£24M research funding targeted at reducing freight emissions

The investment, from The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK, is aimed at industry-led research trials and the development of innovative vehicles or on-vehicle technology.

These trials will need to provide “real-world”​ emissions reductions, and be ready for testing with vehicle operators, the organisations claimed. The OLEV said it was particularly keen on funding technologies that provided zero tailpipe emission miles.

Innovate UK said the funding would come in two streams. Stream one would support small fleets of low-emission vehicles (heavy goods vehicles and vans) and their refuelling and charging infrastructure. The aim, it explained, was to collect research data and test the benefits of the technology before fleet-wide adoption.

Low-emission equivalents​

The agencies would part-fund the difference in cost between the traditional vehicles and their low-emission equivalents, and the refuelling/charging point for use by the trial fleet, Innovate added.

Stream two would fund projects that developed or trialled innovative and disruptive on-vehicle technology, systems or business models. These must reduce emissions in the real world.

The OLEV and Innovate UK expected the projects undertaken to range in size from £500,000 to £5M. Each project should last between 18 months and two years.

£500,000 to £5M​

Trial fleets must be run for at least a year and usage data collected throughout that period. A team operating on behalf of OLEV and Innovate UK will analyse the data.

Projects must be collaborative and business led. Interested parties need to register before noon on October 12 2016, and apply before noon on October 19 2016.

In another funding competition currently available from Innovate, UK businesses and universities can apply for a share of £4M to work with developing country partners on agri-tech innovations.

Innovate is also able to provide guidance on Horizon 2020, the largest ever European funding programme for research and innovation. This programme focuses on removing barriers to innovation, has a budget of 79bn and will run until 2020.