a collaborative project or work alone, your organisation must be a UK-registered business of any size.
To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be one of the following UK-registered
- business of any size
- academic institution
- charity
- not-for-profit
- public sector organisation
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
Your project must
- lead to a demonstrator product or process to enable new commercial opportunities or secure follow on investment
- have total eligible grant funding request of between £500,000 and £1.5 million
- be a minimum of 50% match funding (e.g. if you are asking for £500,000 in grant your total eligible project costs need to be a minimum of £1 million)
- align to at least one of the three scope themes
- be achieving TRL 5-6 or MRL 4-5 by completion, based on published Automotive Technology and Manufacturing Readiness Levels
- last between 9 and 12 months
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
- start from 1 September 2026
- end by 31 August 2027
Support you can get
This competition aims to support R&D projects that design, develop and manufacture strategically important technologies in the automotive sector. These projects will support the UK’s transition to zero emission vehicles and a pathway to a net zero automotive industry.
This competition is split into two strands
Strand 1 DRIVE35 Innovation Fund Collaborate
Strand 2 DRIVE35 Innovation Fund Demonstrate (this strand)
Strand 2 aims to develop a product or process demonstrator to show increased capability and commercial exploitation opportunity as a result of the project.
For industrial research projects, you can get funding for your eligible project costs of
- up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
- up to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisation
- up to 50% if you are a large organisation
For experimental development projects which are nearer to market, you can get funding for your eligible project costs of
- up to 45% if you are a micro or small organisation
- up to 35% if you are a medium-sized organisation
- up to 25% if you are a large organisation
How to apply
Innovation Funding Service website
Support organisers
- Advanced Propulsion Centre
- Department for Business and Trade
- Innovate UK
Contact
Innovate UK
Phone
0300 321 4357
Next Steps
on the Innovation Funding Service website
Published
07 January 2026
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