Energy Systems Scale Ups challenge

Can your business accelerate the decarbonisation of homes and/or support the transition to a flexible, digitalised net zero energy system?

Energy Systems Catapult has launched a new challenge call offering acceleration support for up to four energy systems SME innovators entering the scale up stage. The call aims to find the United Kingdom’s most promising later-stage energy startups, to provide tailored support worth up to £75,000 that will develop and strengthen their innovations and accelerate their growth.

The UK’s path to Net Zero by 2050 requires pioneering SMEs who are innovating towards a greener future. Many of these SMEs lack access to the support and financing needed to scale-up their businesses and unleash their full potential.

Depending on assessed needs, applicants can access the Catapult’s expertise, tools and assets such as:

• Market engagement: including analytical support to further develop business model and value propositions, understand target markets better, and support to identify, market and communicate to potential customer groups.
• Systems integration: assessing the ‘system readiness’ of the innovation through our Aspects of Integration framework.
• Modelling: through a range of models, such as Home Energy Dynamics and Energy Storage and Flexibility, Energy Systems Catapult can help innovators simulate performance and address specific customer/investor questions. This could include developing commercial Return on Investment models.
• Consumer engagement: helping innovators ensure end-user needs are factored into product and service design to validate their business model. Support with User Interface design improvements and end user testing.
• Test and validation: confirming the performance of the product or service, through our demonstration capabilities such as the Living Lab of over 2,500 real homes or the Whole Energy Systems Accelerator.
• Digital and data: gaining deeper insight and help into digital fitness, data management and alignment to the recommendations of the open data taskforce.
• Accessing scale-up funding: CR&D project and application development and investor engagement and support in preparing for, identifying and meeting relevant investors.
• International opportunities: Targeting overseas markets where the Catapult is active and support to develop the right export roadmap strategy and plan.

Find out more about the Energy Systems Scale Ups challenge and how to apply.

First published 20 March 2024