Energy Systems Catapult opens resilience accelerator with NHS England, NESO, NGED, SSEN and Centrica

Energy Systems Catapult has launched the Energy Resilience Accelerator, a programme pairing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with NHS England, Centrica, NESO and two distribution network operators to trial technologies that keep critical services running through power disruptions.

The Catapult said on 9 October that the challenge owners are Centrica, NHS England, the National Energy System Operator (NESO), National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) and Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

Challenge areas include alternatives to fossil-fuel backup systems, resilience for remote and island communities, support for vulnerable customers in extreme weather, emergency services during power cuts and the assessment of resilience risks across interconnected infrastructure.

Jack Stancel-Lewis, Senior Technical Innovation Manager at NHS England, said: "Therefore, energy resilience is no longer simply an estates issue – it is fundamental to the delivery of safe and effective patient care."

The NHS challenges

NHS England has set two of the challenges, according to the Catapult's programme page. The first asks how ambulance services can keep electric fleets ready during an unplanned electricity supply disruption lasting 12 to 24 hours.

The second concerns the fixed estate: how backup power, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and alternative energy sources can be integrated more effectively into NHS buildings, clinical spaces and estate infrastructure.

Paul Leach, Head of Ambulance Fleet at NHS England, said resilience must be built into both vehicles and charging infrastructure as ambulance services move to electric fleets.

The NHS fleet context comes from NHS England's net zero travel and transport strategy. That document commits the NHS to a fully decarbonised fleet by 2035, with ambulances following in 2040, and describes a fleet of more than 20,000 vehicles travelling more than 460 million miles a year.

The other challenge owners

NESO's challenge asks how it and the wider industry can better identify, assess and monitor whole-system resilience risks across an increasingly complex and interconnected energy system, the programme page said.

NGED wants solutions that reduce the impact of extreme weather-related network disruption on vulnerable customers. Fiona Nicholls, Head of Vulnerability at NGED, said severe weather can have a disproportionate impact on some of the customers it serves. NGED has published its third Annual Vulnerability Report of the RIIO-ED2 regulatory period, covering 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

SSEN is looking for solutions that keep remote and island communities secure and connected during outages, according to Steve Atkins, Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs (Distribution) at SSEN.

Centrica's challenge asks how commercially viable, lower-carbon solutions can strengthen resilience at sites where disruption could significantly affect operational continuity, while remaining mindful of cost. Ian Fortune, Programme Lead, Strategy and Transformation at Centrica, said the company wants practical solutions that strengthen resilience and improve affordability while reducing emissions.

Funding and eligibility

The press release said successful applicants receive a fully funded package of technical, commercial and business support, plus access to the challenge owners and potential future customers. The Catapult's programme page gives more detail: SMEs can be funded up to £40,000 for a trial within the programme, subject to a challenge partner approving the trial proposal.

Applicants must be SMEs headquartered or with a registered presence in the UK, although EU-based SMEs with a genuine interest in setting up UK operations may be considered, the programme page said. Innovations must be at Technology Readiness Level 6 or above and ready to test in a real-world environment, and applicants must show evidence of market traction such as revenue or investment.

The Catapult said it would draw on its innovation, engineering, systems, commercial and Living Lab teams, together with its modelling tools, specialist facilities and industry networks. The Birmingham-based organisation describes itself as an independent research and technology organisation, part of a network of nine technology and innovation centres, with data from a back catalogue of more than 500 research projects.

Guy Newey, Chief Executive Officer at Energy Systems Catapult, said: "This programme aims to help those high-potential business get their ideas – their new products and services – into market, driving their growth and helping create a system that is more resilient to shocks."

What happens next

The Catapult is holding a webinar on 14 October explaining how to apply. The programme runs from January to June 2027 and ends with a showcase event for the participating SMEs, industry partners, investors and wider stakeholders.