Clean Maritime Demonstration Co

Application Platform: Innovate UK Innovation Funding Service (IFS)

Application Sections: Project details, application questions covering innovation and market opportunity, finances, and project impact.

Assessment Process: Applications are assessed by independent experts based on innovation, feasibility, market opportunity, environmental impact, team capability, and project management.

Clean Maritime Skills: Projects may also focus on training and workforce skills required for clean maritime design, manufacturing, operations, and maintenance.

Collaboration Requirement: Applications must be collaborative and include at least one additional UK registered organisation.

Commercialisation Requirement: Applicants must present a strategy for commercialising the technology and demonstrate market potential and economic value to the UK.

Cost Share Requirement: The remaining eligible project costs must be funded by the participating organisations.

Decision Timeline: Applicants expected to be notified around 27 October 2026.

Eligible Project Partners: UK registered businesses, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations, and research and technology organisations (RTOs).

End User Requirement: Projects must include at least one representative end user such as a vessel operator, port authority, or harbour authority.

Funding Intensity: Businesses can receive up to 70% funding for micro or small organisations, up to 60% for medium organisations, and up to 50% for large organisations.

Funding Source: Department for Transport

Green Shipping Corridors: Projects may support the development of green shipping corridors with near-zero emission vessels operating between ports.

Important Restrictions: Projects must not involve substantial technology testing in water during the feasibility stage and must focus on desk-based feasibility analysis.

Infrastructure Areas: Shore power solutions, fuel bunkering infrastructure, renewable energy integration at ports, charging infrastructure for electric vessels, and infrastructure for alternative maritime fuels.

International Participation: Non-UK organisations can participate as non-funded partners and may carry out project work outside the UK.

Key Conditions: Projects must demonstrate strong collaboration, innovation potential, measurable emissions reduction potential, and a clear pathway to real-world deployment by 2029.

Key Deliverables: Feasibility studies must produce a clear and costed plan for future deployment trials and quantify potential greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Key Objectives: Demonstrate potential to reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions from maritime operations and support future operational deployment of clean maritime technologies.

Knowledge Sharing: Projects must share findings with the Department for Transport, Innovate UK, and industry stakeholders and contribute to evaluation of the programme.

Lead Organisation Requirement: The project lead must be a UK registered business collaborating with other eligible organisations.

Project Cost Range: £100,000 to £1,000,000 total eligible project costs

Project Duration: Up to 12 months

Project End Date: By 31 March 2028

Project Scope: Projects must deliver desk-based technical and economic feasibility studies for innovative clean maritime technologies that support future demonstration and commercial deployment.

Project Start Date: By 1 April 2027

Projects Not Funded: Projects focused solely on improving conventional fossil fuel systems, marine conservation projects, military applications, submarines, or non-innovative technologies.

Publication Date: 2026-03-11 00:00:00

Research Organisation Funding: Research organisations conducting non-economic activity may receive up to 100% of eligible costs or 80% FEC depending on the organisation type.

Research Participation Limit: Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity can share up to 50% of total eligible project costs.

Smart Shipping Technologies: AI-enabled vessel optimisation, digital twins, automated systems, route planning optimisation, smart shipping safety systems, connectivity and sensor technologies.

Technology Areas: Vessel propulsion systems, hydrogen or ammonia fuel systems, alternative fuels, onboard energy storage, wind propulsion, onboard carbon capture, energy efficiency technologies, and enabling technologies such as sensors and power electronics.

Total Fund Available: Up to £121,000,000 across all competition strands