Funding to develop innovative trials of net zero carbon approaches to road construction and maintenance will be offered to up to ten small to medium sized businesses in a competition launched today by National Highways and Connected Places Catapult.
Phase one of the National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme will see winning UK based firms awarded between £15,000 and £30,000 each to develop feasibility studies in collaboration with the strategic road operator and its tier one suppliers.
Phase two will see further funding of up to £80,000 provided to support a selected number of organisations to trial their solutions.
Applicants are invited to put forward proposals that address at least one of three challenges:
- Development or application of alternative materials and techniques;
- Innovations that can improve asset management decision-making;
- Innovations which can contribute to reusing, redeploying and recycling construction materials and assets.
There is also an open challenge category for other ideas that can contribute to National Highways’ target of zero emissions in maintenance and construction by 2040.
Up to five larger tier one organisations will also be selected to develop net zero solutions either on their own or in collaboration with an SME, but will not be eligible for funding as part of the programme.
Firms interested in putting themselves forward for the competition have until midnight on 30 April to enter.
The aim of the competition is to reach a wider pool of innovators, exploring firms with potential outside of National Highways’ existing supply chain, that promise to make a difference in lowering its carbon footprint.
