New £2 million competition launched to help decarbonise local transport

A new £2 million competition is launching today (16 November 2023) to encourage businesses and local authorities to work together to develop and trial transport schemes that cut emissions in the long term.

The Transport Decarbonisation Demonstrators programme, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), will also help to grow local economies by supporting businesses to bring new solutions closer to market.

Any UK business can apply for up to £500,000 to run innovative trials that tackle local transport challenges on the ground. Half of this £2 million fund will be reserved for rural areas, supporting them in unlocking the benefits of technology and innovation to tackle challenges such as access to jobs and reducing loneliness.

The trials will help to develop the green transport systems of the future while improving choice and availability of transport options for passengers.

The competitive grants will be awarded and delivered by Innovate UK – part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – and the UK’s national innovation agency, which helps businesses to grow and develop new technologies. The competition will open on 27 November 2023 and close on 8 January 2024.

Businesses can apply to the Transport Decarbonisation competition online.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director Net Zero at Innovate UK, said:

Taking a place-based approach to decarbonise our transport systems is critical if we are to reach our net zero targets both locally and nationally and prosper from the transition to net zero.

Innovate UK is delighted to be working with DfT to invest £2 million in innovation projects aimed at not only reducing emissions but also building key partnerships between local authorities and businesses, which will ensure maximum impact.

As part of the government’s Transport decarbonisation plan, today’s announcement delivers on driving decarbonisation at the local level and will contribute to making our villages, towns and cities greener.

It builds on the success of last year’s Transport research innovation grants (TRIG) local decarbonisation call, which funded 20 innovators to develop early-stage solutions to local decarbonisation challenges. The latest round of TRIG funding closes for applications on 27 November 2023.

This government is leading the way with green transport having recently set out its world-leading path to reaching zero emission vehicles by 2035, which will require 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030.