Bright Spark

In this episode Jodie talks to Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director for Digitalisation and Innovation at Ofgem, and Laura Sandys CBE, Chair of the Energy Network Innovation Taskforce, about the SIF’s new programmatic approach to delivering transformational Innovation in the next five year price control. The programmatic approach has two aspects: Firstly, the Energy Network Innovation Taskforce brought to...

Climate change means that more extreme weather is going to hit Great Britain. It is vital that we do our best to understand and predict the risks to build resilience in the energy sector. Nicolas Wallet, energy systems innovation lead at SIF, caught up with James Daniel, Alanna Gluck, and Amit Bhave, to find out more about the work of their Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo+), beta project. C...

In this episode of Bright Spark we look back at the Strategic Innovation Fund's successes across 2025 and give a preview of what’s in store for 2026. Across 2025 the SIF continued to fund transformational innovation projects. We received 391 applications, 70% of these were funded, with £25.7 million pounds of funding approved for 40 innovation projects. In 2026 we are looking forward to the start...

In this first episode of a two-part series, we explore what commercialisation and deployment mean within the Strategic Innovation Fund, and how the SIF team is working to drive impact at scale across the energy system through funded innovation. We explore the SIF team's internal framework for assessing projects, along with the support the team provides to networks and third-party innovators to hel...

What is the future of network resilience and preparedness? Ellen Webb-Moore, energy systems innovation lead at SIF, visits the headquarters of SP Energy Networks to learn about two projects that both address resilience and preparedness, from different angles.  First, Fraser Lynch joins Ellen to talk about Predict 4 Resilience (P4R) - a SIF beta-funded tool that will predict outages and faults...

Join Jim and Laura for the second instalment of this two-part series on consumer-led flexibility, explored through the SIF funded Crowdflex project. The project examines how households can actively support grid balancing—whether by shifting their energy use to different times or enabling smart, automated control of their electric vehicles. In this episode, SIF Policy Lead Jim W...

Join Jim and Laura for a two-part series diving into the future of consumer-led energy flexibility, through the lens of the SIF-funded Crowdflex project. The project explores how households can play an active role in balancing the electricity grid—whether by shifting when they use power or by making their electric vehicles available for smart, automated control. In part one, SIF Policy Lead Jim Wr...

Join Jodie, Laura and Joe as they discuss the SIF’s Round 5 strategic challenges, which reflect the most urgent opportunities for energy network innovation.  Find out about our ideation webinars and workshops, bringing innovators together with networks and other third parties to explore potential solutions and project ideas. Learn about how you can engage with the SIF team thro...

INCENTIVE is the first SIF Beta project to reach completion. In this episode, members of the INCENTIVE team share their learnings and future plans with us.  As the first project to complete, dissemination of their outcomes - including collaboration, continuity of the work and deployment of the technology after the SIF funding stops - provides valuable insights, especially for other Beta proje...

As the UK increases deployment of net zero technologies, gas demand is anticipated to fall significantly. Some gas networks may be repurposed, with projects like Project Union developing a hydrogen transmission backbone. SIF funds hydrogen projects to assess future applications. In this Bright Spark episode, SIF's Beth Foster visits FutureGrid at DNV Spadeadam, Cumbria, where research on hydrogen...

This episode of Bright Spark looks back at the Strategic Innovation Fund's successes and lessons over 2024, and asks what's in the pipeline for 2025. Last year was a busy year; the team awarded 88 projects, and a further 12 demonstration projects, and approved over £100million in funding. SIF programme director Jodie Giles is joined for this one by Head of Delivery Kate Jones and Head of Commercia...

The recently-launched Net Zero Research Village (NeRV) near Gateshead is the UK’s first facility for combined whole-systems research, development and demonstration – covering gas, electricity and water. In this episode of Bright Spark, Kate Jones, SIF's Head of Delivery, visits NeRV. She is given a tour by Richard Hynes Cooper, Head of Innovation at Northern Gas Networks. Also at NeRV is Joseph Da...

What can SIF projects do to ensure they maximise their impact and influence? As we reach the Fund's midway point and award our second tranche of larger 'Beta' funding, programme director Jodie Giles speaks with SIF advisory board members Maxine Frerk (chair) and John McKiernan. Links and onward journeys: For more on the Strategic Innovation Fund: www.ofgem.gov.uk/sif See the SIF programme page on...

Big changes are coming to the Strategic Innovation Fund. From September, it will be easier and quicker to bid for funding, and there will be more opportunities in every year for innovators to get involved. To explain what's changing and why, SIF programme lead Jodie Giles and Head of Delivery Kate Jones are joined by Ofgem's Marzia Zafar. Links and onward journeys: For more on the Strategic Innova...

Carolina Tortora is - or was - a real-life rocket scientist. However, she says she is far more excited by her role as National Grid ESO's Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation Strategy. Carolina took time out to talk to SIF's David Richardson. David and SIF programme lead Jodie Giles also reflect on the role of Carolina and others in whole-system planning for faster and cheaper network tra...

A focus on how enabling power-to-gas (P2G) can improve energy system flexibility and network optimisation. Professor Sarah Walker from Newcastle University’s Centre for Energy, and Anise Ganbold, Head of Research, Global Markets and Hydrogen at Aurora Energy Research, talk to the SIF team. Jodie Giles, SIF programme lead, also considers the importance of P2G. Links and onward journeys: For more on...

Professor Keith Bell holds the Scottish Power Chair in Future Power Systems at the University of Strathclyde. In this episode, SIF's David Richardson spends some stuff chatting all things energy transition with Keith. David and SIF programme lead Jodie Giles also reflect on Keith's thoughts about UK’s role as a leader in the energy transition, and his experiences across a long and brilliant career...

Vital Energi are one of the key UK companies looking at heat pumps and energy storage, to unlock power grid flexibility. In this Bright Spark episode, Vital's Technical Development Director Christopher Taylor talks to the SIF team about the way ahead for deploying electric heat. SIF programme lead Jodie Giles also considers how electric heat is an integral part of the energy transition to net zero...

Octopus Energy entered the heat pump market in 2021, with the launch of Britain's first heat pump R&D centre on a Slough trading estate. In this episode of Bright Spark, Octopus's Jess Colleen shows SIF's Manu Ravishankar around the centre. Manu and SIF programme director Jodie Giles consider the challenges faced around energy system flexibility and electrifying heat. Links and onward journeys...

To decarbonise our energy networks, new ideas and technologies must move quickly from 'innovation' to ‘business as usual’. The Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) deliberately brings together fast-moving entrepreneurs with major energy network companies to speed up this journey. In this episode, SIF Head of Commercial Paul Padaruth explores these challenges, in conversations with John McKiernan,...

A second episode on the four challenge areas in round 2 of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). The £450 million SIF develops and supports innovations that could drive down UK energy’s carbon footprint at lowest cost to consumers. Innovate UK’s Matt Hastings and Manu Ravishankar focus on the challenges of decarbonising major energy demands, and driving up energy system resilience and robustnes...

The first of two Bright Spark episodes focusing on the four Challenge areas in round 2 of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). The £450 million SIF develops and supports innovations that aim to drive down UK energy’s carbon footprint at lowest cost to consumers. In this episode, Innovate UK’s Matt Hastings and Manu Ravishankar look at the challenges of preparing for a net zero power syste...

What do we really mean by a 'Giant Leap Together'? It conveys what we must do to realise the Strategic Innovation Fund's far-reaching ambition to decarbonise energy networks. The net zero push is nothing short of a moonshot, requiring urgent input from networks, suppliers, investors, regulators, funders, policy-makers, and everyone involved in energy. In this episode, Innovate UK’s...

Showcasing some of the 40 exciting early-stage projects that secured funding in round 1 of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). The SIF, which is delivered through a partnership with Innovate UK, is a £450 million programme to fund and support projects to drive down UK energy’s carbon footprint at lowest cost to consumers. With Innovate UK’s Matt Hastings, David Richardson and Kate Jones, and...

Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund is a £450 million programme to drive down UK energy’s carbon footprint, at lowest cost to consumers. Innovate UK’s Matt Hastings and Chris Coonick introduce us to energy network innovation. We also hear from Ofgem’s Francis Mosley and Graeme Barton on the urgency of decarbonising, and we visit one exciting example of innovation in practice – Energy Superhub Oxford...