Advancing aerospace designs: funding for projects

The UK’s aerospace sector is among the best in the world, with a turnover of £35 billion and hosting 123,000 direct employees in 2017. To remain at its peak, the UK needs to explore emerging opportunities and markets.

Organisations are invited to express an interest in a competition worth £150 million a year with their innovative ideas for future aerospace design and manufacture. The best projects will then be invited to apply for grant funding.

The investment is part of the £3.9 billion UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme, a partnership between government and industry, managed by Innovate UK, the ATI and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Aircraft of the future

This competition provides funding for industrial research or capital investment projects that align with the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy.

Priority areas include whole aircraft design and integration, aerostructures, advanced systems and propulsion technologies.

Project themes are detailed in the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, and include:

• improving UK whole-aircraft design and system integration
• future-proofing advanced systems technologies in the UK – specifically, smart, connected and more electric aircrafts
• securing the UK’s world-leading position in large, complex aviation structures, particularly wings
• developing more efficient propulsion technologies, including large turbofans

Competition information

• the competition will open on 9 September 2019, and the closing date is 25 September 2019
• UK-based business, research and technology groups and academic organisations can be the project lead, depending on the project type
• businesses could get up to 70% of their costs for industry-led research projects, or up to 50% of their costs for capital investment projects
• an online briefing event will be held on 16 September 2019