ATI Programme strategic batch: expression of interest June 2022

The ATI Programme represents to date a £3.2billion joint government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace.

This programme is co-ordinated and managed by:

• the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation
• the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)

We work in collaboration to deliver a portfolio of projects to meet the objectives of the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, ‘Destination Zero’.

This is phase 1 of a strategic batch competition within the ATI Programme. There are 2 phases to each strategic batch competition. If you are successful at phase 2 you will proceed to final approvals and contracting. The whole process takes at least 6 months. Phase 1 is an expression of interest, reviewed by the ATI; if successful you will be invited to proceed to phase 2.

To lead a project or work alone your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size for research projects
• be a UK registered business of any size, a research and technology organisation (RTO), research organisation or academic institution for capital infrastructure projects
• carry out your aerospace research or capital infrastructure project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• address the specific requirements of the UK’s Aerospace Technology Strategy
• sign up to the Aerospace Technology Institute framework agreement

Your business does not have to be registered with Companies House when you apply, but it must be registered before you can receive funding.

The ATI Programme has been allocated £685 million from the government for the financial years 2022 to 2023 through to 2024 to 2025 to fund innovation projects.

Your project cannot be a mixture of industrial research and capital infrastructure investment.

BEIS know that demand is high for the ATI Programme. To manage this financial pressure, BEIS may need to apply an overall cap on project level funding. BEIS do not know whether this will be necessary but as the budget holder, they will decide before the full application process starts for Batch 38. If BEIS do impose a cap, it is likely that overall grant rate for each project would be capped between 50% to 60% of total eligible project costs.

Individual partners that are conducting commercial or economic activities (which may include research organisations) as part of the project can claim grant funding up to:

• 70% if you are a small or micro organisation
• 60% if you are a medium-sized organisation
• 50% if you are a large organisation

The total grant funding limit for any individual organisation is £18 million.

Scope

Your project must have a potential application within the civil aerospace sector. This can include dual use technologies.

Your proposal must align with the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, ‘Destination Zero’, which is split into these areas:

Zero-Carbon Emission Aircraft Technologies

Zero-carbon emission technologies are focused on propulsion and infrastructure development to enable zero-carbon tailpipe emissions. This encompasses battery, hydrogen, and fuel cell technologies, much of which are in early stages of development.

Ultra-Efficient Aircraft Technologies

Ultra-efficient technologies are focused on improving energy efficiency and hence impact CO2 emissions, NOx and noise. Continued development of crucial high value, sustainable, high productivity manufacturing technologies will position the UK to be a first-choice location for the industry.

Cross-cutting Enabling Technologies

To enable both the zero-carbon and ultra-efficient opportunities, the UK must develop cross-cutting enabling technologies and capabilities for whole aircraft design and analysis. These capabilities should extend to the aircraft lifecycle from design, through manufacture & assembly, operation, and end of life.