opportunities

Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator Cohort 3

Applications are now closed.

What is the Freight Innovation Fund?

The UK Government has committed to a dedicated £7m cross-modal Freight Innovation Fund (FIF) as part of the Future of Freight strategy, which sets out the Government’s long-term vision for the UK freight sector. Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered through Connected Places Catapult, the Freight Innovation Fund is a multi-faceted programme which will accelerate the adoption of commercially ready solutions into the sector.

About the Accelerator Programme Cohort 3 (2024-25)

The Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator will support up to 12 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to trial their solutions in real-world environments to help solve pressing challenges within the freight sector. The SMEs will be selected by the DfT and Connected Places Catapult to join a 6-month programme, where each of them can access up to £150,000 to trial their solutions via a pre-commercial Pilot & Trial contract.

SMEs have two options when applying to the programme:

• Apply to be matched with an industry partner Connected Places Catapult will work with industry partners, who will provide access to testing environments and internal expertise. They will also play an active role in the SME selection as part of the due diligence process. The industry partners supporting the accelerator programme are DHL, Eddie Stobart, Freightliner, Maritime Transport, Port of Dover, Port of Tilbury, Welch Group, Wincanton and DP World UK. If you would like to get additional details about the programme partners, their motivations, potential trial facilities and resources available, please click here.
• Apply with your own Industry Partner
  
  We also welcome applications from SMEs who already have a partner they wish to trial their solutions with and can offer access to testbed facilities.

Bespoke Support for Successful SMEs

As part of the programme, SMEs will also benefit from trial and business support tailored to their needs. This will include but is not limited to trial design training, monitoring and evaluation, investment readiness, pitch coaching, marketing support, and business modelling.

All applicants will also be able to join the Freight Innovation Cluster, a community for stakeholders operating in the freight industry. Learn more here

Key dates

Programme Challenges

Learn more about the challenges here

Read more

Challenge 1: Optimisation of Journeys

Innovations and technologies that enable freight organisations to optimise and maximise the use of existing journeys by empowering cross-sector partnership and collaboration.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Systemic innovation to maximise freight space across organisations and operators
• Route optimisation and planning softwear
• Forecasting tools and AI to predetermine demand & supply and better understand journeys, destinations and space available
• Data sharing platforms to enable and empower collaboration across the sector
• New physical and operational solutions for loading and unloading empty containers

Challenge 2: Net Zero and Data

Advanced solutions that lead the way towards net zero, enable accurate and consistent carbon calculations, and encourage multi-stakeholder freight climate action.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Data Sharing Platforms which enable clients and partners to collaborate towards shared net zero goals
• AI and sensors which capture carbon emissions more accurately
• Software as a Service carbon accounting platforms to enable data-based actions and accurate carbon reporting
• New carbon accounting methods
• E-mobility technologies
• Carbon and a currency methodologies

Challenge 3: Inland Waterways

Unlocking the potential of river and canal freight through the systemic improvement of inland waterway logistics, vessels and infrastructure to decarbonise urban deliveries.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Electric Boats, Charging Infrastructure and Autonomous Vehicles
• New systemic solutions to develop the sector with no further impact on wildlife and the environment
• Methods and technologies that overcome difficulties in loading and unloading of barges and boats during low tide
• Ways to utilise waterways instead of land for the loading and unloading of canal freight
• Pop up depot spaces for waterways

Challenge 4: Open Challenge

Innovations that aim at decarbonising and improving the inter-modal connections between freight transport modes.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Innovations which can contribute to a sustainable, regenerative and smoother intermodal connection between freight transport modes.

Am I eligible for this programme?

At the point of application:

• You must be a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME).
• You must have a registered UK company address.
• You must have operations in the UK.
• You must have an innovative solution at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5+.
• You must be willing to test in a real-world environment.
• You must be able to address one the accelerator challenge statements with your solution.

How to apply?

Applications are now closed.

Supporting documents

Terms and conditions

Application guidance

Partner profiles

Challenge document

Point of contact

If you have any questions about the programme and application, please contact our Freight Innovation Fund Team, FreightInnovationFund@cp.catapult.org.uk

Contact us

Application Support Webinar

We recommend that you attend the Application Support Webinar on 16 May at 10:00, which will include an overview of the programme, challenges, guidance on the application process and live Q&A.

Register here

Equality & Diversity

Connected Places Catapult and the Department for Transport are collecting equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) data as part of the application process to promote and ensure equality of access for the programmes it delivers. This data will help us monitor the performance of efforts to promote ED&I in research and business innovation. All personal data will be processed in accordance with current UK data protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Connected Places Catapult are part of the Catapult Network Inclusivity in Innovation Charter

Funded by:

Delivered by:

Industry Partners