Research & Innovation

To view a map of the UK's innovation programmes please see the RES consultation document 

Historically, UK has provided relatively good support for research and development in the renewables space. Currently, there are the following key sources of funding:

Technology Programme - managed by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), based in Swindon and sponsored and administered by Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS). TSB is an executive non-departmental public body, hence supported by Government with some level of independence. See http://www.technologyprogramme.org.uk for information on specific calls.

The Carbon Trust - has the purpose to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by developing commercial low carbon technologies and working with business and the public sector to reduce carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust works with a number of different business models, from managing the distribution of public money to venture capital investment. Their Offshore Wind Accelerator programme is a collaboration between The Carbon Trust and a number of offshore wind farm developers and is focussed on short-to-tedium term cost reductions through some relatively large-scale funding of specific areas. See www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology for latest status.

Energy Technologies Institute -  established in 2007 to accelerate the development of secure, reliable and cost-effective low-carbon energy technologies towards commercial deployment.  Government is match-funding investment by energy businesses with up to £550m over the next 10 years. So far, support to the order of £250m has been provided by industry. An early call for funding for offshore wind is closed. Other calls will be announced in due course. See www.energytechnologies.co.uk for latest status.

Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF)- has an international element focussed on projects that support development and poverty reduction through environmental protection, and will help poor countries to tackle climate change. It will spend £800m to end 2010. The domestic element will spend £370m to 2010 on the demonstration and deployment of low carbon, non-nuclear, energy and energy efficiency technologies. Some of this money will be spent to help bring technologies through to market in the UK. Details of programmes are yet to be announced.

UK Energy Research Centre - UKERC’s mission is to be the UK's pre-eminent centre of research, and source of authoritative information and leadership, on sustainable energy systems. UKERC has a role in promoting topics for R&D but not in providing funding. It runs the National Energy Research Network (NERN) - an umbrella network for energy researchers. See www.ukerc.ac.uk for more details.

Engineering and Physical Science Research Council - (EPSRC) supports the Supergen Project, one element of which is looking at wind. EPSRC funding is only available to academic institutions. See www.epsrc.ac.uk for more details.

European CORDIS Programme -  has the objective to aid the creation and establishment of the technologies necessary to adapt the current energy system into a more sustainable, competitive and secure one.

Current programme for energy research comes under FP7. See http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7

The Energie Helpline UK is a free, Government-funded service that aims to ensure that UK companies, research institutions and other organisations are well informed and have every chance of success in applying for, and securing, European funding for energy related projects. A monthly bulletin is published that provides information on sustainable energy policy and funding in Europe and the UK. See http://www.energiehelpline.co.uk

European EUREKA Programme - (EUREKA) is a pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial R&D. It facilitates access to national public and private funding schemes. See www.eureka.be for more details. 

UK Renewables has a good awareness of R&D activity underway in renewables, especially in the wind sector. It also has links with investors and potential end users of relevant new technology. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a specific opportunity. enquiries@ukrenewables.com