What are the key dates?
- Stage 1: Applications of interest open 7 July - close 29 July 2025.
- Stage 2: Full Proposal submission 13 August - 2 September 2025
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, and interviews will take place between 4 -12 September (indicative timeline), as well as further evidence of their operational and strategic capabilities.
- Systems Hub launch date: November 2025
- Q&A webinars are held on 10, 17,24 July 2025 Sign up here to secure your place.
Successful applicants will be further tested in an interview, held in English and Spanish, where applicants will be asked to present on their proposal in detail.
What is the selection process?
- Stage 1: Expression of Interest (by 7 July – 29 July 2025 4pm BST)
The first stage focuses on identifying organisations or consortiums aligned with the Systems Hub vision. Applicants will be assessed on their organisational suitability, core capacities, values alignment, and legitimacy within the Colombian and international energy ecosystem. Applicants will share their vision for the Systems Hub and why they believe they are a suitable fit to be the Management Team. - Stage 2: Full proposal submission (13 August – 2 September 2025, 4pm BST) and interview (From 3 September 2025)
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal (by 15 August). Applicants will submit a proposal that will include a work plan and an indicative budget for the first 3 years of the Hub, as well as considerations for future sustainability. This will be further tested in an interview, held in English and Spanish, where applicants will be asked to present on their proposal in detail.
Note: While the project will be delivered in Spanish, the proposal must be submitted in English for the Academy’s internal records and due diligence processes. Please reach out if you have any concerns regarding this.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcomed from:
- An Individual organisation
- As a consortium of up to three organisations.
Eligible organisations include, but are not limited to:
- Universities or research centres (public or private).
- Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
- Private companies or social enterprises.
- Intermediary organisations (e.g. chambers of commerce, innovation hubs)
- Multi-sector platforms or consortia of research and innovation entities
If applying individually, the organisation must be legally registered in Colombia. For a consortium, the majority (2 out of 3) must be registered in Colombia.
What is the review process?
Once an application is confirmed to meet the eligibility criteria, it will move forward to expert review.
- Submission - Applications are submitted on the Academy’s online Grant Management System (GMS).
- Eligibility check - this includes checking that the application fits the scheme themes and objectives, that all questions have been answered in full, that all necessary supporting documents are correct, that all costs and activities are eligible, and that declarations have been included.
- Expert review - Each application is reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers. Reviews are conducted on the Academy’s GMS.
Shortlisted applicants will move to Stage 2.
Can I submit two applications?
You cannot submit more than one application as a lead applicant (as an individual organisation); however, you may be listed as a partner on more than one application (as part of a consortium).
How do I find out more information?
Please visit the systems hubs grant page for further information on the grant and the application process, and please ensure you have read the guidance notes and other supporting documentation available on the ‘How to apply’ page.
If you have any further questions or require more information, please get in contact with Ana Andrade at [email protected].
What are the policies to consider when applying
All researchers and organisations we fund must comply with our grant funding policies and positions which, with our Conditions of Award and Letter of Offer, form the Grant Agreement.
You can find all the policies on the Academy website. Please read all relevant policies for your application, these include:
- National Security
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Subsidy Control
- Use of generative AI tools in funding applications and assessment
- Grant agreement
Please find all of the Academy policies here - Grant policies
What is the Academy’s view on use of AI in project applications?
What is the Academy’s view on use of AI in project applications?
- The grant process does not penalise the use of generative AI tools, but it is imperative to ensure that the application reflects the applicant's own voice and ideas.
- Rigorous approach: Applicants should exercise caution when using generative AI tools to avoid the inclusion of ‘hallucinated’ references or factual errors. These become more common when up to date content on a very specific topic is required. These inaccuracies will be viewed as indications of a lack of rigor and will negatively impact the assessment of the application.
- Partial use of AI tools: It is not acceptable to solely rely on generative AI tools to write the entire grant application. While these tools may be used to assist in various aspects, the application must primarily represent the applicant's own work.
- Plagiarism: Applicants should be aware that the output generated by some AI tools may use ideas from other human authors without proper referencing. As this is considered a form of plagiarism, it is essential to ensure that all sources are appropriately attributed.
- Proper acknowledgement of AI usage: Applicants must provide clear acknowledgement if they have used generative AI tools in the process of writing their grant applications. This includes the name of the tool and how it was used. The following style should be followed: I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s), version number and link] to generate materials for background research, styling, proofreading, etc. I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s), version number and link] to generate materials that were included within my final assessment in modified form.
- Applicant declaration within GMS: To submit your application you must tick a declaration confirming that ‘all contributions have been appropriately referenced or credited including the use of any online tools such as AI generative tools used in developing my application. I understand that failure to cite and declare references or sources will result in my application being removed from the process.’