Industry of Future Programme: Industrial Sites

Up to 40 industrial sites can apply for funding to develop industrial decarbonisation roadmaps. Initial funding will be used for scoping studies (which will be delivered by BEIS-appointed delivery partners). The studies will include:

• identification of optimal decarbonisation options
• the permanent installation of technologies, including research and development of technologies
• testing of technology solutions

The Industry of Future Programme competition is part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).

The Industry of Future Programme (IFP) aims to increase the range of options available to industry which would enable them to decarbonise at a faster rate. And it aims to work with industry to understand what is required to make sites retrofit-ready by assessing the feasibility of new equipment. The IFP will look for sites outside the Industrial clusters, dispersed sites  as well as for industrial collaboration in local areas.

The IFP will consist of an initial scoping study, with follow-up activities which will be defined at a later date. To enable the delivery of the scoping study, BEIS are inviting applicants from industrial sites to work with the selected Engineering Delivery Partner, to have net zero roadmaps developed for them. Successful applicants will have a roadmap developed for their site by BEIS procured engineering delivery partner. This document is for industrial sites who wish to participate in the scoping study.

Up to £4 million is planned to procure the Scoping Study contractor to develop industrial decarbonisation roadmaps for up to 40 industrial sites, including data centres. These studies would include identification of optimal decarbonisation options, permanent installation of technology or technologies, research & development, and testing of a technology solution.

The aim of the programme is to support companies with high carbon emission and energy use to transition to a low-carbon future through increased energy efficiency and implementation of decarbonisation technologies. The IFP will allow companies to consider the next generation of industrial decarbonisation and energy efficiency technologies, and to help them to better navigate the complex technology landscape, allowing them to transition to net zero more quickly and effectively.

There is high variance in the size of applicable sites, often related to the type of industry and/or the likely nature of the roadmap, including cluster options. Applicants to the competition are therefore sorted into three space-limited Lots for solution diversity; these are defined as follows by size of annual CO2 emissions:

• Lot 1 – for sites of over 100kt CO2e per year
• Lot 2 – for sites of 50-100kt CO2e per year
• Lot 3 – for sites of 10-50kt CO2e per year

Each of these 3 lots shall receive an even 33% of the available funding budget, with dispensation to alter this based on relative number of applications and are considered at this stage to represent a similar number of potential sectors. Across all lots, over 90% of current carbon emissions are accounted for.

Eligibility

Industrial sites must be based in the UK.

Only sites with annual emissions over 10,000 tCO2e per site are eligible (Scope 1 & 2 emissions). See Section 5.2 of the Industry of Future Guidance document for guidance on how to calculate site carbon emissions.

All industrial sites and data centres which meet the emissions threshold criterion are eligible to apply to this programme with the exception of Production of Electricity (SIC Code: 35110), Extraction of Natural Gas (SIC Code: 06200) and Extraction of Crude Petroleum (SIC Code: 06100).

Projects can only be funded where evidence can be provided that innovation would not be taken forwards (or would be taken forwards at a much slower rate) without public sector funding.

Roadmaps for successful applicants will be developed by a delivery partner. The delivery partner will be procured under a separate competition by BEIS, and their costs will be fully met by BEIS, meaning that the only cost for the development of the roadmaps for the sites will be in the form of staff time to support the delivery partner.

How to apply

You must first register via the online registration form to be entered into the Scoping Study of the IFP Competition. Once the registration form is submitted you will receive a password to the online application form. Those applicants that do not register will not be able to access the online application form and hence will not be able to apply/enter the application/assessment process. You must submit a registration form by noon, 23 September 2021 (this only requires contact details and a 200-word summary of the proposal); the full application will be due by noon on Thursday 14th October.

BEIS held an engagement day event about the competition on 13 July 2021, and have published the slides and questions and answers from this event.