Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 6: Smart Shipping

Overview

The aim of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 6 is to fund pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies into clean maritime technologies and skills that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of Strand 3 (this strand) is to fund detailed feasibility studies and pre-deployment projects focused on using digital technologies to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in the maritime transport sector.

Your project must conduct either a technical and economic feasibility study or a pre-deployment project based on Smart Shipping technologies. Smart Shipping areas covered by this competition are listed below.

You must plan for the real world demonstration or deployment developed in your project to be operational in water by the end of 2028.

Scope

Your project must: 

• illustrate emissions reduction by proving a significant greenhouse gas reduction or significant air quality improvement for the maritime transport sector
• underpin a future demonstration by delivering a meaningful technology, route to market, skills initiative or supply chain innovation
• achieve market potential through a clear strategy for commercialising the technology and the products, demonstrating the potential for significant value to the UK
• include at least one representative end user such as a vessel operator, port or harbour authority: the end user must show clear commitment to the project
• bring together a team with the necessary expertise and experience to successfully deliver the project objectives.

At the end of your project, you must:

• produce a clear, detailed and costed plan for how your technology or skills initiative will be demonstrated in an operational setting including your technical approach, objectives and business case
• quantify the potential reduction of lifecycle emissions and positive economic impacts in the future
• outline expected commercial applications and exploitation, and potential market segments
• share your findings with the Department for Transport (DfT), Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) and Innovate UK
• produce a clear plan for disseminating the results of your project and knowledge sharing
• explain your understanding of any barriers to market adoption
• detail the barriers to adoption that the future demonstration will overcome and the innovation that will be delivered

Successful projects will be required to engage with the Department for Transport (DfT), Innovate UK and any third party contractors appointed by them related to CMDC projects.

Regulation

Projects must detail their plan for compliance with regulation and how they will work with relevant regulatory bodies for novel technologies.

Types of vessel

Technologies for all sizes and categories of maritime vessel subject to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 are in scope. Solutions can be suitable for one target size of vessel or multiple. Pleasure, commercial, fishing and aquaculture vessels are in scope.

Where your project intends to utilise a vessel, the vessel is expected to be a United Kingdom Ship, otherwise you must provide justification for use of a non-United Kingdom Ship in your application. United Kingdom Ship is defined in 85(2) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

Types of infrastructure

All ports and harbours are in scope, including infrastructure for freight, passenger, pleasure and commercial vessels. Offshore infrastructure is also in scope, such as wind farms.

Value for the UK

We strongly encourage projects from around the UK to support boosting jobs and economic growth, including projects from ports, vessel operators, vessel manufacturers and their supply chain. We welcome projects from areas with existing clean maritime expertise or co-located in clusters of renewable energy production and usage including hydrogen.

You must clearly demonstrate how you will anchor IP generated by the project in the UK. You must also show how this IP will be exploited for the benefit of the UK supply chain in the future.

Smart Shipping training and skills

If your proposal focusses on Smart Shipping training and skills, it must be a feasibility study and you must focus on the vocational or technical training infrastructure requirements to train the Smart Shipping design, manufacturing, maintenance or operational workforce.

Your Smart Shipping training and skills project must demonstrate: 

• an ambitious and realistic idea, to meet a significant talent requirement for innovative Smart Shipping technology
• a clear focus on skills for significantly reducing emissions or air pollutants in the maritime sector
• that it is novel to the UK, a region or a specific group of people
• value for money and a credible, evidenced return on investment, in terms of trained, upskilled and reskilled people

Key themes and topics

Projects can focus on one or more of the following maritime transport themes: 

• maintenance and inspection within the maritime transport sector
• improvements in port operations
• vessel design optimisation
• Smart Shipping safety and skills
• vessel operations optimisation
• vessel route-planning and scheduling for efficiency
• interaction with other transport modes, maritime being the clear focus
• assurance systems including establishing processes, measurements, systems and risk based approaches to assure the safety and operational competence of

Smart Shipping systems

In addition, one or more of the following Smart Shipping areas must be a core part of the proposed work: 

• data: including using data captured in a novel way or as part of an innovative approach, solution or product
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): including the use of AI either as new AI development, or as a novel application of existing AI
• automated systems: including the development of automated solutions, both hardware and software
• connectivity and Position Navigation and Timing (PNT): including innovative use of telecommunications systems such as future networks, hybrid network systems and satellite networks. Innovative PNT devices and solutions, including quantum technology.
• Quantum Computing (QC): including using QC to improve existing solutions, products or to develop a new QC approach or solution
• sensing or monitoring solutions: including the use of innovative devices and systems to provide sensing capability or the ability to monitor a system or vessel, this includes quantum technologies
• digital twins: including creating digital models of real world systems or objects enabling bi-directional feedback

Project duration

• last up to seven months
• start by 1 September 2025
• end by 31 March 2026

Award value

Total costs between £75,000 and £2 million

Funding rates

Category 1 Feasibility studies 
Funding available for your eligible project costs of: 
• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation 
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation 
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

Category 2 Industrial research projects 
Funding available for your eligible project costs of: 
• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation 
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation 
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation 
 
Research organisations can share up to 50% of the total eligible project costs

Eligibility criteria

• Projects must be collaborative and lead by a UK registered business of any size
• Collaborators must be a UK registered business of any size; academic institution; charity; not for profit; public sector organisation; research and technology organisation (RTO)
• Subcontractors must preferably be UK-based with fully justified and appropriate costs