Green Innovation Challenge Fund pilot third window

Innovative projects sought to help alleviate the current energy crisis and move Northern Ireland further along the path to net zero.

The third round of the £4.5 million Green Innovation Challenge Fund (GICF) pilot has been launched to help Northern Ireland reach the Net Zero Energy goals outlined in the NI Energy Strategy 2021.

This Fund is led by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE) as delivery partner for the Department for the Economy (DfE). CASE is an industry-led, collaborative, sustainable energy research centre hosted at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), partnering with Ulster University (UU) and the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

To date CASE has allocated approximately £2.4 milliom to 10 research projects involving QUB, UU, AFBI and 34 companies. The projects will investigate a wide range of issues that will help decarbonise NI energy. The research impact and outcomes will benefit the project consortium and the wider NI economy.

GICF aims to further the objectives of the 10X Economic Vision, Green Growth Strategy, Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy “Path to net zero” and the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022 by:

• encouraging green innovation in renewables and low carbon technologies
• providing support to businesses to engage in research and development so that they can continue to innovate and drive new commercial opportunities
• providing advisory services and support to assist companies in understanding innovation and developing their innovative capabilities
• assisting SMEs to gain the skills they need to engage in innovation activities
• assisting businesses to exploit new opportunities through the adoption of new technologies
• fostering collaboration and partnership working between industry, academia and other civic institutions

CASE is calling for applications from suitably qualified consortia for research and development funding to support the decarbonisation of the energy system. Proposals are sought from across the following research areas:

• ocean energy – wave, tidal, offshore wind, floating solar
• bio-energy – anaerobic digestion, biogas production, upgrading and bio-fuel production
• energy systems – community / local energy, geothermal, grid stabilisation, ancillary and distribution system operator services, demand side management, integrated supply chains and Power-to-X

Find out more about GICF and how to apply.

First published 23 March 2023