£3m up for grabs in Innovate UK maritime competition

Open to projects involving micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, the competition has £3m to fund projects of £25,000 to £750,000 in the region. The funding is split into two streams - smaller Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) grants up to £100,000 and Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) up to £750,000.

The latest competition will be the second round of funding under the Innovate UK marine and maritime launchpad for the Great South West. The first round last year offered 12 companies a share of £1.85m in funding for technologies such as marine autonomy applications, zero-emission unmanned surface vessel systems, hydrogen propulsion and water quality monitoring.

The funding aims to support regional net zero targets and support strategic marine and maritime markets in the UK's Great South West, an area which accounts for 25% of UK marine manufacturing jobs.

The organisers gave non-exhaustive outlines of the the three key themes as: 

Monitoring and Autonomy - Developing or using disruptive technologies to replace traditional ship-based alternatives for equipment inspection and other marine monitoring operations and enhance safety of the seas, such as in the offshore renewable energy industry.

Related:UK government launches £1.5m green corridor funding

Clean Maritime - Transitioning to alternative fuel powered vessels using energy from low or zero emission sources or highly efficient batteries, also integrating ports into a decarbonised energy network and supplying the fuels of the future.

Digital Ocean Technology - Advancing sensor and communication technology and their connectedness and interoperability, to enhance our understanding of the ocean and the impacts from offshore operations, including in aquaculture and the emerging ocean economy.

The competition opens for entries on September 2, 2024 and closes 16 October 2024.