WIREDGOV

Innovate UK is delivering the first phase of a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition on behalf of the Geospatial Commission. This will transform transport through the innovative application of location data and technology. Please check out the competition details: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/724/overview Calling all public sector organisations! We are looking for public bodies (departments, agencies, local authorities etc.) that can support and engage with projects funded through this competition.

This will require a small time commitment in phase 1 and could involve offering support or advice on testing and demonstrating solutions in phase 2.

In return, you will have an opportunity to interact with innovative suppliers, help to shape and trial innovative solutions to your transport challenges, and ensure that the solutions funded by Geospatial Commission meet your needs. It will provide you with access to new ideas, technology and a supply base that your organisation may not otherwise have engaged with. This process offers the public sector the opportunity to solve problems that have no current solutions, or access products and services that are cheaper or more effective.

If you work for a public body and have challenges that fit within the four themes below, please consider registering as a lead customer or challenge owner at a dedicated matching website: https://geospatial-data-funding-for-transport.b2match.io/. Deadline for registration is 28 October 2020. This will enable you to connect to applicants working on solutions that interest you. Through this website, you can articulate your specific challenges to potential applicants (as long as they fit within the 4 broad themes*). If the idea proposed by an applicant is of interest to you, please consider providing them with a letter of support/interest – this will help us identify and fund innovations that are clearly focused on real-world challenges.

The public sector lead, customer/challenge owner would either engage as a strategic partner (interested in getting solutions to market for others to procure) or as a potential future customer, supporting the development of solutions that you might procure in a separate exercise. Either way, if the applicant you connect with is successful, you can offer guidance and support in developing solutions that work for you.

As a lead customer or challenge owner, we ask that you commit to review the project activity/project report in phase 1 (a 12 week proof of concept/feasibility phase). If the project is selected for phase 2 (development, test and trial) you should consider offering guidance or input on the project direction,  perhaps attending testing or supporting the evaluation of the solution.  We are not asking for any direct project funding from you. The project costs will be fully covered by the Geospatial Commission.  There is no commitment to procure or support the end product but we hope the solutions developed in this competition will be of interest to you and your wider network.

Background

This  SBRI competition aims to stimulate commercial innovation to help create geospatial solutions to our transport challenges and to support the future of mobility. The competition will be delivered in 2 phases. Phase 1 has a total funding allocation of £2m. Individual projects may be up to £75k inclusive of VAT.

In phase 1 applicants are required to engage with a potential public sector lead customer or challenge owner to ensure that the product or service to be developed in phase 2 is suitable, that the applicant understands the underlying challenges to be overcome and to reflect any feedback. The competition has four themes.

*Applications and any activity with a lead customer/challenge owner must fit within one of these themes:

• Mobility as a service – to help better integration of transport modes
• Active travel – creating safer ways to enable active travel
• Supply chains – helping better distribution, storage and delivery
• Boosting capacity – increasing efficiency of transport networks.

We expect to follow this competition with a Phase 2 competition that will only be open to successful participants from Phase 1. Phase 2 will involve R&D contracts being awarded to a number of Phase 1 projects to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for 12 months.

The application process closes on 4 November 2020