Funding Available

Industrial Sprint projects are expected to have total values of between £50,000 and £250,000 (although requests for larger projects may be considered depending on the nature of the project). Industry contributions both cash and “in-kind” are expected to be included in the overall project value.

Eligibility

The Faraday Institution welcomes approaches at any time from:

• Industry organisations that would like to get involved with our research projects. Prospective industry partners should contact Ian Ellerington to discuss their proposal;
• Existing Faraday Institution Research grant recipients seeking to commercialise research outcomes with industry partners. Existing grant recipients must discuss potential proposals with the Faraday Institution Project Manager of their core funding before applying. The Project Manager will work with the applicant to consider if the proposed project could be included within the resources available to the core project before applying for Sprint Funding.

Application Process

1. Potential applicants are invited to discuss submissions with the Faraday Institution as specified above who will seek advice from industry partners and expert panel members on the wider application and value of the Sprint project and seek to shape the opportunity in collaboration with the applicant.
2. Applicants will then be invited to complete a short application form covering the technical challenge, technical project approach, commercial relevance, expected outcomes, impact on the UK battery market and project organisation. Applications may be submitted at any time using Flexigrant. If you have any questions about the Flexigrant system, contact [email protected].
3. On a quarterly basis, the Faraday Institution will convene an assessment panel to review applications. Panels will review submissions submitted before 31^st October, 31^st January, 30^th April and 31^st July of each year (12th November for submissions in the autumn of 2023). Applicants may be invited to discuss their application with members of the panel. The panel will treat the applications and any discussions as confidential.
4. The applications will be judged on their potential impact on the UK battery market considering factors such as:
   • Commercialisation potential (likelihood of success) and delivery of a defined end point that delivers an outcome useful to UK industry.
   • The extent to which the research project objectives align to the Faraday Institution mission.
   • The quality and clarity of the work proposed.
   • The quality of the project management and governance arrangements.
   • The commercial, societal and academic impact of the research.
   • Value for money of the research programme as assessed.
   • Budget justification and availability of Faraday Institution funds.
5. For successful applications, an offer of funding will be made that may be conditional on satisfactory progress. The Faraday Institution will offer additional support such as publicity and introductions to funders, customers and providers of business support.
6. The amount of funding offered may be different to the amount requested and the Faraday Institution will wish to influence the scope of work included for financing.
7. The Faraday Institution will endeavour to give unsuccessful applications feedback on the outcome of the assessment. As a minimum there will be a summary of panel results. The Faraday Institution is not obliged to enter any further discussions with any applicant.