Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund Round 5 Discovery Phase

Who Can Apply

Lead applicants must be:

• Ofgem-licensed electricity distribution networks
• Electricity transmission operators  
• Gas distribution networks
• Gas transmission operators
• Electricity System Operators (ESO) or the National Energy System Operator (NESO)

Projects must be collaborative and involve at least one project partner.

Project partners may include:

• SMEs
• Start-ups
• Universities and research organisations
• Technology providers
• Independent researchers
• Energy sector innovators
• Other licensed network operators

Ofgem strongly encourages participation from innovative SMEs and high-growth technology companies.

Expected Project Impact

Projects must demonstrate clear consumer benefits, including:

• Reduced energy system costs
• Lower consumer energy bills
• Reduced emissions
• Increased network flexibility
• Improved reliability and resilience
• Faster connections and infrastructure deployment
• New products and services for the UK energy market

Projects should also address scalability, digitalisation, resilience, customer engagement, skills development, supply chain readiness, and knowledge sharing.

How Inventya Can Help

The Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund is highly competitive and requires applicants to demonstrate not only technical innovation, but also clear consumer benefits, commercial viability, scalability, and a credible pathway to deployment across Great Britain's energy networks. Building the right consortium and presenting a compelling case for impact are often the factors that separate successful projects from unsuccessful ones.

At Inventya, we work with network operators, SMEs, technology developers, research organisations, and industry partners to develop high-quality SIF applications that align with Ofgem's strategic priorities and maximise the likelihood of progressing through the Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Deployment phases.

Our team can support you with:

• Challenge Selection and Strategic Positioning – Identifying the most appropriate challenge area and ensuring your innovation aligns with Ofgem's objectives for net zero, consumer benefit, resilience, and energy system transformation.
• Consortium Development: Bringing together the right mix of network operators, technology providers, academic partners, and supply chain stakeholders to create a strong and credible project team.
• Proposal Writing and Bid Development: Crafting persuasive applications that clearly communicate the innovation, technical approach, market need, consumer benefits, and long-term impact of your project.
• Consumer Benefit and Impact Assessment: Demonstrating how your innovation can reduce costs, improve reliability, accelerate decarbonisation, and deliver measurable value to energy consumers.
• Commercialisation and Deployment Planning: Developing realistic routes to market and adoption strategies that show how the innovation can be scaled across the UK's energy infrastructure.
• Financial Planning and Compliance: Supporting project budgeting, funding contributions, eligibility requirements, and governance considerations.
• Project Delivery Support: Helping successful applicants manage stakeholder engagement, reporting requirements, project milestones, and future phase applications.  

With extensive experience supporting energy, net zero, infrastructure, hydrogen, smart grid, digitalisation, and clean technology projects, Inventya can help transform innovative ideas into fundable projects and position your organisation for long-term success within the UK's evolving energy landscape.