2025 in Focus for the Faraday Battery Challenge
Ben Walsh and Thomas Bartlett, Co-Interim Faraday Battery Challenge Directors, Innovate UK, Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution, Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, lay out their thoughts for the Faraday Battery Challenge in 2025 as it builds for the future.

As we approach a new financial year, we’d like to let UK industry partners know what to expect from the Faraday Battery Challenge in 2025, how we’re keeping momentum going, and the various ways and places you can connect with us.
We are working hard with Government to establish the next phase of the programme to support battery innovation in the UK. In the meantime, funding is still available for UK battery innovators .
The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) has a call open for late stage, automotive collaborative R&D projects until 14th March 2025. APC and Zenzic are also partnering on a new business accelerator – Mobilise – to provide opportunities for ambitious SMEs developing zero-emission and connected and automated mobility technologies, products, services or solutions. Applications close 19 March. The APC runs zero-emission vehicle funding competitions throughout the year, so please check their website for updates.
The Faraday Institution continues to consider applications for
Industry Sprint projects,
Industry Fellowships and
Entrepreneurial Fellowships. Sprints aim to solve a commercially relevant research opportunity identified by an industrial partner. Entrepreneurial fellowships support start-ups looking to create new businesses and commercialise battery technologies by providing seed funding, business support and mentoring.
Building for the Future
There is a lot going on in 2025. UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, is using this period to build programmes for the future, with the aims of delivering value to the UK and supporting the battery supply chain in the face of global competition.
Construction of the Flexible Pilot Line at UKBIC is well underway and industry days are being planned where organisations can come and learn more about the facility. Customers will be able to use the new line, which is due to be operational later this year, to undertake early-stage optimisation cycles and production trials at a smaller scale than UKBIC’s existing volume line, facilitating the transition from R&D through to large-scale production.
Also at UKBIC, the Battery Development Lab opened in February, offering more analytical techniques for in-house evaluation and characterisation of raw materials, slurries, coated electrodes and finished cells. In addition, UKBIC’s new clean and dry zone will be opened in 2025, where customers can rent space for their own development and testing purposes under controlled environmental conditions. UKBIC customers can also access cell cyclers and environmental chambers on site, a facility that opened in 2024.
The Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre will be opening in Q2 2025. AMBIC is a jointly operated facility hosted by both CPI in the North East (battery materials scale up) and WMG in the West Midlands (battery prototyping and scale up). AMBIC will provide innovation capability for the synthesis and processing of battery materials right through to the prototyping of commercially attractive batteries. The £12 million facility will bring together scalable and commercially relevant equipment into one entity to fast-track battery materials development.
Shortly, the Faraday Institution will launch initiatives to scope and shape future research in ultra-low-cost, ultra-long duration energy storage. In March we will be opening an expression of interest for individuals and teams to work with us on a consultancy basis in 2025 to co-create and plan possible long term research projects in this area, targeting a step change in cost. Keep a look out for that call. We also have a programme of activities to help UK battery innovators reengage with Horizon Europe.
The largest cohort yet completed the Investor Readiness Programme in December 2024, bringing the total number of companies benefiting from this programme to over fifty. 90% of participants had positive outcome from their participation (securing subsequent investment or grant funding or opening up new collaboration opportunities). The Faraday Battery Challenge intends to continue to support UK battery SMEs by developing links into the investment community.
On skills, the DEBUT project facility launches on 18 March. The scheme convenes regional academic, local government and industrial experts to deliver a new and innovative battery manufacturing level 2 - 3 training programme for the West Midlands.
Connect and Help Shape our Programmes
We encourage companies in the UK battery sector to connect with us in 2025, at events, on social, or whatever means suits you. Tell us about the challenges you’re facing and how we can help. Help us shape our future programmes. We’re in regular and active discussions with government and if we can better understand your needs, we can better represent your interests as we act in our role of an ambassador of the UK battery industry into government. As we gather information from you, we’ll actively play that back to our communities for example via social media and newsletters.
We have a busy schedule of events this year. Come and catch up with our teams at:
- Future Propulsion Conference, 12th-13th March. Colleagues will be present on the Innovate UK stand. Join the batteries session on Day 1 when Diogo Vieira Carvalho, Innovation Lead, Innovate UK, will present “A Cross-sector View of the UK Battery Industry.”
- Cross Sector Battery Showcase, 19th March. Join 300 attendees for networking, an exhibition, lightening pitches, and a presentation on the findings of the Cross Sector Target Report.
- Both Prof Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution and a representative from Innovate UK will be speaking at Innovation Zero 29th-30th April.
- Battery Cells & Systems, 8th-10th July. Expressions of interest will open shortly for industry partners to co-exhibit with us on the Faraday Battery Challenge stand (1416). We’re securing speaking slots for Faraday Battery Challenge representatives to at the event to speak to a number of topics, including skills (Rosa Wells, University College Birmingham), investment, and cross sector report on recycling (Diogo Vieira Carvalho). Martin Freer, will be speaking as part of the Plenary Panel “Are Gigafactories the Answer? What is the Best Route to an Efficient, Competitive Battery Manufacturing Ecosystem in Europe?
- Cenex Expo, 3rd-4th September. Come and speak to us on the Innovate UK stand.
- The Faraday Institution Conference, 9th-11th September, will once again convene 500+ of the energy storage community of academics, industry organisations, policy makers and funders from the UK and internationally. Registrations are open, and opportunities are open for industry organisations to speak, exhibit and sponsor.
Do put these events in your diaries now.
A Vision for the Future
The UK’s battery sector is stronger, more innovative, and more connected than ever. The country has become a key player in the global EV battery sector, with 83+ startups raising over $2.4bn in venture capital investment since 2018 and now valued at more than $3bn. The UK ranks fourth globally for EV battery venture capital investment and second by number of investment rounds since 2018.
The transition to a net-zero economy can be fully realised with sustained investment, strategic foresight, stability in policy and collaboration across sectors – all part of the UK Battery Strategy.
The path ahead is not without challenges, but it is also filled with opportunity and we’re confident that working together with our industry, academic and government partners, we’ll see these opportunities realised to deliver significant growth, and work towards a net zero future.
