DRIVE35 Feasibility Studies Grant 2025

Programme:Department for Business & Trade and Innovate UK (APC)

Awards:Up to £5m

Geographical Scope:national

Beneficiaries:private

Key Features:Secure funding to explore the feasibility of your net-zero transport technologies with up to £5 million available across UK-based scale-ups.

Key Features

Up to £5 million total funding available for feasibility studies that explore scale‑up of zero‑emission heavy goods vehicles and road freight infrastructure.
Supports early‑stage TRL 3‑4 concepts across battery management and second‑life systems, high‑power fuel cell modules, advanced drives and transmissions, lightweight materials, thermal management and cryogenic storage.
Open to UK‑registered businesses of any size working alone or in collaboration to develop the UK supply chain for zero‑carbon road freight.
Funded by the Department for Business & Trade and delivered by Innovate UK/Advanced Propulsion Centre as part of the DRIVE35 scale‑up programme.
Projects develop feasibility and business cases to prepare for future demonstration or collaborative R&D competitions.

Eligibility

Lead applicant must be a UK‑registered business of any size; research organisations and RTOs may collaborate but cannot lead.
Applicants may work alone or form UK‑based consortia with other businesses, universities or public bodies.
Projects should focus on feasibility (TRL 3‑4) rather than development or demonstration.
All work must be carried out in the UK and results exploited primarily in the UK.
Proposals must show potential to scale to demonstration or commercialisation in later DRIVE35 strands.
Projects should begin from 1 October 2025 and conclude by 30 April 2026 (around six to eight months).

Application Timeline

• Opens: 14 July 2025
• Closes: 3 September 2025 at 11:00 am UK time
• Notifications: Mid‑September 2025
• Project start: From 1 October 2025
• Project end: No later than 30 April 2026

Partner & Funder Context

The DRIVE35 feasibility studies competition is funded by the UK Department for Business & Trade and delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). It forms part of the government’s Zero Emission Road Freight demonstrator programme and supports the transition of heavy goods vehicles and freight logistics to zero‑emission solutions. The programme aims to build a resilient UK supply chain for zero‑carbon trucks and aligns with national targets for net‑zero transport by 2035.

FI Group supports applicants to this programme by:
• Identifying how your technology and business case align with DRIVE35 supply‑chain priorities and decarbonisation goals.
• Structuring high‑quality feasibility proposals that meet scope, eligibility and assessment criteria.
• Providing guidance on project management, TRL progression and risk mitigation.
• Assisting with budgeting and cost justification to maximise grant awards.
• Managing submission timelines and documentation to ensure a compelling and compliant application.

Scope

The DRIVE35 feasibility studies competition supports early‑stage projects to assess the scale‑up potential of zero‑emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and supporting infrastructure. Projects should:

• Investigate innovative battery management and second‑life concepts that improve energy density, lifetime and sustainability.
• Explore high‑power fuel cell architectures and integration suitable for heavy‑duty transport.
• Develop advanced drive components, transmissions and power electronics tailored to zero‑emission trucks.
• Assess lightweight structures and materials (e.g., chassis, body) enabling increased payload without compromising durability.
• Examine thermal management and cryogenic storage solutions for efficient energy use and storage.
• Evaluate digital tools and supply chain models that facilitate HGV electrification and manufacturing scale‑up.

Feasibility projects should define the technical approach, supply chain needs and commercial opportunity for subsequent demonstration or collaborative R&D phases.

Funding and Delivery

Up to £5 million in grant funding is available across all feasibility projects; typical contribution rates align with Innovate UK rules (e.g., up to 70% of eligible costs).
Funding is provided as grant support rather than procurement; applicants retain full ownership of resulting intellectual property.
Projects should start from 1 October 2025 and run for around 6–8 months, concluding no later than 30 April 2026.
Eligible costs include labour, subcontracting, materials, and overheads directly related to the feasibility study; costs for demonstration or capital equipment are out of scope.
Applicants must outline clear deliverables such as feasibility reports, manufacturing and supply chain assessments, and business case analyses.
Funding is competitive; all proposals will be assessed on economic impact, technological innovation and alignment with DRIVE35 objectives.

Benefits to Applicants

Access grant funding to validate technical and commercial feasibility of zero‑emission HGV technologies without giving up equity.
Develop a robust business case and supply chain plan that aligns with national decarbonisation priorities.
Engage with government and industry stakeholders (APC, DBT, Innovate UK) and raise your profile for future funding rounds.
De‑risk subsequent demonstration or collaborative R&D projects by identifying challenges early.
Position your organisation at the forefront of the growing UK zero‑emission freight sector.

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Our Service Offering in Grants

Our services include:

Grant scouting and strategy: identifying the right UK and EU funding opportunities for your project pipeline
Bid writing: crafting compelling, compliant applications with strong technical and commercial narratives
Grant management: supporting delivery, reporting, and compliance throughout the project lifecycle
Innovation loans: helping secure and manage Innovate UK loans for late-stage development and market readiness
International support: leveraging our global network to access cross-border innovation funding opportunities

Book An Introductory Meeting

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