Watch our Application Support Webinar here
Watch our application support webinar here and find the presentation slides here.
The webinar covered the journey of the programme to date, presentation National Highways and information on the challenges that have been set, alongside supporting information on the overall programme vision and guidance on the application process.
Please register for our application support webinar at 2pm on Tuesday 1 August here.
Calling all innovators working in clean transport technology in the West Midlands. Apply to the Clean Futures Accelerator and receive up to £50k to push the boundaries of your technology!
About the Clean Futures Accelerator
The West Midlands has huge potential to drive jobs and growth through harnessing the power of innovation. As identified in the
West Midlands Plan for Growth, the region is the centre for key growth clusters for advanced manufacturing and home to the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’.
Clean Futures will support the West Midlands’ transport sector as it transitions away from fossil fuels towards clean tech and drive economic growth in the region by accelerating the route to market for SMEs in the sector. The programme is being led by Connected Places Catapult alongside partners: the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation, Coventry University and Coventry University Services Limited.
Over the course of two years, 40 SMEs will be selected to join a 6-month, challenge-led accelerator where they will receive up to £50K to trial their solution. The challenges in the accelerator will be built around rail and automotive manufacturing, along with related supply chains. The accelerator will also provide bespoke technical and commercial support as well as networking and showcasing events to connect the SMEs with industry and financial partners.
Programme challenges
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Greener EV Components
Design or production of components which reduce embodied carbon across the vehicle lifecycle.
We are seeking solutions for life-cycle sustainability of electric vehicles which also aid in removing one of the largest blockers in the uptake of clean transport technology: cost of acquisition and use. By combining sustainability and affordability, we aim to contribute to the desire of the population of users to choose sustainable options. In the West Midlands today, there are over 3 million cars, projected to increase to 4 million by 2030. The growth rate of EV uptake was 50% from 2021 to 2022. We are looking for SMEs involved in manufacturing of systems and sub-systems for any type of electric vehicle from micro-mobility, through traditional road vehicles, to public transport, and HGVs and other large vehicles. This will also support the transition of traditional manufacturing and supply chains in the West Midlands to the electric vehicle market. In fact, companies making parts for conventional transport systems have high potential to access this challenge through changes to their process or selecting alternative materials or parts.
Solutions that address this challenge could include:
- Local manufacturers producing components for traditional vehicles at scale (with cost efficiencies) which could be adapted to EVs.
- Use of alternative materials which are more sustainable or cost effective.
- Lightweighting solutions or components for EVs.
- SMEs solving challenges to adapt components for traditional vehicles for EVs, or manufacturing these components in a way which will become more cost effective than the existing solution at scale.
- SMEs supporting designing or manufacturing EV components more efficiently (in terms of cost and/or emissions).
- Manufacturers of solutions to improve in-life serviceability of battery packs, even in cases where a single cell fails.
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Circular Economy of Transport
Design or manufacture of solutions to reuse or recycle batteries and other vehicle components.
The circular economy offers a plethora of potential innovations to improve the sustainability of manufacturing and transport. Clean Futures aim to contribute to the circular economy in transport by reusing and recycling some of the biggest contributors to emissions today, which are rarely reused or recycled, especially batteries which represent 50% of the value of EVs today. This means focusing on products known to be needed for clean transportation technologies and elevating them to a higher tier of energy conservation within the circular economy; reduce > rethink > reduce > reuse > repair > refurbish > remanufacture > repurpose > recycle > recover.
All solutions must consider their full lifecycle impact on emissions, financial viability, availability of components being reused or recycled, and demand for the new-life application. They should also have transferable learnings to identified additional opportunities beyond the circular material or product being tested or developed.
The programme invites SMEs to contribute to this challenge through the following:
- New battery or other component designs which are more recyclable, or more easily disassembled: first life design with end-of-life kept in mind.
- Solutions to accelerate or reduce costs of testing used batteries and other components to grade them and enable them to be reused, and to know for which applications they are likely to be viable.
- Solutions to help recycle existing battery and other component designs, including the structure around battery cells including electronics beyond the life of the battery cells themselves.
- New natural, fibre-based composite systems designed with end-of-life in mind.
- Reduction in the need for primary sourcing of materials.
- Solutions to recover and reuse fibre reinforcements, taking fiberglass or plastic systems used for reinforcement to reuse as part of a first-life application.
- Solutions to directly redeploy vehicle systems or sub-systems, with as little additional transformation as possible.
- Recycling or redeploying other components of vehicles which have a significant impact on emissions, and are not currently widely recycled or reused.
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Road Freight Alternatives
Design or production of systems or sub-systems enabling alternatives to traditional road freight, including using existing infrastructure, facilitating multi-modal freight transportation, and exploring shared transport solutions
Clean Futures aims to reduce road-based freight movements which are some of the largest sources of emissions today. To do this, we wish to develop alternative, cleaner modes of freight. This can be achieved through leveraging existing infrastructure such as rail, as well as leveraging multi-modal transportation. Finally, we aim to optimise capacity utilisation of infrastructure and assets through shared transport solutions combining freight and passenger transport.
Within this challenge, solutions could include:
- Innovations contributing to rail-based freight planning to improve the planning infrastructure of heavy rail to encourage the use of freight, without negatively impacting passengers.
- Solutions to use people transportation for freight, especially when capacity is available.
- End-to-end tracking of freight across multi-modal transportation.
- Enablers of multi-modal transportation by connecting the modes for freight, such as parcel transfers from a train to a tram or a bus.
- Micro-mobility for last-mile freight deliveries.
![](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/Green%20transport%20infra%20shutterstock_1716981481-min%20%281%29.jpg)
Greener Transport Infrastructure
Design or production of cost-effective solutions for clean transportation infrastructure.
We aim to contribute to an urban mass rail-based transit system that enables small to medium sized cities and towns to afford a clean, reliable and accessible connected public transport system.. This will decrease air pollution and emissions and improve connectivity; putting the West Midlands at the forefront of a mass transit system, enabling worldwide sales opportunities. The critical success factor to achieve this is in improve affordability, with a target construction of under £10 million per kilometre of track form.
We are looking for SMEs with solutions which reduce embodied emissions across the lifecycle across the following themes:
- Reduce destruction and disruption of utilities.
- Decarbonise the materials being used.
- Build the track itself.
- Reduce the infrastructure requirements of building and operating the system, such as onboard signalling, control systems, turnouts, infrastructure required to produce cycling safety schemes, communication systems, drainage systems and more.
- Any other innovation which could support the target construction of under £10m per kilometre of track form.
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Future Fuels
The production of, transport, or store alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biofuels, or synthetic fuels.
While electrification is ongoing, alternative fuels can bridge the gap and reduce emissions versus traditional fuels. There are also applications where electricity is difficult to apply, such as for combine harvesters and rural transport with long travel distances and limited charging and supply infrastructure. Biofuels also have the additional benefit in reducing waste from crops which would otherwise rot into methane. We are looking at SMEs contributing to producing, transporting or storing biofuels, synthetic fuels and hydrogen in the West Midlands, and making them accessible to their consumers.
![](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/Future%20Fuels%20shutterstock_2205161449-min.jpg)
Future Fuels
The production of, transport, or store alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biofuels, or synthetic fuels.
- Local production and transportation to increase the affordability of hydrogen fuels in the West Midlands, as well as reduce waste.
- Focus on areas where electrification is a challenge, such as larger machines (e.g. Combine harvesters, HGVs, tractors, refuse trucks and other maintenance vehicles).
- Solutions to retrofit vehicles today to be compatible with alternative fuels (only where vehicles have long life, such as HGVs and heavy rail).
- Applying alternative fuels for EV charging infrastructure, especially in places where charging infrastructure may be less accessible.
- Efficient storage and transportation of alternative fuels, with reduced waste, space utilization and lower emissions.
- Applying cleaner fuels from aircraft and maritime to automotive and rail.
What is on offer?
![Innovation Funding](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/6.png)
Funding Opportunities
Up to £50K in trial funding, to be matched by the SME in-kind
![Challenge Discovery](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/7.png)
Coaching & Mentorship
Bespoke coaching and mentoring
![Customer Insight](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/1.png)
Industry Support
Access to the Clean Futures Catalyst, bringing together the wider West Midlands transport community
![Technical Support](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/4.png)
Technical Support
Access to technical experts
![Trial Development](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/5.png)
Growth Focus
Tailored business support;
![Trial Development](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/Artboard%201%20copy%202.png)
Collaborate
Collaboration with industry leaders
![Solution Showcase](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/f3.png)
Solution Showcase
Showcase events
![Solution Showcase](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/handshake%20%281%29.png)
Meet Key Contacts
Introductions to investors and customers
Partners
Connected Places Catapult
Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place leadership. They provide impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers to catalyse step-change improvements in the way people live, work and travel. They connect businesses and public sector leaders to cutting-edge research to spark innovation and grow new markets and run technology demonstrators and SME accelerators to scale new solutions that drive growth, spread prosperity, and reduce carbon emissions.
Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO)
Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and the driving force behind a new state-of-the-art research and development facility based in Dudley in the West Midlands. This £32m multi-purpose centre, situated at the heart of the Black Country, offers a host of unique facilities including a Rail Development and Test Site, Engineering Laboratories, Serviced Offices and an Events Suite.
Coventry University
Coventry University is a forward-looking, modern university who provides high-quality education with a focus on applied research. The Clean Futures programme provides SMEs with access to the facilities, skills and experience of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) and Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS).
AME, the UK's first 'Faculty on the Factory Floor’, supports businesses and education through the use of a combination of academia and industry and innovative research in a factory setting, to ensure that participants are industry-ready and future proofed in latest manufacturing technologies; and support businesses in commercialising research to meet industrial challenges.
C-ALPS is a £50m centre that combines academic expertise and state-of-the-art facilities in battery and supercapacitor cells, hydrogen fuel cells, e-motors and drives. Researchers and Clean Futures SMEs can collaborate on next generation electrified propulsion systems for the automotive, aerospace, marine and rail industries.
Coventry University Services Limited
Coventry University Services (CUS) is part of the Coventry University Group of companies and is where the enterprise, innovation and commercial-related activities that are undertaken across the group of companies is managed. With over 25 years of experience in delivering support to businesses in innovation, growth and internationalisation; CUS delivers over 500 business assists a year, from proof of concept through to commercialisation stages and is a delivery partner in Innovate UK Edge, with around 20 Senior Business advisors.
How to Apply
To apply to be on the 2023-24 Clean Futures Accelerator cohort (Nov 2023 – Apr 2024), please register through the link below. As part of your application, you will need to detail how you propose to use up to £50K funding to deliver a trial of your technology.
Please read the following supporting documents carefully before submitting your application.
Eligibility
The Clean Futures Accelerator is open to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in existing supply chains as well as those looking to move into new sectors. Clean Futures also welcomes bids from consortiums of partners, with a lead applicant who will be the funding recipient
- A UK company address
- An innovative technology or solution at TRL 5 or above.
- Demonstrable alignment to one of the challenges being addressed by this programme.
- A willingness to travel on occasion to face-to-face meetings and events in the West Midlands.
- A willingness to complete a development, testing or a demonstration of your solution in a real or relevant environment, using the BCIMO or Coventry University test sites.
- A willingness to match-fund your award (up to £50k) with in-kind support (e.g. labour, materials)
Key Dates
For more information...
If you have any questions about the programme please contact Harriet Muscroft, Accelerator Programme Manager, at Harriet.Muscroft@cp.catapult.org.uk
![](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/Clean%20Future_Clean%20Future.png)
Delivered By:
![Catapult Connected Places logo](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/logo%201.png)
![National Highways logo](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/BCIMO%20Simple%20with%20TM.png)
![](https://skipsolabs-catapult.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/froala/uploadedContent/uploads/Coventry%20University%20Logo%20landscape.jpg)
Equity & Diversity
Connected Places Catapult is collecting equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) data as part of the application process to promote and ensure equality of access for the Innovation Funding Grants it delivers. This data will help us monitor performance of efforts to promote ED&I in research and business innovation. All personal data will be processed in accordance with current UK data protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).