Funding for development of circular critical materials supply chains

Support for the development of resilient UK based supply chains for rare earth elements

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £5 million in innovation projects as part of the CLIMATES programme that is focused on circular critical materials supply chains.

The aim of this competition is to stimulate growth in a circular critical materials supply chain for high performance magnets. Collaborative innovation projects will address opportunities across the whole value chain and help increase supply chain resilience.

This competition is split into two strands:

• early-stage feasibility studies will be funded under strand 1 of the Critical materials for magnets competition
• mid and late-stage research and development projects will be funded under strand 2 of the Critical materials for magnets competition

Your project’s total costs must be up to £500,000 for feasibility studies or up to £1 million for industrial research and experimental development.

Your project must be focused on rare earth elements (REE) or new and alternative materials for permanent magnets. REEs are defined as the group of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, the fifteen Lanthanides plus Scandium and Yttrium.

Your project can cover one, or more of the following areas:

• mining and up-stream
• mid-stream
• down-stream and magnet manufacture
• circular supply chains
• new and alternative materials

This list is not exhaustive. Contact Innovate UK to discuss the scope eligibility of any alternative areas by email to support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes.

First published 2 June 2023