The Government has launched a new fund to help small to medium-sized UK businesses develop greener and more efficient solutions for freight.

The Freight Innovation Fund has been established to help freight deliveries across the UK become more efficient by supporting innovative new ideas and technology across the industry.

The Fund will support small and medium businesses (SMEs) working with industry-leading companies to develop innovations to make freight greener and more resilient, such as ways to improve how freight moves between rail, road and maritime transport.

SMEs will benefit from an Accelerator, which will provide bespoke business support to innovators to help them access private investment, as well as an Innovation Cluster, a community of innovators within the freight industry that hosts regular networking events and activities.

£7 million has been allocated to the programme to support businesses until 2024. The Accelerator will select up to 36 SMEs over three open calls until 2024. Successful firms will join a six-month programme, where they will each have the opportunity to access up to £150,000 of grant funding to trial their solutions with industry partners.

UK based SMEs are encouraged to apply in partnership with other organisations, such as corporate partners, with whom they are already in discussions to support the trials. 

Applications for the first open call are being accepted until 5 February 2023.

How To Apply

Applications for the first open call opened on 9 January 2023.

Applications are open until 5 February 2023.

Applications are made online.

More details are available from Connected Places Catapult