News story: Transforming UK aerospace: funding for projects

The UK houses some of the world’s most prolific aerospace companies, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Airbus, and employs over 360,000 people. But maintaining the UK aerospace industry’s global authority requires exploring emerging opportunities and markets.

To this end, organisations are invited to express an interest in a £150 million annual competition with their innovative ideas for aerospace design and manufacture.

The investment is part of the £3.9 billion UK Aerospace Research and Technology (UKART) programme, a partnership between government and industry that aims to maintain the UK’s world-leading position in civil aerospace. The best projects will then be invited to apply for grant funding.

Eyes on the sky

Priority areas within the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy include whole aircraft design and integration, aerostructures, advanced systems and propulsion technologies. This competition provides funding for industrial research or capital investment projects.

Priority areas include:

bolstering UK whole-aircraft design and system integration
future-proofing advanced systems technologies in the UK – specifically, smart, connected and more electric aircrafts
securing the UK’s world-leading position in large, complex aviation structures, particularly wings
developing more efficient propulsion technologies, including large turbofans

Competition information

the competition will open on 3 May 2019, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at midday on 22 May 2019
UK-based business, research and technology groups and academic organisations can be the project lead, depending on the project type
businesses can attract a maximum of 50% grant funding. Within that, individual businesses can attract up to 70% depending on funding requests from other partners
organisations must sign up to the ATI framework agreement
an online briefing event will be held on 10 May 2019 where organisations can find out more about the competition and applying