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The Ultra Long Duration Energy Storage Project Development Studies competition provides an important opportunity for businesses developing next-generation electrochemical energy storage technologies to prepare for large-scale deployment in the UK.
Innovate UK will invest up to £3 million through the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme in Phase 1. Projects must undertake detailed development studies that address the practical, technical, commercial and manufacturing requirements needed to move an ULDES technology towards demonstration and eventual deployment.
The technologies must be capable of providing at least 100 continuous hours of discharge availability and achieving an operational lifetime of at least 25 years.
Key Dates and Funding
Competition opens: 3 August 2026
Competition closes: 30 September 2026
Total competition budget: Up to £3 million
Grant request: £350,000 to £700,000 per project
Project duration: 3 to 9 months
Project end by: 30 September 2027
Funding for feasibility studies is available at up to 70% of eligible costs for micro and small organisations, 60% for medium-sized organisations and 50% for large organisations.
What is the Competition Looking For?
The programme is specifically focused on electrochemical ULDES technologies, rather than conventional short-duration battery storage.
Projects must support the development of a planned UK demonstration project by 2030 and demonstrate that the project team has the capability to progress from development studies through to demonstration and deployment.
Each Phase 1 project must produce a project development study covering:
A first draft of the project development study must be completed by 31 May 2027, helping projects prepare for the planned Phase 2 competition.
Two Funding Streams
Applicants must demonstrate that their technology fits within one of two streams.
Stream 1: Near commercial scale-up
This stream targets electrochemical ULDES technologies approaching commercial maturity. Proposed technologies should be capable of storing energy for several days and supporting applications including intraday and interday energy arbitrage, uninterruptible power supply and backup power.
Projects must plan towards a grid-connected demonstration of at least 100 MWh by 2030 and envisage achieving a total ownership cost below US$40/kWh by 2030, or demonstrate the ability to compete with installed lithium iron phosphate battery technology.
Stream 2: System innovation and low-cost pathways
This stream supports earlier-stage electrochemical ULDES technologies capable of providing monthly or seasonal energy storage and potentially supporting the UK's strategic electricity reserve.
Projects must plan towards a grid-connected pilot of at least 100 kWh by 2030 and envisage reaching a total ownership cost below US$15/kWh by the early 2030s, or demonstrate the potential to compete with combined cycle gas turbine generation.
What Should the Project Development Study Cover?
The competition requires considerably more than a conventional technical feasibility study.
Applicants will need to examine their technology's performance, including efficiency, self-discharge, operational lifetime, degradation, energy and power density, charging characteristics, safety and sustainability.
The engineering work must include a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study, covering site selection, plant layout, infrastructure, project execution, safety, environmental requirements and regulatory considerations.
Applicants must also prepare a detailed cost and scale-up roadmap covering CAPEX, fixed and variable OPEX, commercial-scale deployment and the pathway towards the cost target for their chosen stream.
The market assessment should demonstrate how the technology could contribute to the UK electricity system during periods of severe stress, including extended periods of low wind and solar generation. Applicants should also demonstrate engagement with prospective customers and investors.
UK Manufacturing and Supply Chain
UK manufacturing is a particularly important element of this opportunity.
Applicants must demonstrate ambitions to develop UK manufacturing capacity and domestic supply chains. Development studies should identify components, materials and services that could be sourced within the UK and explain how the proposed approach could strengthen supply chain resilience.
Projects should also consider relationships with UK industry and research organisations, workforce skills, training and knowledge transfer, as well as wider economic benefits such as job creation, inward investment, export potential and strategically important industrial capabilities.
Phase 2 and the Route to Demonstration
This competition represents Phase 1 of a planned two-phase programme.
Phase 2 is expected to launch around mid-2027, with at least £10 million planned to support large-scale ULDES demonstrators. Participation in Phase 1 will not be mandatory for applying to Phase 2.
However, Phase 1 provides businesses with an opportunity to resolve many of the technical, engineering, site, commercial, investment and supply-chain issues that could determine whether a demonstration project is ready to proceed.
Projects with strong technology and site readiness, credible consenting and permitting routes, grid integration plans, commercial prospects and commitments to UK manufacturing are expected to be particularly relevant to the programme's objectives.
How Inventya Can Help
Preparing a strong application for this competition requires more than demonstrating that an energy storage technology works. Applicants need to present a credible pathway from the current technology through engineering development, demonstration, manufacturing scale-up and eventual commercial deployment.
