Up to £30 Million for Zero-Emission Maritime Technology – ZEVI 2 Alternative Fuels

The Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure 2: Alternative Fuels competition, delivered by Innovate UK with the Department for Transport, provides major grant funding to develop and build alternative-fuel vessels and accompanying port refuelling infrastructure in the UK.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Up to £30 million in grant funding per project

• No more than £20 million can go to a single project participant

• A share of up to £150 million is available across the wider competition

• Projects must have total eligible costs between £6 million and £60 million

• Funding for developing and building innovative alternative-fuel vessels

• Funding for accompanying port bunkering, refuelling and storage infrastructure

• Capital costs can receive funding of up to 80%, subject to eligibility

• R&D funding rates vary by organisation size and type of research

• Successful technologies must undergo a three-year, real-world demonstration without further grant support after the funded development phase.

Who can apply?

• A UK-registered business of any size must lead

• The lead must be, or collaborate with, a UK-registered ship owner, manufacturer or operator

• The project must also include a relevant infrastructure owner/operator, such as a port, harbour, marina, inland waterway authority or windfarm

• Collaborators can include UK businesses, universities, charities, nonprofits, public-sector organisations and RTOs

• Projects must demonstrate significant UK commercial potential

• Funded organisations must intend to exploit the results from or within the UK.

Application deadline: 16 September 2026 at 11:00am UK time.