The Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has opened applications for its 2025 TechX Start-up Accelerator cohort.
This will be the seventh year that the accelerator runs, this time offering a share of £500,000 in funding to clean energy start-ups (up to £50,000 for each start-up). NZTC is seeking applications from companies across the globe that are at technology readiness level (TRL) three to six.
The specialisations that the funding is focusing on are:
- CCUS & methane capture
- Low carbon hydrogen
- Alternative fuels
- Renewable energy
The accelerator programme will help scale up the most promising clean energy start-ups by providing mentorship, technology development guidance, and commercial growth support. The selected start-ups will also have access to NZTC’s extensive network of advisors, investors, energy operators and the supply chain.
Mark Anderson, chief acceleration officer and TechX director, said: “The disruptive nature of start-ups makes them key players in discovering and advancing nascent technologies that will be required to reach net zero.
“I look forward to welcoming our next cohort of budding start-ups, who will undoubtedly help us unveil new potential to help expedite a future of clean, resilient and affordable energy.”
Deputy first minister of Scotland, Kate Forbes, added: “Scotland is already well placed to capitalise on the enormous opportunities that established clean energy technologies are already delivering. We also have a huge opportunity to be at the forefront of developing the new innovations that will unlock further economic growth and support the energy transition.”
NZTC is a not-for-profit organisation created as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, with £180 million of UK and Scottish government funding to maximise the potential of the North Sea.
The application deadline is 27 October 2024 and the accelerator is set to begin in early 2025.
The NZTC has supported a number of renewable projects including the £2 million collaborative Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) demonstrator project in the North of Scotland.
It recently partnered with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to launch an Innovation Network that will focus specifically on the innovation element of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process that is managed by Ofgem.
The network aims to facilitate research, development and engagement scopes for the five projects allocated exclusivity agreements and collaborative relationships between projects will be a priority of the work. It will also provide a single point of contact for all five innovation projects to facilitate engagement and potential collaborations with the wider floating offshore wind industry.
