Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure 2: Alternative Fuels
Department for Transport
What it funds
DescriptionInnovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) to invest up to £150 million in innovation projects. These projects will develop, deploy and operate innovative clean maritime solutions for three years in a real world environment.The Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure Round 2 (ZEVI 2) competition is part of a suite of interventions launched by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme.UK SHORE aims
Who can apply
Who can applyText update 8 June 2026: we have updated the funding section guidance for companies from Northern Ireland.Text update 27 May 2026: we have changed the guidance in the funding section for clarity.Your projectYour project must:have total eligible costs between £6 million and £60 millionstart by 1 April 2027claim all grant funding by 31 December 2029complete a non-funded three year demonstration, starting by 1 January 2030 and ending by 31 December 2032have a maximum total project grant funding request of no more than £30 million, of which no more than £20 million can be allocated to a single participantAny funded organisation must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs. Eligible capital costs are explained within the application form.If your project’s total costs, grant funding request
How to apply
Before you startYou must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:that all the information provided in the application is correctyour proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteriaall sections of the application are marked as completethat all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.What we ask youThe application is split into four sections:Project details.Application questions.Finances.Project Impact.Accessibility and InclusionWe welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to
Last checked against the official source within the last 7 days. Scheme parameters are set by the funder and can change — verify before applying, or let us do it for you.
Related schemes
Innovate UK Grant Competitions
Innovate UK
Rolling portfolio of themed R&D grant competitions for UK businesses, typically funding 25-70% of project costs across feasibility, industrial research and experimental development.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
Innovate UK / UKRI
Funds a high-calibre graduate (Associate) plus academic team embedded in your business for 12-36 months to deliver a strategic innovation project. SMEs typically pay ~33% of project costs.
R&D Tax Relief (Merged Scheme & ERIS)
HMRC
Corporation tax relief on qualifying R&D expenditure. Merged scheme gives a 20% above-the-line credit (~15-16% net); loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs can claim enhanced support (ERIS) worth up to ~27p per £1 of qualifying spend.