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Electric Vehicle Accelerator Open For Applications With £20,000 Grant On Offer

Applications are now open for the Electric Vehicle Innovation Accelerator programme where four North East businesses have a chance of winning a £20,000 grant to help develop ways to increase the uptake of electric vehicles.

As part of the Go Ultra Low North East campaign, The Electric Vehicle Innovation Accelerator is a new programme aimed at identifying and developing ways to overcome barriers that are preventing the adoption of electric vehicles.

The accelerator is being delivered by the Innovation SuperNetwork and ENGIE and the deadline for applications is 24 April 2019 at 5pm.

Local businesses, whether well-established or just starting up, are invited to apply to the programme and successful applicants will benefit from intensive business support along with an opportunity to win a £20,000 grant to help bring their idea to market. Companies who have innovative solutions which help to reduce the costs and complexity of installing electric vehicle charging solutions are welcome to apply for the programme, as well as those who may have solutions that are not related to a particular challenge in the programme but still encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.

Simon Green, CEO of the Innovation SuperNetwork – which works to grow the regional economy by driving the adoption of innovative practice, said: “Not only is the low emission agenda a critical part of global decision making around managing climate change, it presents a unique commercial opportunity for businesses across the North East to help drive the uptake of electric vehicles, thanks to our position as a test-bed for rapid filling stations.

“This programme offers local businesses the opportunity to receive technical and commercial advice first-hand from industry experts, giving them a real chance of bringing their innovative solutions to life.

“We hope to attract a diverse range of businesses, including those from outside the electric vehicle space, to explore the opportunities presented by these challenges.” The strongest applications will be shortlisted based on commercial potential and relevance to increasing electric vehicle adoption and there are four grants on offer which will be decided by industry experts from the Innovation SuperNetwork, North East LEP, Zero Carbon Futures and Newcastle University, alongside Northstar Ventures who are providing commercial expertise.

The second wave of the programme will be launched in June 2019 and will focus on making electrification practical for temperature-controlled distribution, such as the electrification of refrigerated vehicles, along with solving how to use telematics to better manage infrastructure specific to electric vehicles. By October 2019, 16 new solutions will be ready for commercialisation or for significant further investment. To apply for the electric vehicle innovation accelerator, please visit: Electric Vehicle Innovation Accelerator or email Stephanie Oxley steph@supernetwork.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Innovation Super Network .