Energy catalyst round 11 – early stage

Overview

This is a strong fit for innovation-heavy SMEs with a testable solution (tech or business model) for clean energy access in ODA markets. The trade-off: it’s competitive (Innovate UK’s own steer suggests around a 15% success rate), and you must be watertight on ODA compliance and GEDSI from day one.  

Scope

Your project must improve or create clean energy access for low income households, enterprises, or social institutions in eligible ODA countries, through developing, testing, or scaling an innovative technology or business model.  

Priority is given to solutions aligned to Ayrton Challenge areas such as next generation solar, sustainable cooling, modern cooking, energy efficiency, industrial decarbonisation, clean transport, smart energy systems, energy storage, clean hydrogen, critical minerals, inclusive energy, and zero emissions generators.  

Key themes and topics

Your project must demonstrate all of the following:

• Meaningful improvements to clean energy access in the target regions
• A significant contribution to affordability, security and reduced carbon emissions
• ODA compliance and a clear benefit to the target country/countries
• A credible plan to manage GEDSI impacts
• Energy access as the primary focus (minimum 50% of project effort by costs/work packages)  

Project duration

• 3 to 12 months  
• Projects must start from 1 August 2026 and end by 31 March 2030 (projects always start on the first of the month)  

Key dates you’ll want in the diary: online briefing event 14 January 2026; applicants notified 18 May 2026; project start window from 1 August 2026.  

Award value and funding rates

• Project costs: £50,000 to £300,000  
• Feasibility study intervention rates (businesses): up to 70% (micro/small), 60% (medium), 50% (large)  
• Research participation (non-economic activity): research organisations can share up to 50% of total eligible project costs (split across multiple research orgs if relevant); funding up to 100% for eligible org types or 80% FEC for Je-S registered institutions  

Eligibility criteria

Your project must:

• Be collaborative and include a UK registered administrative lead (hub-and-spoke funding model)  
• Include at least one grant-claiming SME (from anywhere in the world)  
• Deliver clean energy access impacts in eligible ODA countries in the target regions  

Lead roles (important nuance):

• Administrative lead: UK registered, claims grant, and must be or involve an eligible grant-claiming SME  
• Technology lead: leads the technical delivery, can be based anywhere, must claim grant funding