Scottish Enterprise is offering grants of between £30,000 and £50,000 to help Scotland-based companies test the feasibility of new products and services that could help develop Scotland's offshore wind sector and its supply chain.

Your project must:

• support Scotland’s transition to a green economy
• create long-term jobs in Scotland's green economy
• help the offshore wind sector to implement solutions more quickly
• help reduce carbon emissions so Scotland can achieve its zero-emissions goals

After you've determined that your project is feasible, you must show that you plan to:

• develop and demonstrate your prototype solutions in Scotland
• commercialise your solution

The funding will only cover the feasibility assessment stage of your project.

If your company is successful, you'll be allocated a dedicated specialist who will support you throughout the project’s development. You'll need to present your findings at an event at the end of the project.

Projects that can be funded

The funding is intended to help find innovative solutions for the most important challenges identified by the industry. Scottish Enterprise is particularly interested in supporting projects in the following areas:

• installation, including:
  • mooring systems connection
  • floating electrical systems connection
  • offshore floating assembly activities
• operations and maintenance (O&M), including: 
  • O&M strategy for dynamic floating conditions
  • balance of plant condition monitoring for floating wind
  • optimised O&M major component change strategies
  • robotics solutions for floating offshore wind
• electrical infrastructure, including: 
  • improvements in HVAC dynamic cables
  • improvements in HVDC dynamic cables
  • floating substations
  • single mooring and cable disconnection point system
• anchors, including: 
  • innovative anchor manufacturing methods
  • shared anchor solutions
  • novel anchoring solutions
• mooring lines, including: 
  • load reduction devices
  • mooring systems, including tensioning and quick connect systems
  • innovative mooring monitoring solutions
  • new materials for mooring systems, including rope, chain, and other materials
• substructures, including: 
  • manufacturing of current floating wind concepts
  • manufacturing of disruptive floating wind concepts
  • design for whole lifecycle cost reduction
  • modular designs and reduced assembly times of steel substructures
• blades, including: 
  • next-generation composite materials
  • blade edge protection
  • circular economy – this refers to innovative thermal, mechanical, and chemical decommissioning processes
  • blade inspection
• towers, including: 
  • next generation tower design and materials
  • automation, welding, and manufacturing production line

Businesses of any size are eligible.

You must:

• be registered or trading in Scotland, or planning to do so before 1 January 2025
• be registered as a company with Companies House
• be an individual business – collaborations cannot apply

Your business must be committed to fair working practices, which means you:

• offer all individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect
• pay employees at least the real Living Wage, which is currently £11.44 in Scotland

According to UK subsidy control rules, you cannot receive a grant if it will cause you to exceed your minimal financial assistance allowance of £315,000 (or if applicable, your de minimis threshold) during the current and past 2 financial years. If this funding may put you over the threshold, an adviser will get in touch to discuss your options.

To be eligible, your feasibility project must:

• involve research and development (R&D) on a product or process that meets the challenge criteria
• aim to develop and commercialise innovative technology
• run for up to 3 months
• be completed by 30 June 2025
• be largely carried out in Scotland, with the aim to prototype and demonstrate the solution in Scotland afterward 

You'll need to provide technical details and a commercial case for this prototype development and demonstration.

You must not have started the project, or committed to any project costs, before you've signed the grant funding contract. 

It is free to apply for this grant.

Grants of between £30,000 and £50,000 are available and are intended to cover all eligible project costs. 

Eligible costs include:

• employee wages
• contractors
• consultants
• supplies and materials
• travel costs

The funding will only cover the feasibility assessment stage of your project. You'll have to cover any costs that are not eligible through other sources.

If this funding may put you over your minimal financial assistance allowance of £315,000 (or your de minimis threshold, if applicable) during the current and past 2 financial years, it may affect the amount of funding you receive. An adviser will get in touch to discuss your options.

You'll need to be able to cover all project costs upfront, then submit a claim to be repaid with a grant at the end of the project. You must pay for all eligible costs by 30 June 2025.

Businesses in Scotland looking to develop innovative technological solutions for Scotland's offshore wind sector.

The call opens for applications on 18 November 2024. The deadline to apply is midday on 10 January 2025.

You'll hear the result of your application by 7 February 2025. If successful, you'll receive a funding contract by 28 February 2025.

Your project cannot start before 1 March 2025. It must be completed by 30 June 2025.

Visit the Scottish Enterprise website for more information and to apply.