Funding for the development of manufacturing facilities and port infrastructure to enable swifter deployment of offshore wind around the UK is the focus of the second round of The Crown Estate’s innovative Supply Chain Accelerator
Following the success of the initial funding round in 2024, The Crown Estate has allocated £15M for the next round of the programme which seeks to kick-start investment in UK offshore wind-related port infrastructure and supply chain facilities.
The Crown Estate established the £50-M Supply Chain Accelerator last year to accelerate and de-risk the early-stage development of UK supply chain projects servicing the offshore wind sector.
It supports existing early-stage projects to scale up into attractive capital investment opportunities, helping to drive demand for new jobs and skills.
Following the passing of The Crown Estate Act 2025, this second round has been expanded to include UK ports and port-related infrastructure to support the construction, assembly, manufacturing, operations & maintenance, and wet storage of fixed and floating offshore wind, as well as supply chain opportunities that support deployment.
Ports are set to play a major role in the UK’s clean energy transition as hubs for the construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. The Government has set a target of up to 50 GW of offshore wind deployed by 2030 and, with 14.7 GW of offshore wind currently deployed off the UK’s coasts, greater funding for port infrastructure and facilities will be vital to deliver this ambition.
The Government’s target includes 5 GW of floating wind, with The Crown Estate’s current Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 expected to deliver up to 4.5 GW in the Celtic Sea.
The expanded scope of the Supply Chain Accelerator’s second round to include ports and port-related infrastructure as well as wet storage could support in the delivery of these targets.
In the second funding round businesses can apply for up to £1.5M per eligible project, with The Crown Estate providing 50% matched funding for early-stage development expenditure together with an option to participate in the capital investment phase.
The application process is now open and is due to close at the end of June. Successful projects will be chosen following an application assessment process and announced by the end of the year. The Crown Estate is being supported by professional services firm Grant Thornton.
The Supply Chain Accelerator aims to support UK projects that meet the opportunities identified by the Industrial Growth Plan (IGP), launched by RenewableUK and industry partners, including The Crown Estate, in 2024. It sets out the actions required to triple offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next 10 years. This funding round will align with the priority sub-sectors identified within the IGP as well as the identified need for ports and port-related infrastructure.
In December last year The Crown Estate awarded nearly £5M in funding to 13 businesses following the conclusion of the Supply Chain Accelerator’s initial funding round, which focused on developing a new UK supply chain capability for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
When coupled with match funding this will contribute to a combined development investment of more than £9M which, if the opportunities successfully conclude their respective development stages, could lead to more than £400M of capital investment.
