A new funding round aimed at turning proven climate technology into working infrastructure is now open for businesses with projects in developing countries. According to the UK Government notice on GOV.UK, the Accelerate-to-Demonstrate Facility is inviting full written grant proposals from companies that can deliver real-world emissions reductions and show that their solutions can be scaled and commercialised. The signal is clear: this is not another call for broad net zero ambition with delivery left for later. It is a push towards technologies that are ready to operate in the field, cut emissions in practice and move into the market on a useful timetable.

The facility is geared towards large-scale demonstration projects that are ready to be implemented, not early research. That matters because one of the toughest points in climate innovation is the jump from a promising pilot to a project that can run reliably in a live industrial or energy setting. UNIDO’s approach is direct. Applicants need to bring projects that are mature enough to be built, tested in real conditions and prepared for wider uptake. Planning-stage schemes, research and development work, and early-stage pilot testing are outside scope, which should help keep the fund focused on delivery rather than ideas that are still years away from use.

One strand of the call focuses on critical minerals, an area where cleaner supply chains will shape the pace of the wider energy transition. The brief includes low-carbon ways to recover and recycle critical minerals from waste streams, alongside work to decarbonise existing infrastructure used for processing, refining and transport. It also opens the door to supply-chain optimisation and industrial symbiosis, where waste, heat or materials from one process can help cut emissions in another. In practical terms, that points to projects that do more than improve efficiency at the margins; they need to show how industrial systems can be redesigned to deliver deeper cuts.

Another major theme is smart energy. UNIDO is looking for digital solutions that help cleaner power systems work better, including renewable energy integration, smart grids and micro-grids. Advanced energy storage is in scope too, reflecting the need to make variable renewable generation more dependable in day-to-day use. The call also reaches into electric mobility, with room for smart charging networks, vehicle-to-grid technologies, innovative fleet management, AI-enabled energy services and blockchain-based solutions. The common thread is practical system performance: the technology needs to help power, transport and data work together in ways that reduce emissions on the ground.

Industrial decarbonisation is a further priority, with the brief covering technologies that reduce emissions from manufacturing, processing and heavy industry. That includes fuel-source decarbonisation and carbon capture, utilisation and storage solutions that can be applied in sectors where cutting emissions is technically difficult but increasingly urgent. Clean hydrogen is also firmly on the list. The call highlights advanced electrolysis, catalyst development and improved system design that can raise efficiency and lower costs. Across both themes, the test is straightforward: can a project show measurable emissions reductions in a real commercial setting, rather than only in theory or at bench scale?

The focus on developing countries should shape how applicants think about value. A strong proposal will need more than a good technology story; it will need to show how that technology fits local operating conditions, industrial demand, infrastructure constraints and cost realities. That is where climate finance can make a genuine difference. When support is targeted at projects that are close to market and suited to real local use cases, it can help build confidence for wider adoption rather than leave promising solutions stranded between pilot phase and full deployment.

Delivered by UNIDO and funded by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, the A2D Facility is offering grants of $1 million to $5 million. Projects can run for between 2.5 and 4 years, giving applicants enough time to demonstrate proven technologies at industrial scale while keeping delivery tied to a clear end point. All supported activity must be completed by 14 December 2030, and the submission deadline is 3pm UK time on 18 June 2026. Full eligibility criteria, funding windows and application guidance are available through UNIDO’s Procurement Portal. For businesses already working in clean energy and industrial decarbonisation, the message is simple: bring evidence, bring a route to market and bring a project that can cut emissions where it counts.