New funding call: energy management and reduced CO2 emissions

A collaborative new programme from Innovation Centres CENSIS and The Data Lab

Download the application form

CENSIS, in partnership with our sister Innovation Centre, the Data Lab, is pleased to announce a call for funding targeting short collaborative IoT and data-driven projects to deliver innovation focused on energy management and reduced CO2 emissions.

This innovation may combine current IoT hardware and systems and the resulting data, as well as new analytical capabilities and data science techniques to deliver help mitigate and manage energy consumption. With unprecedented rises in energy prices, individual companies and connected supply chains need to address energy usage and the impact of price rises on operations, production and service delivery costs. Even with the planned UK Government support, energy price inflation represents an ongoing challenge to businesses in all sectors.

While the structure and timing of energy contracting strategies, as well as educating employees on energy use will have their place, companies need innovation. This could mean exploring and implementing energy efficiency measures, exploring demand management options, investing in analytics to better understand patterns of energy use and inform manage on how best to reduce consumption. Knowledge and best practice in this area can then be shared across sectors and supply chains, helping companies protect margins and even ensure survival during an unprecedented economic challenge

Eligibility criteria for innovation projects

• Projects are expected to be 3-6 months in length
• Project consortium should be made up of end user or users, SME and Scottish academic partner
• The lead applicant will be a Scottish-based SME
• The Data Lab will fund up to 75% of total academic costs (up to a maximum of £20k). Participating companies will be expected to cover the remaining academic costs through a cash contribution (e.g. 25% for SMEs, rising to 50% for large companies). The applicant will also be expected to make in-kind contribution of time, materials, data, data storage, etc)
• The Data Lab and CENSIS funding will only be paid to cover the costs of University Partner(s) involved in the project.
• The application must demonstrate one or more of the following: Potential for financial or energy savings for the end user or users; a clear economic or social benefit to Scotland, e.g. new or safeguarded jobs, increased turnover linked to new or improved products, services or processes; Help organisations moved towards achieving Scotland’s Net Zero targets; clear potential for further funding and development (The Data Lab and CENSIS can help identify follow-on funding routes)

The IoT and data energy management challenge

The call is open to consortia operating in any sector, with projects meeting the eligibility criteria. If an industry applicant does not have an academic partner attached to the application, The Data Lab and CENSIS business development teams will provide appropriate search and matchmaking services. Applications could focus on areas such as:

• Developing new or optimising existing energy management systems through the use of connected sensors and data analytics
• Improving operational efficiencies of industrial or business process to reduce energy consumption or energy usage/ waste
• Helping companies deliver energy savings which also reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint
• Deployment or development of new algorithms that would help with the processing and analysis of existing or IoT-enabled datasets
• Customisation of off the shelf IoT devices to support energy management processes and capability
• Combining proprietary or open datasets with IoT dataset to deliver new innovation around energy management or use.
• Other opportunities/ challenges might be considered. If you have an idea focusing on a different topic, please contact us to discuss.

The Data Lab data science team and the CENSIS engineering team will be available to provide time-limited in-kind support to parties in relation to technical scoping and/or advising on data science or senor/ IoT issues at the application development or project delivery stage.

How to apply

1. Review the challenge, eligibility criteria and project application assessment criteria and key dates (below).
2. Download The Data Lab Project Application Form
3. Review, with academic partner, how any resulting intellectual property will be handled.
4. Complete the form and submit it via email to darran.gardner@thedatalab.com with the subject: “IoT and data energy challenge Call” before the deadline of Midnight on 19 February 2023

Note: If you wish to discuss any element of an application (including engaging with academic partners) before submission please contact darran.gardner@thedatalab.com. Both staff from The Data Lab and CENSIS can support the application development process.

Project application assessment criteria

Applications will be assessed by a panel consisting of representatives of The Data Lab and CENSIS, as well as independent assessment partner. Applications will be assessed on:

• The project’s deliverability and impact (economic in terms of jobs created or safeguard, as well revenue, or social)
• The suitability and capability of consortium partners
• Ability of lead applicant/ SME to commercialise project outputs
• The development and deployment of the lead industry applicant
• Level of innovation in terms of the use of IoT devices and data/ data science

Key dates in 2023

• 9 January 9: Call launch
• 24 January, 11:00-12:00: Free online information session (hosted by The Data Lab and CENSIS)
• 19 February: (midnight): Deadline for application submission
• 27 February: The Data Lab and CENSIS evaluation team meet to review all applications and make a funding decision.
• 6 March 6: Successful applicants contacted