Clean Futures Accelerator opens third funding round for West Midlands transport innovators

Connected Places Catapult, the United Kingdom’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, and city and regional development, has opened applications for the third cohort of the Clean Futures Accelerator.

Over the past two years, businesses participating in the programme have raised over £125 million in co-investment and created more than 50 jobs. Previous participants include battery technology company Global Nano Network, which developed a digital twin of its manufacturing process; 3D printing firm ChangeMaker3D, which focused on refining its structural printing technology; and BoxTube, a freight specialist that created a working prototype of a machine to load boxes onto trains.

Clean Futures is delivered in collaboration with Coventry University and forms part of the wider West Midlands Innovation Accelerator. This broader programme is intended to enhance the region’s innovation and R&D capabilities to drive commercial growth and investment. It is run in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Innovate UK, and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The current call invites applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the West Midlands with projects focused on one or more of the following areas: net zero manufacturing, future fuels, clean energy conversion, and the circular economy.

Applicants are required to submit a trial proposal and provide a 100% in-kind match funding contribution. Depending on complexity, trials will be categorised as either Standard (with funding between £10,000 and £25,000) or Comprehensive (between £25,000 and £50,000). A total of £300,000 in funding will be distributed among 10 SMEs.

In addition to funding, the programme offers commercial support from Connected Places Catapult specialists, technical assistance from Coventry University, and access to expertise and facilities at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering. Participants will also benefit from networking and showcasing opportunities, as well as connections to the Clean Futures Industry and Investor Board to support further business development.

Sarah Windrum, Deputy Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board, said: “The West Midlands has long been a powerhouse of industrial innovation, and with initiatives like Clean Futures, we’re harnessing that strength to tackle one of the biggest challenges of our time — the decarbonisation of transport. This programme gives pioneering businesses the platform, funding, and expert support they need to develop and test cutting-edge green technologies and make industry connections that help secure future market opportunity.”

Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at Connected Places Catapult, said: “The West Midlands is one of the UK’s manufacturing heartlands and a vitally important region for developing the breakthrough innovations that can help us decarbonise transport.

“The Clean Futures Accelerator is supporting innovators with funding and expert support to trial their solutions in this area and bring them closer to market. If you have an idea that can make transport greener, I encourage you to apply.”

Professor Marcos Kauffman, Director for the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Coventry University, said: “The Clean Futures Accelerator connects the region’s brightest low-carbon innovators with the real-world local production environment they need to test and scale. By opening up our sustainable, digital manufacturing, engineering and materials labs, we can help SMEs pilot their technologies. Our goal is to accelerate the West Midlands toward net-zero transport while creating skilled local jobs and economic growth.”

Applications close on 6 July and can be submitted via the Catapult website:
https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/clean-futures-programme-trial-opportunity-for-smes/

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