Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Maritime UK Solent network are invited to an online briefing to find out more applying to the Transport Accelerator: Maritime 2025 and the Freight Innovation Fund initiatives.
Connected Places Catapult recently launched the Transport Accelerator: Maritime 2025 initiative to provide support for ideas that could help with automating operations, integrating future fuels and improving safety in ports. Successful applicants will benefit from funding and business support for pioneering solutions applicable to the maritime industry and the wider transport sector.
The programme is seeking a cohort of up to eight SMEs operating at TRL 5-8 and involves a collaboration between CPC and programme partners including Serco, Port of Tyne, National Shipbuilding Office, University of Plymouth, Portsmouth International Port, Royal Navy Maritime Enterprise, and Maersk. SMEs that join the programme will benefit from engaging with, and being supported by, the programme partners either with their trials or with mentoring. In addition to the business support, successful applicants can apply for funding between £10K and £20K to deliver a four-month trial of their solution as part of an agreed collaboration with a programme partner.
Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered through Connected Places Catapult, the Freight Innovation Fund is a multi-faceted programme which will accelerate the adoption of commercially ready solutions into the sector. It will support up to 15 SMEs to develop a trial to test their solutions in real-world environments to help solve pressing challenges within the freight sector.
Following the first stage where up to 15 SMEs will be selected for the programme and receive £20,000 to develop a detailed trial proposal, up to 10 will then be selected by the DfT and Connected Places Catapult to receive further up to £130,000 to deliver their trial via a pre-commercial Pilot & Trial contract.
At the briefing, we will hear from:
- Kirsty Murphy, Connected Places Catapult (programme lead for Transport Accelerator: Maritime 2025)
- Krithika Ramesh, Connected Places Catapult (project manager for the Freight Innovation Fund)
- Chris Hatter, Portsmouth International Port (programme partner)
- Jack Wootton, Serco (programme partner)
This event is free to attend.
Please register by 17:00 Thursday 29 May. An invitation to attend via Teams will be sent on Friday 30 May.
The deadline for applications to the Freight Innovation Fund is 9 June 2025.
The deadline for applications to the Transport Accelerator: Maritime 2025 initiative is 16 June 2025.