Innovate UK, GB and other funders: Ofgem 2021 data and digitalisation – discovery

21/10/2021

17/11/2021

Innovate UK and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, through the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, invite applications for the Ofgem 2021 data and digitalisation – discovery call. This supports projects that offer value to energy consumers and society through energy network innovation with a focus on data and digitalisation. All proposals must address network innovation that can be deployed or applied to benefit UK energy networks’ infrastructure, network consumers, operation and utilisation. The total budget is £3 million. Projects must last for two months and may have a total eligible cost of up to £150,000.

Projects should focus on the following key objectives: •decarbonise gas and electric energy distribution and transmission networks and benefit the consumer; •deliver the next generation of user driven digital products, services and processes spanning transmission and distribution plus government, generators, suppliers, local authorities and other organisations; •deliver the enabling digital technologies required to accelerate progress in other challenge areas; •improve data monitoring, availability, quality, collection, interoperability, access and insights to third parties in order to increase consumer choices and improve the efficiency, security and resilience of networks. This is the first phase of a three phase competition.

Project leads must be a licensed gas distribution network, transmission network operator, or electricity system operator, and must partner with at least one other energy network licensee holding a different category of network licence. They must also work with researchers or private sector or organisations with technical capabilities in data and digital technologies, as well as relevant data owners and processors and at least one other organisation as a subcontractor. Subcontractors can include a variety of third-party innovators such as start-ups, SMEs, suppliers, academics, independent researchers, disruptors or other energy network companies.