The UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, along with Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and Innovate UK, are inviting organisations to come forward with innovative aerospace projects that could attract funding support.

There is around £150m available each year to support projects, and there are regular opportunities to submit ideas during the course of the year.

Part of the UK Aerospace Research and Technology Programme, the competition is part of a £3.9bn joint government and industry investment in projects aimed at making the UK more competitive in the civil aerospace sector. Ideas will have to be in line with the UK aerospace strategy.

The competition will open on 2 July and the government will provide funding throughout the rest of this year.

“The competition is intended to strengthen the UK’s whole-aircraft design and system integration capability and improve the country’s position in the development of future generations of civil aircraft.”

The competition is intended to strengthen the UK’s whole-aircraft design and system integration capability and improve the country’s position in the development of future generations of civil aircraft.

The ideas should focus on the development of smart, connected electric aircraft.

They must help the UK in the development of large, complex structures, particularly wings, as well as support advancement in a new generation of more efficient propulsion technologies, especially large turbofans.

Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full funding application. The funding is expected to cover 70% of the total project costs.