Transport Research and Innovation Grants 2025
October 2025-February 2026
Applications close 20 June, 5pm
The Department for Transport and its delivery partner Connected Places Catapult support innovators through Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme. TRIG helps develop new ideas to shape a more inclusive, environmentally responsible, and cohesive transport system across the UK.
Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) 2025 supports early stage, high-risk research and development projects by:
- Awarding up to £45,000 in grant funding (no matching fund required)
- Offering a collaborative space for innovators and DfT policy teams to work together on shared goals.
- Providing monthly cohort-level business support
- Engaging with a rich Alumni community for further peer-to-peer support and networking
- Following a low burden application process
Who can apply?
- Only UK registered organisations
- Public, private or third sector organisations of any size
- Universities and research and technology organisations. Consortia are welcome but not required. (Please note that the lead applicant will be responsible to receive and distribute the grant)
- Previous TRIG applicants and winners, providing they apply with a different innovation
- Organisations that will not exceed the Minimum Financial Assistance threshold as a result of TRIG funding
Project eligibility
- An innovative concept for transport
- Technical readiness level (TRL) 2 – 4 (basic research- Proof of concept/small scale prototype)
- Projects must be fully delivered and deployed in the UK
Application support webinar
On Thursday 29 May at 13:00, Connected Places Catapult and DfT will be hosting an Application Support & Information webinar. It will cover an overview of this year’s TRIG programme, the challenge areas, and offer support and guidance on the application process. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions and seek support to help build a successful application.
Challenges Q&A sessions
Connected Places Catapult and DfT will be hosting three Q&A session. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions about the challenge specifications and seek support to help build a successful application.
The challenges
Up to £1.8 million will be awarded to around 40 projects across three challenge areas
Challenge 1:
Maritime Decarbonisation
Around 15 projects driving rapid decarbonisation to meet the Net Zero targets in the maritime Industry while advancing the government’s clean energy ambitions.
Challenge 2:
Freight Innovation
Around 10 projects enhancing efficiency and resilience within a multimodal freight system, aiming to stimulate economic growth, ensure value for money, and reduce environmental impact.
Challenge 3:
Open Call
Around 8 projects which fall outside the targeted challenges, but have potential to make meaningful impact on the UK’s transport system and with DfT’s priorities. We are particularly interested in seeking solutions which address the following areas: decarbonisation, connectivity to support economic growth and social inclusion but this is by no means an exhaustive list.
Around 7 projects are available across the three challenges to support novel critical technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, position and navigation technologies, drone technology, robotics, Quantum technologies, connectivity on the move, smart vehicles connectivity, smart infrastructure technologies. Please read the grant scope document for more information.
The number of projects and their distribution across challenges will depend on the diversity and quality and value of applications received.
Expected commitment
Mandatory requirements for entry:
- Projects must begin from the 1 October 2025 without delay
- Attendance at the monthly virtual business support and networking between October 2025 and February 2026
- Attendance at the launch event in November 2025
- Attendance at the TRIG Showcase event in March 2026
- Project end dates must allow sufficient time to meet final report and financial reporting deadlines
- Final report submitted by the 13 February 2026
- Provide the financial spend details and evidence by the 27 February 2026
How to apply
Apply through the link below. Applications close 20 June, 5pm
Supporting document
Key dates
20 May
Applications open
29 May
Application Support Webinar
20 June 2025 at 5pm
Competition closed
August 2025
Interviews stage
Grant award
September 2025
60% of the Grant
March 2026
40% of the Grant
Point of contact
If you have any question about the application, please contact our team on trig@cp.catapult.org.uk
Equality & Diversity
Equality, Diversity and inclusion are pivotal to addressing the challenges within our transport system. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups within the innovation space.
We are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes providing support, in the form of reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.
Applicants requiring assistance in completing the application or alternatives forms of accessing the application should contact the project team at TRIG@cp.catapult.org.uk as early as possible (at least 15 working days before the competition closes) during the open application process to allow for appropriate support and sufficient time for the completion of the application.
Connected Places Catapult is 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 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).
