Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund Discovery C7
Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund Discovery C7 seeks collaborative proposals led by licensed energy networks and technology partners to address key net-zero network challenges through 5-month Discovery projects capped at £200k.
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Competition Scope & Overview
This competition is delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). It is funded by the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, which aims to deliver net zero at lowest cost to consumers and support innovative businesses to grow and scale.
Discovery is the first phase of a four phase competition:
Discovery Alpha Beta Deployment
There are five challenge areas in the Discovery Phase:
Challenge 1: Industrial and business connection acceleration Challenge 2: Faster build and maintenance Challenge 3: Instant use domestic energy devices Challenge 4: Eliminating energy outages Challenge 5: Decentralised system balancing
You are encouraged to consider all areas of your Project from the initial Discovery phase through to commercialisation following Alpha, Beta and Deployment. This competition is open to collaborative applications only.
Your Project must address one of the Innovation Challenges. You must plan for the development of your Project to meet an Innovation Challenge through to:
live testing in the Alpha Phase large scale demonstration in the Beta Phase deployment of the proven solution into business as usual at the Deployment Phase
It is the responsibility of the lead applicant to ensure that you are entering the appropriate challenge competition and theme for your Project. You will not be able to transfer your application, and it will not be sent for assessment if it is out of scope.
Successful applicants from the Discovery Phase will be invited to apply for the Alpha Phase.
In applying to this Discovery Phase competition, you are entering into a competitive process.
Any adoption and implementation of a solution from this competition would be subject to a separate, possibly competitive, procurement exercise.
This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government, or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.
Official Applicant Guidance Documents
consumers as defined by Ofgem.pdf
Official supporting documentation containing instructions and details for this competition.
Download Official DocumentApplication Questions & Guidance Brief
Every question below carries specific word limits and guidance criteria.
Public description
Official Guidance
Provide: a one-line description of your Project (up to 30 words); a short Project description that succinctly summarises your Project (up to 100 words). Describe your Project in detail, and in a way that you are happy to see published. Do not include any commercially sensitive information. If we award your Project funding, we will publish this description. This can happen before you start your Project.
Lead Network
Official Guidance
You must select the Lead Network, who will be the funding recipient, for this application from the provided list of network operators.
Animal testing
Official Guidance
Will your Project involve any trials with animals or animal testing? You must select one option: Yes or No. We will only support innovation Projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare. Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.
International collaboration
Official Guidance
Does your proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement? You must provide details of any expected international collaboration or engagement. You must include a list of the names and the countries, any international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in. You must also include details of any subcontractors or service providers. If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, your answer must confirm this.
Export licence
Official Guidance
You must indicate whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance. You must select one option: Yes or No.
Trusted Research and Innovation
Official Guidance
You must explain if your proposed project work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) Principles, including: a list of any dual use (both military and non-military) applications to your research; a list of the areas where your project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act; whether an export control license is required for this project under the academic export control guidance and the status of any applications; a list of any items or substances on the UK Strategic Export Control List. If your proposed work does not relate to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, your answer must confirm this.
Problem statement
Official Guidance
You must provide a summary of your solution and explain how it has developed since its original conception. In your response, you must: identify the specific problem your Project is addressing, including who is affected and why the problem is important; explain how your Project will explore, develop, or test solutions to the identified problem; explain how your Project aligns with the primary Innovation Challenge aim and focus area and, where relevant, identify how it also contributes to other Innovation Challenge aims and focus areas; identify the intended users of your innovation and explain how your understanding of their needs has evolved over time; identify other relevant innovation Projects, programmes, or industry initiatives and explain how they relate to or inform your Project; explain how your Project meets the needs of its intended users and the value it is expected to deliver. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 1 and Eligibility Criterion 10.
Portfolio Integration and Strategic Alignment
Official Guidance
How does your Project align with the Innovation Delivery Group’s selected objectives? Is this application part of a suite of related applications? You must explain: how your Project aligns with other Projects within the relevant Innovation Challenges; how your application is related to other applications within the cycle, for example as part of a portfolio of work, and the impact of not receiving funding; how your Project builds on previous innovation activities and avoids duplication of existing work; how your Project contributes collectively to the outcomes of the relevant Innovation Challenges; how your Project provides additional value or advancement; if applicable, the justification for why your Project sits outside the scope of an Innovation Delivery Group and how it will still integrate strategically with the wider Innovation Challenges and the overall objectives of the SIF. You can upload relevant supporting documentation in a separate appendix. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 1 and Eligibility Criterion 9.
Video
Official Guidance
Provide a link to a video that summarises your Project and the problem you are looking to solve. Your video must be no longer than 120 seconds. In your video you must summarise: the problem you are addressing; your idea in providing a solution; the benefits it will bring to customers. You must upload a video to YouTube and provide a link to your video and any passwords to allow access to it. You must ensure your video is ‘unlisted’ in the privacy settings.
Innovation justification
Official Guidance
How does your Project continue to demonstrate novel and ambitious innovation in energy networks? In your response, you must: describe your Project’s core innovations and the supporting technical understanding; explain how your Project’s scale and scope is aimed at delivering SIF objectives and the relevant Innovation Challenge; explain why your Project cannot be funded through price control mechanisms or business as usual activity. You can upload relevant supporting documentation in a separate appendix (up to two A4 pages). This question covers Eligibility Criterion 3, 4, and 5.
Impacts and benefits
Official Guidance
For all SIF benefits identified in the Impacts and Benefits section, you must: describe the current position (the pre-innovation baseline), outlining how the problem is currently managed and associated limitations; explain the direct benefits that the proposed innovation could create - these should be in the context of Financial, Societal or Environmental benefits; qualify any benefits already realised through Project delivery; identify any indirect or additional benefits that may arise from the innovation; describe how the Project will pass benefits on to energy consumers, demonstrating consumer value from the funding invested. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 2.
Teams and resources
Official Guidance
Who is in your Project team and what are their roles and responsibilities? You must explain: why you chose your Project Partners and subcontractors, indicating if this is a new or pre-existing relationship; the roles, skills and experience of each Project Partner or subcontractor to deliver their part of your Project; the resources, equipment and facilities needed for the current phase of your Project and how you will access them; the details of any other external parties, network users or consumers who are vital for the successful delivery of the current phase of this Project; why your Project Partners represent the needs of the end customers or how they will engage the end customer during your Project; how BAU teams are being involved in shaping your Project. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 6 and 10.
National Energy System Operator Involvement
Official Guidance
You must indicate whether the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is involved in this application. You must select one option: Yes or No. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 6.
National Energy System Operator Involvement Justification
Official Guidance
Your Project must provide a clear and robust justification for NESO’s involvement in the delivery of your proposed Project. You must: include a detailed outline of NESO’s intended role and scope; detail the responsibilities, and contributions to successful delivery; provide the details of how this Project aligns with NESO’s statutory functions and system level objectives. If NESO is the lead network or has been involved in the scoping of the application, there is no requirement to complete this section. In these cases, you must mark this section as N/A. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 6.
Project management and delivery
Official Guidance
How will you manage your Project effectively? What is your Project plan? What are your milestones? What are the risks associated with your Project? You must explain: your approach to project management; any links or dependencies between work packages or milestones; your risk management strategy; any specific risks in relation to policy and regulatory challenges; any planned or potential unplanned supply interruptions for consumers; any interaction or engagement with energy consumers. You must download, complete, and upload the Project Management template (PMT) and a Gantt chart. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 8.
Key outputs and dissemination
Official Guidance
What are the expected key outputs of your Project and your plan for disseminating them along with any lessons learned? You must describe: what you want to achieve by the end of your Project’s Initial Discovery Phase and clearly describe what the outputs will be; who within the Project team will be responsible for each key output and planned dissemination activity; how and where you intend to disseminate your key outputs and lessons learned. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 11.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Official Guidance
Although a default Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) arrangement is set out in the SIF Governance Document, Ofgem is willing to consider alternative IPR arrangements on a case by case basis. You must state whether you are using the default arrangement or any alternative arrangement as your response to this question. If applicable, you must set out and justify any proposed alternative IPR arrangements for the Discovery phase.
Value for money
Official Guidance
How much will your Project cost for the Discovery Phase and how does it represent value for money for the consumer? You must explain: the total Project costs, the amount of SIF funding requested and how the costs and SIF funding for your Project is balanced across the Project partners; where relevant, how your Project will meet the minimum compulsory contribution from private funds; how each Project Partner will finance their contributions to your Project; any subcontractor costs and why they are critical to your Project; any additional funding coming from other innovation funds; any use of pre-existing assets or facilities; any plans for commercialisation of the proposed innovation and how your Project can be moved into business as usual. This question covers Eligibility Criterion 7.