Innovation support
Low Carbon Challenge Fund
Low Carbon Challenge Fund (LCCF) - now closed
LCCF Stage 2 is now closed. LCCF provides competitive grant funding for academic institutions, public bodies, and third-sector organisations in the Lowlands and Uplands (LUPS) area of Scotland to support initiatives helping Scottish SMEs to unlock global opportunities of the climate emergency.
About the fund
LCCF provides competitive grant funding for academic institutions, public bodies, and third-sector organisations to support initiatives helping SMEs to unlock global opportunities of the climate emergency. In doing so, it contributes toward Scotland’s target of reaching net zero emissions
So far, up to £1.4 million of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant funding has been awarded on a competitive basis. This will support the creation of a national network of regional projects that will stimulate and improve innovation in SMEs.
Successful applicants will secure matched funding of up to £1.4 million. The total investment over the next two years (2021-2023) is £2.8 million.
Services provided by the projects to SMEs are free of charge.
LCCF projects
Lead organisation
Abertay University
Partner organisations
N/A
Project summary
Transforming net zero will use Abertay’s leading food innovation, environment and computer games expertise to stimulate and improve SME innovation, preparing for new market opportunities as a result of climate emergency and drive towards net zero emissions.
The project will focus on low carbon innovation in the waste energy food nexus (sustainable food production, supply chain, secondary manufacturing, food waste, construction waste, carbon sequestration, value from waste and energy). It supports SMEs to provide novel solutions for zero waste with joint collaborations between academic and industrial partners.
The project will have the scale and ambition to enable SMEs to unlock opportunities and contribute to net zero leading to a low carbon future.
Services
- Increase innovation capacity for SMEs
- Provide access to skills, training, workshops and networks
- Address specific issues surrounding the use of existing technologies, and barriers to uptake in Lowlands and Uplands of Scotland
- Enable companies to be more competitive and energy efficient and prepare for new market opportunities, leading to real cost savings and enhanced competitive advantage
- Support SMEs to provide novel solutions for zero waste through collaborative design with the access to experienced researchers and world class research facilities at Abertay University
- Lead Scotland into a low carbon economy
Region
The project will be available to SMEs in the lowlands and uplands of Scotland (LUPS) but you can specify a region that you're specifically focused on. We'll work with the whole of LUPS, as we want to draw on a wide range geographically through the project.
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Abertay University website.
Lead organisation
University of St Andrews
Partner organisations
University of Strathclyde
Project summary
This project will facilitate the realisation of Scotland’s hydrogen future though stimulating innovation in SMEs who are operating in the hydrogen space, including companies working in the manufacture of fuel cells, chemical processes and energy systems.
Through this project, Scottish SMEs will receive support to develop new and existing technologies by way of expert academic advice on technology and safety and allowing access to specialised testing equipment.
Services
- Expert academic advice on technology and safety
- Access to specialised testing equipment, facilities and know-how
- Support for early stage prototyping to scale up
- Identifying and engaging with SMEs who show growth potential
- Collaborative platform for testing and scale up
- Signposting and advice on funding
- Promotion of the services and facilities offered by the universities
- Matching SMEs to knowledge and expertise across both universities
- Running a programme of events and activities
Region
The project will be available to SMEs in the lowlands and uplands of Scotland but you can specify a region that you are specifically focused on.
Services are available Scotland-wide, but with a particular focus on Fife and Tayside.
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the University of St Andrews website.
Lead organisation
University of Strathclyde
Partner organisations
Scottish Institute of Remanufacturing, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, South Ayrshire Council, East Ayrshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council
Project summary
This proposal targets three key sectors: aerospace, rail and renewables and addresses the challenges around life extension and repurposing of assets.
It will focus primarily on engaging SMEs who traditionally have had some or little involvement in the identified sectors and supporting their journey from opportunity identification to technical capability demonstration.
Services
- SME capabilities diagnostic tool
- Opportunity and capability identification
- Matching of SME’s to OWM opportunities
- Training and up-skilling
- Access to design and manufacturing equipment for demonstration, testing and training purposes
Region
The project will be available to SMEs in the lowlands and uplands of Scotland but you can specify a region that you are specifically focused on.
Services are available Scotland-wide, but with a particular focus on East & South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and Glasgow.
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Scottish Institute for Remanufacturing website.
Cluster Builder Services
The Advancing Manufacturing Cluster Builder (AMCB) will help AMCF grant recipients to deliver their projects by attracting SMEs. It will also support Scottish SMEs to find appropriate help, support and potential partnerships. Support is provided to SMEs free of charge.
The AMCB is being delivered by CeeD, who will use its wealth of experience in peer-to-peer learning and extensive networks within manufacturing and engineering, to serve that dual purpose role for Scotland.
If you would like to hear more about the Cluster Builder's services and what they can do for you, contact: enquiries@ceed-scotland.com.
The Bioeconomy Cluster Builder (BCB) project is a joint enterprise between IBioIC, the Knowledge Transfer Network, and Scottish Enterprise to introduce biotechnology solutions to new markets and grow the bioeconomy in Scotland.
The BCB project will help companies outside of the current bioeconomy community understand and engage with biotechnology applications and bio-based products to improve sustainability, increase efficiency and improve product performance. It will do this through a structure of network development activities, events, and project and bid opportunities.
Visit the Bioeconomy Cluster Builder website for more details and contact: info@ibioic.com to find out how you can get involved.
The Blue Economy Cluster Builder will enable Scottish SMEs to take advantage of commercial, innovation and economic opportunities within the Blue Economy and boost innovation, both within Scotland, and internationally.
As the foundation of a strong, sustainable, and diverse Blue Economy in Scotland, SMEs are the focus of this programme. This Cluster Builder will provide an inclusive and free-of-charge service to ensure that Scotland’s SMEs are positioned to gain the optimum share of market growth and compete with other international Blue Economies.
The Blue Economy Cluster Builder is being delivered by Aquatera. If you would like to know more about the Cluster Builder and the services available visit the Blue Economy Cluster Builder website or contact: Jennifer.Fox@Aquatera.co.uk.
Local Energy Systems Scottish Industry Network (LESSIN) is an initiative to support the decarbonisation of industrial Scotland while building the low carbon economy.
LESSIN will bring together manufacturers, project developers, technology companies, innovation support organisations, knowledge communities, and investors to cultivate the low carbon ecosystem in Scotland, and beyond. The project will establish a platform for the Local Energy Systems sector to collaborate, learn lessons from past and current projects, discover opportunities for future projects and be referred to appropriate support mechanisms.
LESSIN is being led by Energy Systems Catapult in collaboration with Energy Technology Partnership (ETP).
To find out more about the support available and how you can get involved, contact: Lessin@es.catapult.org.uk.
The Cluster Builder is designed to support the development of the Offshore Wind sector in Scotland to consolidate the landscape for SMEs to help simplify all elements of the sector to allow greater engagement by Scottish companies which will in turn strengthen and grow the supply chain.
Creating linkages between SMEs, industry and academia through collaboration, best practice and intelligence sharing will assist in the development of the two existing Scottish offshore wind clusters (DeepWind and Forth and Tay Offshore) to serve as an effective collaboration forum.
The Cluster Builder is being led by Xodus, a leading global energy consultancy. If you would like to know more about the Cluster Builders services, contact: Andy.Logan@xodusgroup.com or hannah.collings@xodusgroup.com.
The project will contribute the establishment of an international rail cluster in Scotland that aims to be acknowledged as a leader in the innovation and manufacture of net zero rail products, services and solutions. It will be built around existing strengths in rail in Scotland and will enhance the emerging innovation and supply chain opportunities.
The project will engage with SMEs from across the Scotland, connecting them with rolling stock manufacturers, Tier 1s, academics, research centres, Transport Scotland, Network Rail and ScotRail.
If you would like to hear more about rail cluster builder services and how you can get involved, contact: shonaclive@scottishengineering.org.uk
Sustainable Mobility Scotland (delivered by Urban Foresight) helps grow businesses in sustainable mobility by navigating opportunities and providing a community for knowledge-sharing, networking and collaboration. Urban Foresight will provide free bespoke one-to-one support including market research, technology commercialisation, funding proposal support and collaboration facilitation.
If your organisation is interested in being involved in the Scottish Sustainable Mobility ecosystem, contact: hello@urbanforesight.org.
Traveltech is: “tech-enabled companies offering services and products focused on travel and tourism, including booking services, search and planning platforms, on-demand travel, and recommendation sites.” (CB Insights 2018).
The purpose of this project is to establish a Scottish cluster of businesses who are focused on the application of technology into the tourism sector and to encourage tourism SMEs to innovate using technology.
Traveltech for Scotland will:
- Help Scottish traveltech organisations find the marketplace, intelligence, investment, support and talent that they need
- Encourage SME tourism businesses to look for, find and use the Scottish digital technology products and services to help them solve their business problems
- Support potential traveltech organisations and entrepreneurs form new traveltech companies and support Scottish tech companies to branch out into traveltech
The Traveltech Cluster Builder is delivered by the University of Edinburgh.
If you would like to hear more about the Cluster Builder's services and what they can do for you, contact: Joshua.ryan-saha@ei.ed.ac.uk or Lesley.judge@ei.ed.ac.uk.
Project themes
Preparing the workforce
Developing and encouraging SME leaders, and/or senior management to:
- Take proactive steps to develop a culture that future-proofs their business by focusing on the other themes listed
- Increase the capacity and diversity of the workforce, creating a culture of continuous learning to foster innovation and support transition to new low carbon products and services
Innovation
Supporting SMEs to be more innovative:
- Supporting SMEs to invest in the development of new products, services and/or processes to the market or to the firm - for example, access to test laboratories or test sites
- Helping SMEs build collaborations - for example, building consortia to apply for other funding opportunities and/or project sponsors
- Accessing expert advice and support in developing low carbon solutions
- Increasing business expenditure on research and development (BERD)
Supply Chains
Supporting SMEs to:
- Identify opportunities for the creation of new supply chains for cross-sectoral opportunities within low carbon
- Strengthen existing low carbon supply chains - for example, enhancing availability of data in terms of supply and demand and linkages with Tier 1 suppliers
Responding to new, growing or shifting markets
Supporting SMEs to access expert advice on:
- Direction of low carbon/climate change and impact on existing markets
- Preparing future strategies and business modelling support
- Regulation and legislation landscape of low carbon technologies
Preparing pipeline for trade opportunities
Supporting SMEs to:
- Take innovative services and products overseas
- Engage with potential international investors/partnerships
The changing nature of the customer
Supporting SMEs to engage with the relevant communities to:
- Ensure understanding and working with customers to shift behaviours when considering design and adoption of low carbon products and services
Horizontal themes
You'll also need to demonstrate and measure:
- How you'll include positive approaches to equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the work of the project
- Equality between men and women
- How you'll promote sustainable development through the work of the project
Guidance for projects
- Updated guidance for LCCF applicants (PDF, 430kB)
- Audit, publicity and compliance guidance for LCCF (PDF, 372kB)
- Claims process and reporting guidance for LCCF (PDF, 421kB)
- Monitoring report template (Excel, 55kB)
- Monitoring template guidance (PDF, 271kB)
- Updated LCCF stage 2 financial annex (Excel, 304kB)
Timeline
- Projects start – 4 January 2021
- Projects end – by 30 June 2023
