The Crown Estate has launched a new £15 million funding round aimed at supporting early-stage development across the UK offshore wind supply chain, reinforcing efforts to scale up domestic clean energy infrastructure.

The funding is being delivered through the Supply Chain Accelerator programme, which provides match funding for projects linked to offshore wind development, including both fixed-bottom and floating technologies.

According to The Crown Estate, the third round follows two previous phases of the programme in which nearly £18 million was awarded to 26 organisations. These projects range from an operations and maintenance hub in Port Talbot to a floating offshore wind test centre in Orkney.

The current application window is open to UK-wide projects and will close on Wednesday 3 July. Successful applicants can receive between £250,000 and £2 million in early-stage development funding, covering up to 50% of eligible costs.

Expanding offshore wind pipeline

The new funding round comes amid continued expansion of the UK offshore wind sector. Developers behind three projects totalling up to 4.5GW of floating offshore wind capacity in the Celtic Sea are now in Agreement for Lease.

In addition, The Crown Estate has announced plans for a future Leasing Round 6, expected to bring forward around 6GW or more of new offshore wind capacity. The round is scheduled to enter the market in 2027 and will be the first to use the organisation’s Marine Delivery Routemap, designed to improve long-term investment visibility and maximise onshore economic benefits.

Strategic role of the Supply Chain Accelerator

The Supply Chain Accelerator was established in 2024 as a £50 million programme aimed at de-risking and accelerating early-stage development of UK offshore wind supply chain projects. Its objective is to support the transition of emerging initiatives into scalable investment opportunities, helping to create jobs, develop skills, and strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity.

Projects must align with priorities identified in the UK Industrial Growth Plan and support associated port and infrastructure requirements.

The Crown Estate has stated that the programme is part of a broader ambition to invest up to £400 million in the offshore wind supply chain.

Industry and government support

The Crown Estate Head of Offshore Wind, Julia Rose, said the UK’s leadership in offshore wind depends on ensuring the supply chain is capable of supporting large-scale construction and maintenance activities.

“Our Accelerator programme, in alignment with investments from other organisations into the supply chain, is providing the financial support many early-stage projects require to help scale up from ambition to reality,” she said.

The initiative is being supported by professional services firm Grant Thornton, while Great British Energy is considering co-investment opportunities in eligible projects.

Great British Energy Director of Supply Chains Rob Gilbert said the programme is a key step in strengthening domestic capability.

“This announcement is a significant moment for the UK’s offshore wind supply chain as it scales to deliver our ambitious domestic project pipeline and capitalise on export opportunities for clean energy capabilities built here in Britain,” he said.

He added that the programme will continue to work alongside the £1 billion “Energy, Engineered in the UK” initiative to support business growth, job creation and energy security.

Energy security and investment context

UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks highlighted the importance of accelerating domestic clean energy investment in the context of global fossil fuel volatility.

He said recent geopolitical tensions underline the vulnerability of exposure to fossil fuel markets, and argued that expanding domestic renewable capacity is essential to improving energy security and reducing price shocks for households and businesses.

Successful applicants from the current funding round will be announced by the end of the year following an assessment process.