Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Grants up to £65m available for Future Flight Challenge Phase 3

Aerospace

Grants up to £65m available for Future Flight Challenge Phase 3

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, are investing up to £65 million in innovation projects for Future Flight Challenge Phase 3.

Image AdobeStock / courtesy TBAT

Projects must demonstrate integrated aviation systems and vehicle technologies that enable new classes of electric or autonomous air vehicles.

The aim of this competition (which closes on 3rd November 2021) is to fund ambitious projects that will successfully integrate the technical, regulatory and social challenges necessary to prove new classes of electric or autonomous air vehicles. These projects can include:

Advertisement
PTC rectangle
  • Demonstrations of multiple drones, operating as a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) service in a defined geographic area.
  • A multi‐modal demonstration of different aircraft types operating in parallel providing an end‐to‐end solution.
  • Advanced air mobility vehicle operation in a representative environment.
  • Scheduled sub‐regional electric flights over a representative route.

Your project must:

  • Focus on the enabling and cross‐cutting technologies essential to support the safe and effective operation of these new vehicle types.
  • Clearly demonstrate how the enabling technologies you are developing combine to support an overall aviation “system of systems” that supports the different classes of Future Flight aircraft.
  • Must have total eligible costs between £500,000 and £15 million.
  • Start on 1st April 2022 and end by 31st March 2024.
  • The project must last between 12 and 24 months, carry out it’s project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.

To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size, be or involve at least one UK registered SME, collaborate with other UK business academic institutions, charities, not‐for‐profit, public sector organisations or research and technology organisations (RTOs).

For strand one of the competition your project must include a means of demonstration of one or more of these classes of aircraft and enabling systems, operating in a representative environment.

Advertisement
ODU RT

For strand two of the competition your project must focus on the enabling and cross‐cutting technologies essential to support the safe and effective operation of these new vehicle types

Innovation is inherently risky, making the need for additional funds crucial to successfully commercialising a new technology. For UK organisations seeking innovation support services to finance Research and Development, TBAT is providing some salient advice and technical assistance. With some grant funding only available through a competitive process and R&D Tax needing to be claimed via HMRC, TBAT’s technical application writing knowledge and experience aims to help businesses secure the funds they need.

For further information on strand one and strand two of the competition:

www.tbat.co.uk/services/grant-funding-calls/future-flight-challenge-phase-3-strand-1

www.tbat.co.uk/services/grant-funding-calls/future-flight-challenge-phase-3-strand-2

 


 

Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner
GE Aerospace to expand UK and European production capacity

Aerospace

GE Aerospace to expand UK and European production capacity

19 March 2026

GE Aerospace plans to invest more than €110 million across its European manufacturing sites this year as it looks to expand production capacity, accelerate advanced manufacturing and strengthen delivery, including significant investment in the upgrade of multiple sites across the UK.

Boeing hosts UK supplier trade mission

Aerospace

Boeing hosts UK supplier trade mission

19 March 2026

Boeing has hosted its fifth UK supplier trade mission in Seattle, welcoming a new cohort of UK suppliers over two days for briefings, factory tours and targeted business meetings aimed at boosting opportunities for future collaboration.

Air Charter Scotland to continue Wick-Aberdeen-Wick PSO route to August

Aerospace

Air Charter Scotland to continue Wick-Aberdeen-Wick PSO route to August

19 March 2026

Air Charter Scotland have been successful in their bid to continue operating the Wick-Aberdeen-Wick Public Service Obligation (PSO) route, through to 14th August, 2026.

Anti-drone tech patents surge

Aerospace Defence Security

Anti-drone tech patents surge

19 March 2026

The number of patent applications for anti-drone (counter-UAV) technologies filed globally increased by 27% to 126 last year*, up from 99 the year before, according to new research from intellectual property (IP) law firm Mathys & Squire.

Advertisement
PTC rectangle
Marshall Aerospace secures five SAIL Mark projects

Aerospace Defence Security

Marshall Aerospace secures five SAIL Mark projects

18 March 2026

Marshall Aerospace is advancing its expertise in the UK’s fast-growing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) sector after securing five separate SAIL Mark assessment projects funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Transport.

Jet Zero Taskforce’s first annual report launched at SSWS

Aerospace Events

Jet Zero Taskforce’s first annual report launched at SSWS

18 March 2026

The UK Government and aviation industry yesterday set out significant progress towards decarbonising air travel, as Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Keir Mather MP launched the Jet Zero Taskforce’s first annual report at the Sustainable Skies World Summit (SSWS).

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner