DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund: open-ended competition

The DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund is a Department for Business and Trade (DBT) led programme aimed at transforming the UK's automotive industry by supporting R&D and the commercial scale up of innovative zero emission vehicle technologies. Innovate UK, working with the Department for Business and Trade and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, will invest up to £150 million to support manufacturing facility and process development at pilot scale or demonstration scale. The aim is to enable businesses to validate manufacturing capability and commercial viability, achieving market entry at the targeted production volume from the project outcomes. Projects must focus on strategically important technologies for on-board vehicle applications including electrical energy storage, electric machines and drivetrains, power electronics, fuel cell systems, hydrogen storage, light weighting materials, and zero emission vehicle assembly. Proposals must justify the funding required with a case for government intervention and be matched by substantial private investment. The competition supports businesses in developing manufacturing readiness at pilot or demonstration scale through activities including facility planning, equipment procurement, process development, quality control, staff training, and supply chain development. Projects must demonstrate how they will unlock at least twice the grant request in private investment and how they will enable entry into the vehicle supply chain markets.