Funding · 10 August 2026

Aftrak wins a share of the £2.7m DRIVE35 Mobilise grant

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK has named Aftrak one of sixteen automotive innovators backed through Mobilise, the SME accelerator funded by the government's £4bn DRIVE35 programme.

Aftrak has been named among the successful recipients of Mobilise, the SME accelerator competition run by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK with Zenzic and Innovate UK. The competition, delivered through the UK government's £4 billion DRIVE35 programme, awarded £2.7 million across sixteen projects developing zero-emission vehicle technology, connected and automated mobility, and automotive software.

Aftrak's winning proposal centres on its small electric tractor, designed for walk-behind operation and incorporating a dead man's control to increase operator safety. It provides cleaner mechanisation for smallholder farmers and for other outdoor and indoor working environments.

The grant will help the team validate the technology further and continue building manufacturing capability.

Mobilise helps innovators validate breakthrough ideas, attract investment and lay the foundations for technologies that could become tomorrow's product and manufacturing success stories.
Ian Constance, Chief Executive, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK

At a glance

ProgrammeMobilise, delivered under DRIVE35
Total pot£2.7 million across 16 UK automotive SME projects
GrantUp to £180,000 per organisation, with business support from the APC and Zenzic
Delivered byAdvanced Propulsion Centre UK, with Zenzic and Innovate UK
Aftrak's focusWalk-behind small electric tractor for safer, cleaner farm mechanisation
The machine the grant is for
The AFT-e1: 5 kW continuous through a standard PTO, a 5.2 kWh pack the operator swaps in under a minute, and sixteen attachments.
See the AFT-e1