National innovation agency Innovate UK has launched a competition looking for electrochemical ultra long duration energy storage (ULDES) businesses pushing new technologies to compete for portions of the £3M funding available.
As part of the competition, UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3M, with a £10M future Phase 2 planned, for project development studies to support ultra long duration battery energy storage demonstrators.
Innovate UK, part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said: “The aim of this competition is to support the development, scale-up, and UK manufacture of electrochemical ULDES technologies.
“These ULDES technologies must be capable of delivering cost effective electrical power to the UK’s electricity grid with a discharge availability of at least 100 continuous hours.
“They must also achieve a working life of at least 25 years.”
The competition opened on Monday, 3 August, and those wishing to apply have until midday on Wednesday 30 September.
With funding coming from the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme, businesses can compete for between £350,000 and £700,000 to fund their project development.
To be eligible to apply, a project must:
- Involve the proposed deployment of electrochemical ULDES technologies
- Support a planned UK demonstration project by 2030, meeting the scale and timetable requirements as part of a pathway to scalable deployment in the UK energy system
- Demonstrate the proposed lead or team has the capabilities required to progress from project development studies through to demonstration and deployment
Innovate UK requires businesses to fall under one of two streams to be eligible.
Stream 1 will develop and demonstrate near commercial electrochemical ULDES systems that could compete with installed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology on cost and performance.
Stream 2 will develop early stage electrochemical ULDES technologies.
Innovate UK said they must have the potential to compete on cost with unabated combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs), which currently provide the UK’s strategic reserve to 2050.
This is Phase 1 of a planned two phase competition, with Phase 2 scheduled to launch in 2027. Further funding of at least £10M has been allocated for Phase 2 to support the development and delivery of large scale ULDES demonstrators.
The award of funding for project development study under Phase 1 will not affect if businesses can win funding under Phase 2.
Businesses who do not apply for funding for Phase 1 are able to apply for Phase 2 but Innovate UK said eligible businesses are strongly encouraged to use the Phase 1 competition to “address the practical delivery issues that determine whether projects can move from concept to construction”.
Innovate UK said contestant proposals must deliver a project development study that includes:
- Technology assessment
- Engineering design
- A cost and scale-up roadmap
- Market assessment
- Development plan
- A manufacturing and supply chain plan
The competition is being run as part of the Clean Energy Superpower Mission (CESM), which is part of the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme.
The programme is backed through to 2030 by at least £500M worth of funding provided by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
UKERC co-director and lead author of the report Jamie Speirs said: “Achieving the UK’s low carbon ambitions will hinge not just on deploying record levels of renewable generation, but on unlocking LDES to support a highly renewable electricity system.
“By providing flexibility across hours, days and even seasons, LDES could enable a resilient, low carbon electricity system – reducing curtailment, strengthening security of supply, and ensuring that intermittent renewables can maximise their contribution to the grid in all conditions.”
Speirs added: “Investing in innovation opportunities such as this call to support market deployment of LDES technologies is a key way to support these technologies to market, giving us the best chance to meet our net zero targets.”
The programme follows a recent UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) report, commissioned by UKRI, that sought to answer questions related to which long duration electricity storage (LDES) and low carbon dispatchable power (LCDP) technologies could be delivered by 2030/2035 in the UK.
UKERC director and professor at Imperial College London Rob Gross said: “Delivering a secure, affordable and decarbonised electricity system will require innovation across a range of technologies, and the development of significant new sources of flexibility.
“Our analysis helps inform options to accelerate deployment of LDES.”
Gross added: “Unlocking that potential will require targeted innovation to overcome technical, commercial and system integration challenges. This funding will support innovation in novel energy storage solutions, helping build the evidence base, capability and infrastructure required for clean power.”
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Facts Only
* Innovate UK launched a competition for electrochemical ULDES businesses seeking £3M in funding.
* Businesses can apply for up to £3M, with a £10M Phase 2 planned.
* The aim is to support the development, scale-up, and UK manufacture of electrochemical ULDES technologies.
* Technologies must deliver cost-effective electrical power with at least 100 continuous hours of discharge availability.
* Technologies must achieve a working life of at least 25 years.
* Funding comes from the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme, with project development funding ranging from £350,000 to £700,000.
* Eligibility requires proposing electrochemical ULDES deployment and supporting a planned UK demonstration by 2030.
* Stream 1 involves developing near commercial systems competitive with LFP technology in cost and performance.
* Stream 2 involves developing early-stage electrochemical ULDES technologies.
* Contestant proposals must include technology assessment, engineering design, a cost and scale-up roadmap, market assessment, development plan, and a manufacturing and supply chain plan.
* Phase 1 is open until midday on September 30th; Phase 2 is scheduled for launch in 2027 with at least £10M allocated.
Executive Summary
Innovate UK has launched a competition seeking electrochemical ultra long duration energy storage (ULDES) businesses to develop new technologies, offering funding up to £3M for project development studies and a planned £10M for a future Phase 2. The goal is to support the development, scale-up, and UK manufacture of ULDES technologies capable of delivering cost-effective electrical power to the grid with at least 100 continuous hours of discharge availability and a working life of at least 25 years.
The competition is divided into two streams: Stream 1 focuses on developing near commercial electrochemical ULDES systems competing with LFP technology in cost and performance, while Stream 2 targets early-stage technologies. Funding for project development can range between £350,000 and £700,000, sourced from the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. To be eligible, projects must involve electrochemical ULDES deployment, support a planned UK demonstration by 2030, and demonstrate capability to progress through development to deployment.
Phase 1 is currently open, concluding on September 30th, while Phase 2, planned for 2027 with an allocation of at least £10M, will focus on large-scale ULDES demonstrators. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the Phase 1 opportunity to address practical delivery issues necessary for moving projects from concept to construction.
Full Take
The framework establishes a clear pathway demanding not just technological innovation but demonstrable, scalable industrial readiness. The split between Stream 1 (near commercial systems) and Stream 2 (early-stage research) is a strategic mechanism designed to leverage different levels of risk within the funding structure. This stratification implies that the success criteria shift depending on whether the focus is on achieving immediate cost parity with incumbent technologies or advancing foundational science.
The requirement for detailed outputs—technology assessment, cost roadmaps, and supply chain plans—shifts the competition from a purely academic exercise to an engineering and commercial viability test. This structure forces applicants to bridge the gap between theoretical potential and real-world grid integration challenges. The emphasis on ULDES competing with CCGTs suggests that the underlying assumption is that long-duration flexibility is a non-negotiable requirement for future grid stability, positioning these technologies not as niche energy solutions but as essential infrastructure components.
The structure also subtly directs focus toward practical delivery: by strongly encouraging Phase 1 participation to address "practical delivery issues," Innovate UK signals that the greatest barrier to deployment lies in execution and integration, rather than pure scientific discovery. This pattern reflects a systemic need to translate high-level energy research into deployable, resilient infrastructure capable of handling intermittent renewable generation, thereby positioning flexibility as the necessary innovation vector for meeting net-zero goals.
Bridge Questions: If the focus shifts heavily toward Stream 1's near-commercial targets, what governance structures must be established immediately to ensure that cost competitiveness does not compromise the required safety and longevity standards? How should future funding allocation be weighted between foundational R&D (Stream 2) and immediate deployment feasibility studies (Phase 1)? What external metrics beyond financial viability are necessary to accurately assess a technology's contribution to grid resilience, beyond simple energy density or duration figures?
Sentinel — Human
The text appears to be an authentic report on a UK government innovation funding initiative, supported by expert commentary that frames the technological need and strategic importance of long-duration energy storage.