This competition will provide grant support for UK businesses carrying out projects to develop technologies, energy systems and mission architecture needed for space based solar power.
Space Based Solar Power (SBSP) is the concept of collecting solar power in a high earth orbit and beaming it securely to a fixed point on the earth and could deliver clean baseload energy day and night throughout the year. A recently published independent report found SBSP to be technically feasible, potentially economically competitive and aligned with UK government priorities.
This competition will provide grants to fund innovation in SBSP. It will support technologies at Technology Readiness (TRL) Level 1 to 6 at the start of the project.
Funding is divided into four lots:
- Wireless power transmission
- High concentration solar PV
- SBSP energy systems engineering
- SBSP space mission architecture feasibility studies
The total budget available for the Competition is from £3 million with potential for an additional amount of up to £3 million which is split across the four lots. Applicants are eligible to receive up to £1 million of grant funding for Lots 1 & 2 or £500,000 for Lots 3 & 4.
This scheme operates under two different categories for aid - Aid for start-ups and Aid for research and development. Sole applicants can apply for either Aid for start-ups; or Aid for research and development projects. Consortia must apply for Aid for research and development projects. Applicants can apply for Aid for start-ups if they are a small or micro business that has existed for fewer than five years since the date they were registered with Companies House.
Over 50% of the project’s activities must be conducted in the UK. The fraction of the project activities that take place in the UK is measured as the proportion of the total eligible project costs that are spent in the UK, as opposed to spent outside the UK.
The deadline for applications is 23 September 2022 (14:00 BST).
How To Apply
The Competition is open to applications between 20 July 2022 and 23 September 2022 (14:00 BST).
Questions can be submitted to [email protected]
Further information is available from the BEIS website.