Businesses, charities, social housing providers, public sector organisations and community groups are invited to help shape the UK's future energy system. 

Innovate UK Business Connect is encouraging organisations from across the UK to explore opportunities to participate in a new £25 million funding competition designed to unlock greater consumer-led flexibility in the energy system. 

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Consumer Led Flexibility for the Clean Energy Superpower Mission competition will support ambitious projects that help homes, communities, businesses and industry play a more active role in the energy system. The competition aims to contribute towards delivering at least 2GW of additional flexibility by 2030, supporting the UK's transition to a cleaner, more resilient and more affordable energy system. 

While the competition will fund innovative AI, digital and end-to-end solutions, Innovate UK Business Connect is keen to engage organisations that may not traditionally work with UKRI but have valuable expertise, assets and access to communities that could strengthen project proposals. 

Potential partners include charities, social housing providers, local authorities, public sector organisations, community groups and industrial businesses, all of whom can help innovators test, develop and deploy solutions in real-world environments. 

Many successful projects will require collaboration between technology developers and organisations that can provide access to housing stock, industrial sites, operational environments, local communities and end users. These partnerships will help ensure new solutions are practical, inclusive and capable of delivering impact at scale. 

Organisations do not need to be technology developers to play a valuable role. Partners may contribute operational expertise, access to trial sites, community engagement, user insight or routes to deployment that help accelerate innovation and adoption. 

Eligible charities, not-for-profit organisations and public sector organisations may be able to claim up to 100% of eligible project costs, subject to the competition’s funding rules and the nature of the activities undertaken. 

Whether supporting vulnerable consumers, engaging communities, providing real-world trial sites, sharing operational expertise, or helping innovators understand user needs, there may be opportunities to become a valued project partner. 

To support consortium formation, Innovate UK Business Connect has established a dedicated networking and consortium-building programme, helping organisations connect with potential collaborators and develop strong, high-quality proposals. 

Organisations interested in finding partners and learning more about the opportunity can join the dedicated networking platform at https://www.b2match.com/e/consumer-led-flexibility-innovation-programme