Companies are invited to bid for £13 million of collaborative research funding to help develop the UK’s civil nuclear supply chain.
The programme is backed by the Technology Strategy Board, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, to help UK-based businesses seize the opportunities of the growing global nuclear market. The funding covers both industrial research and small-scale feasibility studies.
Eligible projects should help meet the demand for cost-effective, safe and energy-efficient technologies for nuclear new-build, operations and decommissioning. The research should develop technologies which are already used in the nuclear sector, transfer technologies from other sectors, or investigate completely new solutions.
Proposals should relate to at least one of five themes:
- Construction, installation and commissioning.
- Operation and maintenance.
- High-value manufacturing.
- Decommissioning and waste management, including storage.
- Innovative technologies.
The programme includes up to £10 million for business-led collaborative R&D projects. Qualifying projects will generally have a value of between £500,000 and £3 million, and last two to three years. Businesses can claim up to half of their project costs, or 60% for SMEs.
A further £3 million will be invested in pre-industrial feasibility studies lasting up to one year with a value of between £100,000 and £150,000. Qualifying projects must be led by an SME, which can claim up to 75% of project costs.
Applications for both types of project open on 17 March. To help businesses and research organisations develop new partnerships and prepare their bids, the Technology Strategy Board is holding two brokering events:
If you would like to explore a potential collaborative project with the Nuclear AMRC, please contact Dr Alan McLelland.
Follow the links below for detailed information on the funding competition:
