Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 7: Feasibility Studies

Document research last revised 2026-08-24.

Funding Source

Department for Transport (DfT)

Project Cost Range

£100,000 to £1,000,000 total eligible project costs

Eligible Project Partners

UK registered businesses of any size, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations, and research and technology organisations (RTOs).

International Participation

The competition is primarily structured around UK-registered organisations. Any participation by organisations outside the UK must comply with the specific competition and Innovate UK eligibility requirements.

Project Scope

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

Key Objectives

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

Infrastructure Areas

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

Smart Shipping Technologies

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

Clean Maritime Skills

Projects may focus on training and workforce skills required for clean maritime design, manufacturing, operations, and maintenance.

Green Shipping Corridors

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

End User Requirement

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

Research Organisation Funding

Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity can share up to 50% of total eligible project costs. RTOs, charities, not-for-profits, public sector organisations and research organisations can receive up to 100% of eligible costs, while academic institutions can receive 80% of Full Economic Cost (FEC).

Cost Share Requirement

The remaining eligible project costs must be funded by the participating organisations.

Research Participation Limit

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

Key Deliverables

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

Commercialisation Requirement

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

Knowledge Sharing

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

Projects Not Funded

Projects focused solely on improving conventional fossil fuel systems, marine conservation projects, military applications, submarines, or non-innovative technologies.

Next Opening Date

No next opening date has been announced for this specific opportunity.

Eligible Collaborators

Collaborating organisations can include businesses, research organisations, academic institutions, charities, public sector organisations and other eligible UK organisations, subject to the competition rules.

Eligible Technology Areas

Clean vessel technologies, alternative fuels, electrification, energy efficiency, renewable energy, shore-side infrastructure, smart shipping and other technologies that can reduce emissions from maritime activities.

Eligible Skills Focus

Feasibility work addressing skills requirements associated with the transition to cleaner maritime technologies and operations.

Ineligible Costs / Activities

Projects that fall outside the clean maritime scope or that primarily involve the physical testing, demonstration or deployment of technologies rather than feasibility assessment are not appropriate for this feasibility-study strand.

Key Organisational Requirements

The project must be collaborative. The lead organisation must be a UK-registered business and must collaborate with other UK-registered organisations.

Project Type

Feasibility study

Objectives

To support feasibility work that establishes whether innovative clean maritime technologies, infrastructure and skills solutions can progress towards real-world deployment and contribute to the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.

Environmental Requirements

Projects should demonstrate how the proposed solution can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with maritime activities.

Commercialisation / Deployment Focus

Feasibility studies should provide evidence and knowledge needed to progress solutions towards future commercialisation and deployment rather than simply undertaking exploratory research.

EDI Requirements

Applicants should consider equality, diversity and inclusion within project development and delivery and take account of relevant wider societal impacts.

Important Notes

This is the feasibility studies strand of Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 7. It is distinct from the pre-deployment and deployment trials strands. The competition is collaboration-only, and the lead applicant must be a UK-registered business. (UK Research and Innovation)

Important Status Note

Closed. Applications opened on 11 March 2026 at 9:30 AM UK time and closed on 15 July 2026 at 11:00 AM UK time. No future opening date is currently announced on the official UKRI opportunity page. (UK Research and Innovation)

Official Source 1

UKRI: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 7: Feasibility Studies

Official Source 2

Find a Grant: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 7: Feasibility Studies

Additional Source

Innovate UK Business Connect: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 7

Application deadline in source document

15 July 2026, 11:00 AM UK time

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance