CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate

This grant aims to accelerate the commercialization of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions in the UK. It funds technology-focused research and development (R&D) projects that are close to market, specifically supporting the development of demonstrator products or CAM-enabling services. The core objective is to position the UK as a leader in CAM deployment, targeting high-value market segments and ensuring safety and security. Applicants should clearly demonstrate market opportunities and a path to commercial viability within the UK or internationally.

Core Objective

To support the development of products and CAM enabling services that prove enhanced capability and unlock clear commercial opportunities in Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) within the UK, positioning the UK to secure first mover advantage in Europe for CAM deployment.

Funding Organization

The grant is funded by the UK Government. It is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, Zenzic-UK Limited, and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV).

Target Recipients

Eligible applicants are UK registered organisations. This includes:
* Businesses of any size (lead or collaborate)
* Academic institutions (collaborate only)
* Charities (collaborate only)
* Not for profit organisations (collaborate only)
* Public sector organisations (collaborate only)
* Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) (collaborate only)

Organisations that are not profit-driven or do not have a commercial focus (including Community Interest Companies and charities) are not allowed to lead.

Sector Focus

SECTOR-SPECIFIC: The grant exclusively focuses on the Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) sector. Specific themes include:
* On-vehicle innovations supporting early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities (e.g., perception/localisation sensors, vehicle control, Automated Driving Systems software).
* Off-vehicle innovations required to enable early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities (e.g., connectivity and data, development tools like AI/ML, technical services like verification and testing).

Projects must focus on technologies and systems that ultimately enable the operation of No-User-in-Charge (NUiC) platforms.

Geographic Scope

• Project work: Must be carried out in the UK.
• Exploitation: Must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
• Non-funded partners: Can be from anywhere (UK, EU, or other non-UK countries) and can carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit results outside the UK.

Key Filtering Criteria

• Project Focus: Technology-focused R&D for close-to-market CAM solutions, leading to a demonstrator product or CAM enabling service.
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Projects must achieve a TRL of five or six (TRL5-6) or a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of four or five (MRL4-5) by completion.
• Commercial Potential: Projects must aim to unlock clear commercial opportunities or secure follow-on investment.
• Project Size: Grant funding requests between £500,000 and £2 million.
• Organization Type: UK registered businesses are eligible to lead; a broader range of UK registered organizations can collaborate.

The 'CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate' grant provides significant financial support for eligible projects, coupled with specific co-financing requirements and a contribution to Zenzic.

Funding Range

• Total Available Funding: Up to £20 million.
• Number of Projects: Up to 15 projects are expected to be funded.
• Grant Funding Request per Project: Must be between £500,000 and £2 million.

Co-financing

• The balance between your total eligible project costs and the amount of grant awarded must be funded by the organisation receiving the grant.
• Industrial Research Projects: Funding rates for eligible project costs are:
  • Micro or Small organisation: Up to 70%
  • Medium sized organisation: Up to 60%
  • Large organisation: Up to 50%
• Experimental Development Projects: Funding rates for eligible project costs are:
  • Micro or Small organisation: Up to 45%
  • Medium sized organisation: Up to 35%
  • Large organisation: Up to 25%
• Research Participation (Non-Economic Activity):
  • Research organisations can collectively share up to 30% of the total eligible project costs.
  • RTO, charity, not for profit, public sector, or research organisation: Up to 100% of eligible project costs.
  • Je-S registered institution (e.g., academic): Up to 80% of full economic costs (FEC). For these, only the 80% FEC output should be entered at 100% funding on IFS; the remaining 20% does not need to be shown on the finance table.

Eligible Costs

• Generally, eligible project costs apply (refer to Innovate UK's overview of 'eligible project costs' and competition-specific guidance).
• Zenzic Industrial Contribution: A 3.5% industrial contribution is payable to Zenzic by all partners on the grant received.

Ineligible Costs

• Not specified as 'ineligible costs', but projects with the following characteristics will not be funded:
  • Dependent on export performance (e.g., subsidy contingent on exporting a certain quantity).
  • Dependent on domestic inputs usage (e.g., subsidy contingent on using a percentage of UK-sourced materials).

Payment & Reporting

• Projects must not start until the Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK.
• Financial claims are subject to approval by Innovate UK.
• Reporting obligations include Monitoring Service Provider reports and Independent Accountant Reports.

To apply for the 'CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate' grant, applicants must meet stringent criteria related to their project, organizational status, and operational conduct.

Formal Criteria

• Project Duration: Must last between 9 and 18 months.
• Project Start Date: Must start by 1 June 2026.
• Project End Date: Must end by 30 November 2027.
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL)/Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL): Must achieve TRL5 or TRL6, or MRL4 or MRL5 by completion. (Referenced 'Automotive Technology and Manufacturing Readiness Levels Guidance Document' for definitions).
• Project Outcome: Must lead to a demonstrator product or CAM enabling service, resulting in new commercial opportunities or securing follow-on investment.
• Project Location: All funded project work must be carried out in the UK.
• Exploitation Location: Must intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK.
• Permits and Licences: Applicants must have all correct permits and licences in place by the project start date.
• Subsidy Control: Funding is provided in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Applicants must ensure their project is compliant and will not cause a breach of subsidy control legislation.

Organizational Status

• Lead Organisation: Must be a UK registered business of any size.
  • Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone.
  • Organisations that are not profit-driven or lack a commercial focus (e.g., Community Interest Companies, charities) are not allowed to lead.
• Collaborating Organisations: Must be one of the following UK registered types:
  • Business of any size
  • Academic institution
  • Charity
  • Not for profit
  • Public sector organisation
  • Research and Technology Organisation (RTO)
• Effective Collaboration: For a collaboration to be considered 'effective', the lead and at least one other organisation must apply for funding and their combined costs must ensure no single partner accounts for more than 70% of the total eligible costs. Additionally, there must be no common shareholder with more than 25% ownership, no common 'person with significant control' (as per Companies House definition), and a collaborating RTO must have less than 50% ownership of a collaborating business.
• Non-funded Partners: Projects can include non-UK organisations (including EU) as non-funded partners, whose costs will count towards the total eligible project costs. They can work from their home countries and exploit results overseas.
• Subcontractors: Allowed from anywhere, but overseas subcontractors require detailed justification why UK options are not viable (cheaper cost is not a sufficient reason). All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate.

Technical Expertise

• Projects must demonstrate the ability to reach TRL5-6 or MRL4-5 by the project's conclusion, indicating a focus on mid-to-late stage development with a clear path to commercialisation.
• Project team must have the necessary skills and experience, with plans to address any gaps through recruitment or subcontracting.

Exclusion Criteria

• Organizational: Innovate UK will not award funding to organisations in financial difficulty.
• Previous Performance: Applicants will not be funded if they have:
  • Failed to exploit a previously funded project.
  • An overdue independent accountant's report.
  • Failed to comply with grant or award terms and conditions.
  • Overdue industrial contribution payments to Zenzic.
• Project Scope: Projects that will not be funded include:
  • Focussing on trialling an existing CAM technology.
  • Early-stage CAM technology or application feasibility studies.
  • Primarily intended for air, rail, or maritime applications.
  • Primarily intended for micro goods vehicles, indoor vehicles, or military applications.
  • Developing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) or Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) with no application toward Level 4 automation (as defined by SAE J3016).
  • Installing infrastructure other than to validate the primary product or CAM enabling service being developed.
  • Dependent on export performance or domestic inputs usage (due to subsidy control rules).
• Compliance: Projects that would expose Innovate UK or beneficiaries to UK Sanctions will not be funded.

The application process for 'CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate' is conducted online via the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) and involves several stages, from submission to potential interviews and post-award obligations.

Deadlines

• Competition Opens: 20 October 2025, 9:00am
• Online Briefing Event: 23 October 2025 (registration required).
• Competition Closes: 17 December 2025, 11:00am UK time.
• Invite to Interview: 29 January 2026.
• Interview Panel Starts: 23 February 2026.
• Interview Panel Ends: 6 March 2026.
• Applicants Notified: 30 March 2026.
• Successful Applicant Briefing: 1 April 2026.
• Project Start From: 1 June 2026 (Projects must start on the first of the month; cannot start before Grant Offer Letter approval).

Required Documents

• Application Form: Split into four sections:
  1. 'Project details' (not scored).
  2. 'Application questions' (scored, Q9-23).
  3. 'Finances'.
  4. 'Project Impact' (not scored).
• Appendices: Required for specific application questions (PDF, max 10MB):
  • Question 10 (Market size and timing): One A4 page with diagrams/charts.
  • Question 12 (Product/CAM service proposition): One A4 page with diagrams/charts.
  • Question 13 (Innovation readiness): One A4 page with diagrams/charts.
  • Question 14 (Innovation delivery approach): Project plan or Gantt chart (up to two A4 pages).
  • Question 18 (Handling risk): Risk register (up to two A4 pages).
  • Question 21 (Costs of this demonstrator): One A4 page.
  • Question 22 (Added value: additionality): One A4 page.
  • Question 23 (Added value: wider impact potential): One A4 page.
  • Question 24 (Economic monitoring form): Completed worksheet.
• Academic Institutions: Must complete and upload a 'Je-S form'.
• Interview Presentation Slides: Max 10 slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, no longer than 20 minutes, no video/embedded web links (submitted before interview).
• List of Interview Attendees: Up to six people from the project, max three per organisation (submitted before interview).

Application Process

1. Read Guidance: Review the 'guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service'.
2. Online Submission: Applications are submitted via the Innovation Funding Service (IFS).
3. Lead Applicant Responsibility: Ensure all information is correct, eligibility/scope met, all sections complete, and all collaborative partners have completed assigned sections and accepted T&Cs.
4. Collaborative Projects: Each partner organisation must be invited by the lead to collaborate on IFS, enter their own project costs, and complete 'Project Impact' questions.
5. Re-submission: Applications can be reopened and re-submitted until the competition deadline.
6. Assessment: Applications are reviewed by three independent assessors. Scoring and feedback are provided.
7. Interview Stage: If an application passes initial assessment, an interview will be invited (at APC offices, Warwick University). Applicants respond to assessor feedback within their presentation.

Support

• Innovate UK Support: Contact by email (support@iuk.ukri.org) or phone (0300 321 4357, Mon-Fri, 9am-12pm & 2pm-5pm UK time, excluding bank holidays) for guidance and accessibility adjustments. Recommend contacting at least 15 working days before closing date for adjustments.
• Zenzic Support: Provides general guidance on interpretation of rules, help with bid structuring, explaining common pitfalls, and support for project start-up and delivery. Works with consortia to support bid development.
• Innovate UK Business Growth Service: Offers fully funded and bespoke support to innovation-focused businesses (both funded and non-funded).
• Project Partner Search: Innovate UK Business Connect can help find project partners.

Post-Award Obligations

• Project Setup: Successful applicants complete a project setup process on IFS for mandatory checks and documentation review.
• Dissemination: A clear dissemination plan is required, including showcasing outcomes at an appropriate CENEX Expo event.
• Reporting: Submit a close-out report and case study at the end of the funded project.
• Zenzic Contribution: A 3.5% industrial contribution is payable to Zenzic on the grant received by all partners.

The evaluation process for the 'CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate' grant involves a comprehensive assessment of the project's strategic fit, innovation, quality, and potential impact. Applications are scored on a set of detailed questions, followed by an interview stage for successful initial applicants.

Scoring Factors

Assessors will score answers to application questions 9 through 23. Feedback will be provided for each scored question.

Innovation & Impact

• Strategic Rationale (Question 9): How strategically important the project is to your organisation and the wider CAM sector, alignment with long-term business strategy, fit with existing products/services, and senior-level commitment.
• Market Size and Timing (Question 10): Evidence of market size, growth potential, realistic serviceable and obtainable market, and why now is the right time to undertake the project. (Appendix allowed).
• Target Market Entry Strategy (Question 11): Plan for market entry and scaling, including barriers, growth approach, distribution, competitive positioning, and evidence of customer interest.
• Product or CAM Enabling Service Proposition (Question 12): Level of innovation and strategic advantage compared to competitors, intellectual property (IP) and core knowledge, commercial or business model innovation, and safety/security by design. (Appendix allowed).
• Innovation Readiness (Question 13): Justification of starting TRL/MRL, target TRL/MRL and its achievability/necessity for customer demonstration, and IP considerations including freedom to operate. (Appendix allowed).
• Project Exploitation and Impact (Question 20): Plan for exploiting results to achieve commercial success, including customer engagement and identification of early adopters.
• Wider Impact Potential (Question 23): Additional benefits to the UK supply chain and CAM sector, economic and environmental benefits (jobs created/safeguarded, sales, profitability, carbon/air-quality savings), and regional/national impacts. (Appendix allowed).

Project Quality

• Innovation Delivery Approach (Question 14): Clear explanation of outputs, deliverables, dependencies, key milestones, and simulation/certification/test/validation activities. (Project plan/Gantt chart appendix required).
• Project Management Approach (Question 15): Governance structure, review frequency, processes/tools for management, and assurance of timely delivery and quality control.
• The Team (Question 16): Roles, skills, relevant experience, recruitment plans, and how sub-contracting addresses gaps.
• The Supply Chain (Question 17): Identification of critical suppliers, capacity of applicants/partners, engagement with and creation of lasting UK supply chain relationships, and opportunities for the UK supply chain.
• Handling Risk (Question 18): Identification of technical, commercial, financial, resource, regulatory, and operational risks, along with mitigation strategies and contingency plans. (Risk register appendix required).
• Costs of this Demonstrator (Question 21): Justification of total project costs, value for money, balance of costs/grant across partners, and funding of major capital/material/subcontracting. (Appendix allowed).
• Added Value: Additionality (Question 22): Explanation of why grant funding is essential, how it enables outcomes otherwise unachievable, and what would happen without public funding. (Appendix allowed).

Strategic Fit

• Proposals must identify a clear market opportunity and an innovative project that exploits it in the UK or internationally, specifically aiming to support the development of products and CAM enabling services that prove enhanced capability and unlock clear commercial opportunities in CAM within the UK.
• The project must focus on the specific themes outlined in the grant objectives (on-vehicle and off-vehicle innovations for CAM, ultimately enabling NUiC platforms).

Cross-cutting Themes

• Accessibility and Inclusion: While not explicitly a scoring criterion for the project content, the funder encourages applications from all backgrounds and provides reasonable adjustments for the application process.
• Use of Animals in Research: Projects involving animals must adhere to UKRI guidance on welfare standards; additional information will be required during project setup.
• Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): Applicants must explain how their project relates to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, including dual-use applications, relevance to the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, and export control requirements.

The 'CAM Pathfinder: Demonstrate' grant has several compliance and special requirements that applicants must adhere to, ranging from regulatory frameworks to specific project conduct and data sharing policies.

Regulatory Compliance

• UK Sanctions: The competition will not fund any entity directly or indirectly involved with UK Sanctions.
• Subsidy Control Act 2022: All funding is provided in line with this Act. Applicants must ensure their activities are compliant and do not breach subsidy control legislation.
• State Aid Rules: These apply in limited circumstances. Applicants should consult the 'Windsor Framework' and seek independent legal advice if unsure about their obligations.
• Animal Welfare: Projects involving animals must comply with UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation. Additional information on welfare and ethical considerations will be required for funded projects.
• Permits and Licences: All necessary permits and licences must be in place by the project start date.
• Terminology: Applications must comply with terminology used in BSI Flex 1890 v6.0: 2025-03 Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM), Vocabulary.
• Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): Applicants must explain how their project relates to UKRI’s TR&I Principles, including dual-use applications, relevance to the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act (17 areas), and export control requirements.
• Export Control License: Applicants must indicate if an export control license is required for the project.

IP Policy

• While specific IP policy is not detailed, applicants are expected to highlight the intellectual property (IP) and core knowledge that provides a competitive advantage in their product or service proposition (Question 12).
• Freedom to operate regarding IP is also a consideration (Question 13).

Unique Aspects

• Competitive Process: The competition is highly competitive, with an estimated 40% chance of success based on similar competitions. High scores do not guarantee funding due to funding limits.
• Portfolio Approach: Innovate UK aims to fund a variety of projects across different themes, sub-themes, project values, technologies, markets, technological maturities, and collaboration types.
• Zenzic Industrial Contribution: All partners receiving grant funding must pay a 3.5% industrial contribution to Zenzic.
• Data Sharing: Information submitted during the application process (including personal details, scoring, feedback, and grant management data) will be shared between Innovate UK, Zenzic-UK Limited, the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). These entities act as data controllers and comply with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
• Previous Applications: Applicants can re-apply with a previously submitted proposal if it reached the assessment stage and is not 'materially different'.
• Exploitation: Projects must intend to exploit results from or in the UK, and showcase project outcomes at an appropriate CENEX Expo.

Industry-Specific Rules

• CAM Focus: Projects must specifically focus on Connected and Automated Mobility, with a preference for technologies and systems enabling No-User-in-Charge (NUiC) platforms.
• Automation Levels: Excludes projects primarily developing ADAS or DCAS without application toward Level 4 automation (as defined by SAE J3016).