Crown Estate announces funding for offshore wind initiatives
The Crown Estate has allocated £15 million for a new phase of its Supply Chain Accelerator programme, aimed at sparking investment in offshore wind-related port infrastructure and supply chain facilities.
This initiative, part of the £50 million Supply Chain Accelerator established last year, seeks to speed up and reduce risks in the early development of UK supply chain projects serving the offshore wind sector.
It aims to help existing projects scale up into appealing capital investment opportunities, thereby increasing demand for new jobs and skills.
The second round of funding follows the passing of The Crown Estate Act 2025 and now includes UK ports and port-related infrastructure, which are key to the country’s clean energy transition.
They serve as hubs for the construction, assembly, maintenance, and wet storage of both fixed and floating offshore wind projects.
With a government target of up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, and 14.7GW of offshore wind currently deployed off the UK’s coasts, more funding for port infrastructure and facilities is essential to meet this objective.
Businesses can now apply for up to £1.5 million per eligible project in the second funding round.
The Crown Estate will provide 50 per cent matched funding for early-stage development expenditure, along with an option to participate in the capital investment phase.
The application process will close at the end of June, and successful projects will be announced by the end of the year.
Ben Brinded, the head of investment at The Crown Estate, said: “The ambition behind our Supply Chain Accelerator is to accelerate and derisk the offshore wind supply chain in support of the UK’s clean energy transition, boosting economic growth through new jobs and skills opportunity around the country.
“Following the success of the initial funding round and the recent modernising of our investment powers through The Crown Estate Act 2025, we’ve expanded the ambition and scope for the second round of the Accelerator to include fixed and floating supply chain opportunities, together with ports and their associated facilities.
“The application window is open until the end of June, and we are looking forward to hearing from applicants with UK projects we could support to get investment ready.”
The Supply Chain Accelerator supports UK projects in line with the Industrial Growth Plan (IGP), launched by RenewableUK and industry partners, including The Crown Estate, in 2024.
The IGP outlines the actions needed to triple offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next decade.
The priority sub-sectors identified within the IGP, along with the need for ports and port-related infrastructure, will guide this funding round.
In December last year, The Crown Estate awarded close to £5 million in funding to 13 businesses after the Supply Chain Accelerator’s initial funding round.
This focused on creating a new UK supply chain capability for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
Gus Jaspert, managing director, marine at The Crown Estate, said: “The energy transition isn’t just about clean power; it also offers huge opportunities for new jobs, skills and regeneration across the country.
“With one of the world’s largest offshore wind industries and growing ambitions, we want to support the UK’s supply chains and infrastructure to be as successful as our deployed offshore wind.
“Ports are vital national assets which are key to unlocking the huge potential of our exciting clean energy transition.
“Providing funding for port infrastructure and supply chain facilities is an obvious and important next move for our Supply Chain Accelerator.
“It will help the UK’s offshore wind sector to retain its global attractiveness to developers and investors, providing confidence we can increase our rate of deployment whilst also ensuring activity offshore is creating value for onshore communities up and down the country.”