Innovate UK – Smart Grants

Call focus

We have identified that the Innovate UK Smart Grant funding mechanism is currently paused. IUK have promised a new way of supporting SME innovation, with a pilot scheme launching in Spring 2025. See link for further information and updates

For full details, see: Innovate UK is developing new funding and support packages for innovative SMEs – Innovate UK Business Connect |Innovate UK – Smart Grants

The Crown Estate: Supply Chain Accelerator

Call focus

The Crown Estate is seeking to fund facilities that support the deployment of fixed and floating offshore wind. Eligible projects may include new initiatives or the expansion of existing activities. Applicants must be purse commercial projects, that deliver a reasonable return on investment, of which The Crown Estate expect some stake in the venture.

Funding intensity: Match funding – 50% of total project costs.
Maximum award: £1, 500,000

For full details, see: The Crown Estate: Supply Chain Accelerator 

Ofgem: Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)

Call focus

The SIF aims to help transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future. It funds projects that could speed up the transition to net zero at the lowest cost to the consumer. Cycle 3 is open for proposals, including for new projects going through discovery or existing projects in alpha or beta stage.

Awaiting announcement of full details.

Deadline: 25 June 2025

For details, see: Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) | Ofgem

Using Captured CO2 as a resource to replace fossil hydrocarbons in industrial production

EMEC welcome carbon capture technologies to engage at an early stage to identify if there is capacity to host new technologies on our sites. EMEC are also interested in downstream processes for captured carbon, such as fuel synthesis.

Deadline: 2 September 2025

Funding Available: €7m per project (2 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-27

New CO2 capture technologies

EMEC welcome carbon capture technologies to engage at an early stage to identify if there is capacity to host new technologies on our sites. EMEC are also interested in downstream processes for captured carbon, such as fuel synthesis.

Deadline: 2 September 2025

Funding Available: €7m per project (2 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-27

Innovative solutions for energy conversion and safety of low and zero-carbon fuels in waterborne transport (ZEWT Partnership)

Get in contact with our Business Development team to see how EMEC can support your project.

Deadline: 4 September 2025

Funding Available: €11.25m per project (2 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-10

Preparing the Advancement of the state of the art of submarine cable infrastructures (CSA)

EMEC have significant experience in subsea engineering and ocean testing and are interested in providing support for the development of next generation submarine cables through testing and demonstration. Following the announcement of the Blue Robotarium consortium, EMEC would consider a guiding role in establishing testing facilities for submarine cables, sensoring and underwater robotics.

Deadline: 2 October 2025

Funding Available: €2.1m

HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DATA-12

Digital technologies and energy transition in fisheries and aquaculture

EMEC can support consortia by offering access to test and demonstration facilities for new technologies, conducting marine trials, and training programmes for the aquaculture sector, and providing technical expertise to help integrate marine energy and alternative fuels into aquaculture operations.

Deadline: 24 September 2025

Funding Available: €5.825m per project (3-4 projects funded)

HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-03

Novel inverter technologies and flexibility in PV Systems (EUPI-PV Partnership)

EMEC can support with demonstration space and integration with existing site assets. This includes a vanadium flow battery set, hydrogen electrolyser, national grid switchgear and other renewable energy generation assets.

Deadline: 2 September 2025

Funding Available: €6m per project (3 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2025-02-D3-11

Flexible and mobile solutions for Onshore Power Supply 

Get in contact with our Business Development team to see how EMEC can support your project.

Deadline: 4 September 2025

Funding Available: €5m – 1 project funded.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-14

Demonstration of better energy storage systems in existing and new vessels via novel energy storage and ship design concepts (ZEWT Partnership)

Get in contact with our Business Development team to see how EMEC can support your project.

Deadline: 4 September 2025

Funding Available: €7.5m per project (2 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-11

Optimal integrated onboard renewable energy solutions by considering Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems

Get in contact with our Business Development team to see how EMEC can support your project.

Deadline: 4 September 2025

Funding Available: €7.5m – 1 project funded.

HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-15

Understand and minimise the environmental impacts of offshore wind energy.

Utilising our technical expertise, EMEC can facilitate supporting environmental assessment campaigns, provide metocean data sets and expertise in running long-term environmental monitoring.

Deadline: 17 February 2026

Funding Available: €5m per project (3 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-08

Improved reliability and optimised operations and maintenance for wind energy systems

Support and demonstration infrastructure provider. Technical resource in engineering and metocean research.

Deadline: 17 February 2026

Funding Available: €5m per project (3 projects funded)

HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-07

RISEnergy – free access to EMEC test sites

Funded by Horizon Europe R&I programme, this call enables academic and industry researchers’ free access to testing facilities, including EMEC, through grant funding.

Total award: £10 million
Deadline: 4 May 2025 - 2nd call now open.

Who can apply: The call is open to researchers from academia and industry from all EU member states or Horizon Europe-associated countries. Applicants not from any of these countries are eligible, but only for 20% of the costs covered.

Research areas: The call is looking for innovative solutions to improve energy systems and/or reduce the life cycle cost of energy technologies enabling a wider use of renewable energy. The call covers a broad scope of research areas, including:

• ocean energy
• offshore wind
• hydrogen
• energy storage
• biofuels
• concentrated solar power
• photovoltaics
• information and communication technology
• integrated grids
• materials for energy

How to apply: RISEnergy recommends getting in touch with your preferred research infrastructure to discuss timings and duration of your project before submitting a proposal. We’ve found that those who have already reached out to us have benefited from a better understanding of the call and how it can support technology demonstrations. Applications are then submitted through the application portal on the RISEnergy website.

We’re keen to hear from potential applicants to support your bid. Please get in touch to discuss your application as soon as possible. For offshore projects contact Lily Wain (T: +44 (0)1865 852216 | E: lily.wain@emec.org.uk); For onshore projects contact George Colcomb (T: +44 (0)1856 852232 | E: george.colcomb@emec.org.uk). If in doubt, contact commercial@emec.org.uk and someone in our team will get in touch.

For full details, see: RISEnergy – Transnational Access Call

SMART: Scotland Grants

Call focus

SMART: Scotland grants can support feasibility studies, helping to show how innovative solutions can work in the real world.

The SMART grant aims to support priority R+D areas such as:

• Creating international competitive energy transition industry in Scotland
• Scaling the impact of Scotland’s innovation strengths into high-growth industries in future.
• Driving capital investment to deliver a step-change in Scotland’s productivity.

EMEC would be delighted to support the delivery of such projects and can offer input to feasibility studies relating to a wide range of energy related innovations. To be eligible, you must be an SME or an individual based, or planning to set up, in Scotland.

Total award: £100,000, 70% funded
Deadline: SMART: SCOTLAND accepts new applications all year round.

For full details, see: SMART: Scotland grants | Scottish Enterprise

European Space Agency - Green Hydrogen as a Sustainable Energy Source

Call focus

The European Space Agency are opening an ITT to explore innovative uses of space technology to advance green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. The study aims to leverage satellite communications, Earth observation and satellite navigation to support green hydrogen production, storage and distribution across multiple sectors including:

• Energy
• Transportation
• Maritime
• Smart cities

EMEC are interested in supporting development of associated tools and can offer partners use of hydrogen production assets to facilitate feasibility studies.

Total award: €200,000, 80% funded
Deadline: 6 June 2025

For full details, see: European Space Agency - Green Hydrogen as a Sustainable Energy Source

Innovate UK Business Growth – Exploit Innovation

Call focus

Innovate UK can offer applicants with a suitable project, currently benefitting from their growth and advisory support, a grant for 100% of eligible costs to introduction, advice and support from Catapult or RTOs to support in nurturing early-stage technologies and innovations.

Maximum Award: £15,000
Deadline: Rolling call

For full details, see: Exploit innovation – Innovate UK Business Growth

European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator

Call focus

Businesses from the UK can apply for the “grant only” part of this Horizon Accelerator. The EIC Accelerator is a funding programme under Horizon Europe designed for start-ups and SMEs who are looking for substantial funding, but the risks involved are too high for private investors alone to invest. The scheme welcomes technologies/innovations at TRL6-8.

EMEC would support an application, providing commercialisation support for new technologies and planning to support first-of-a-kind demonstration, either at EMEC’s sites or elsewhere, providing virtual assistance.

Funding Intensity: 70% of total cost
Maximum Award: £10,000,000
Deadline: Q1 2026

For full details, see: European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator