DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund

Application Platform: Innovation Funding Service (IFS)

Application Sections: Project details, application questions and financial information.

Assessment Process: Applications are assessed by independent technical assessors and government economists followed by interviews and final appraisal before funding decisions are made.

Co-Funders: Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

Collaboration Rules: Collaborative projects are permitted where partners contribute technical expertise, manufacturing capability or supply chain capacity.

Competitiveness: Not specified

Consortium Requirements: Projects may include multiple consortium partners including businesses, research organisations and other organisations contributing to the automotive supply chain.

Decision Risks: Applications may be rejected if they do not meet scope requirements, fail value for money assessment, lack sufficient private investment or do not demonstrate strong manufacturing scale up potential.

Decision Timeline: Decisions are made after the assessment and interview stages following each submission window.

Eligible Expenses: Eligible project costs relating to development, validation, manufacturing capability, equipment, facilities and innovation activities necessary to scale production technologies.

Eligible Scope: Projects must develop and validate manufacturing processes, facilities or technologies that support large scale production of zero emission vehicle technologies and strengthen the UK automotive supply chain.

Funding Intensity: Projects must not request more than 50% of total project costs as grant funding for SMEs or 30% for large organisations.

Important Notes: Applicants must secure match funding within a defined period after receiving a grant offer before the project can begin. The programme uses a portfolio approach when selecting projects for funding.

Ineligible Projects: Projects not focused on manufacturing scale up or validation of automotive technologies, projects focused on fossil fuel internal combustion technologies, hydrogen production, fuel supply activities, or technologies unrelated to the automotive sector.

International Collaboration Requirement: International organisations may participate as partners or subcontractors where justified.

Interview Stage: Yes. Applicants invited to interview must present the project and respond to questions from assessors and government economists.

Key Requirements: Projects must demonstrate commercial scale up potential, strong market validation, contribution to the UK automotive supply chain and alignment with the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Lead Organisation Requirement: The lead applicant must be a UK registered organisation responsible for delivering the project and managing the grant funding.

Match Funding Requirement: Projects must secure private investment and match funding to cover the remaining project costs.

Project Duration: Not specified

Project End Date: Not specified

Project Start Date: From 2 June 2026 depending on submission window

Publication Date: 2025-09-17 00:00:00

Renewal Rules: Not specified

Research Category: Industrial research and experimental development focused on manufacturing scale up and commercialisation.

Research Organisation Funding: Research organisations may participate where they support industrial partners and contribute to project delivery.

Subcontractors: Subcontractors are permitted and must be selected through appropriate procurement processes.

Total Fund Available: Not specified