Energy Catalyst Round 11 Late S

Application Platform: Innovation Funding Service (IFS).

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

Assessment Process: Applications are reviewed by independent assessors based on the competition criteria and overall project quality.

Co-Funders: International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)

Collaboration Rules: Applications must be collaborative and include at least one legally separate collaborator. The consortium must include at least one SME from anywhere in the world claiming grant funding.

Competitiveness: Approximately 15% success rate based on previous rounds.

Decision Risks: Applications may be rejected if they fall outside scope, do not meet ODA requirements, fail eligibility checks or do not meet funding rules.

Decision Timeline: Applicants notified around 18 May 2026.

Eligible Expenses: Eligible project costs related to innovation development, testing, demonstration and project delivery. All costs must be justified and directly related to the project.

Eligible Scope: Projects must develop, test or scale innovative technologies or business models that improve access to affordable, reliable and low-carbon energy in eligible countries and demonstrate clear social or economic benefit.

Funding Intensity: For experimental development projects: up to 45% for micro or small organisations, up to 35% for medium organisations and up to 25% for large organisations.

Important Notes: Successful projects will be enrolled in the Energy Access Accelerator programme, which provides additional business support and advisory services to improve commercialisation outcomes.

Ineligible Projects: Projects not focused on improving clean energy access, not compliant with ODA requirements, or where energy innovation is not the primary focus. Projects dependent on export performance or domestic input requirements cannot be funded.

Key Requirements: Projects must address clean energy access, demonstrate ODA compliance, include international collaboration and integrate Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) considerations.

Lead Organisation Requirement: The administrative lead must be a UK registered business that manages the application and distributes grant funding to partners.

Match Funding Requirement: Organisations must fund the remaining project costs beyond the grant amount.

Project Duration: Between 6 and 36 months

Project End Date: Projects must end by 31 March 2030

Project Start Date: Projects must start from 1 August 2026

Publication Date: 2026-01-12 00:00:00

Renewal Rules: Not specified.

Research Category: Experimental development projects close to market.

Research Organisation Funding: Research organisations undertaking non-economic activity may share up to 30% of total eligible project costs. Funding may be up to 100% for eligible organisations or 80% full economic cost for academic institutions using Je-S.

Subcontractors: Allowed from anywhere in the world, provided costs are justified and procured through normal procurement processes.

Technology Lead: The project must include a technology lead responsible for technical scope and work packages. This organisation can be from any country but must claim grant funding.

Total Fund Available: Up to £7,000,000