Digital

CivTech 7 accelerator programme launched

June 13, 2022 by Stewart Hamilton No Comments | Category CivTech, Digital Scotland

Blog by Emma Dalley, Communications and Engagement Lead, CivTech.

We are excited to announce that we have launched our seventh CivTech Accelerator Programme! If you are looking for a new set of public sector Challenges, innovative solutions and a unique opportunity to promote your business, then this one is for you!

This year, over £7 million worth of contract opportunities are available for tech entrepreneurs and businesses of any size as part of the Accelerator’s latest round of innovation Challenges. Companies and individuals from across the UK and beyond are invited to develop solutions for 13 new Challenges which have been set by public sector bodies, local councils, charities and the Scottish Government itself.

Successful participants will work with public sector organisations to develop their proposals from idea to commercially viable product. The value of each Challenge is between £350,000 and £800,000.

Our new Challenges have a strong focus on how to use technology to empower communities, minority groups, and marginalised individuals, as well as including opportunities to help solve environmental problems, and improve transport infrastructure.The best ideas from initial submissions will be placed into the CivTech Accelerator, resulting in a Demo Day big reveal in February 2023.

Over the past six years, it has become clear that most of the participating entrepreneurs and companies are only at the beginning of their business journey and are using CivTech as a unique opportunity to boost their business: over 90 % of the participating teams were pre-founders, start-ups and early-stage SMEs (Small to medium-sized enterprises). During this period, CivTech presented 64 challenges for entrepreneurs and businesses to solve. 184 teams participated in the initial exploration phase and 71 teams made it through to the Accelerator.

Ivan McKee, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Economy, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, commented:

“CivTech is a success story, and its continued role in inspiring and innovating technology across Scotland is something to celebrate.

This year the Scottish Government committed £6 million to this programme, which attests to the confidence we have in the real world solutions which the Accelerator produces. The Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation will build upon this by helping deliver innovative solutions to build a sustainable economy.

We want thinkers, creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators, to all come together and join us in finding answers to major challenges facing not just communities and individuals across the country, also around the world.

The CivTech experience is the first chapter of so many success stories about the forging of homegrown tech talent. This is an opportunity unlike any other, and I can’t wait to see what happens next year on what is set to be the biggest and best Demo Day yet.”

In 2022, CivTech 7 is tackling the following Challenges:

Challenge 7.1
Challenge Title: How can technology help us detect beaver burrows and assess the associated risk to public and private interests?
Sponsor: NatureScot and Censis Technology Solutions

Challenge 7.2
Challenge Title: How can we use data about businesses to transform the design, delivery and evaluation of business support services across Scotland’s public sector?
Sponsor: Scottish Government (Directorate for COVID Business Resilience and Support)

Challenge 7.3
Challenge Title: How can technology help people self-organise and build meaningful connections as the beating heart of Scotland’s global business community?
Sponsor: Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation, Scottish Government (Economy Directorate), Scottish Government (Digital Directorate, CivTech)

Challenge 7.4
Challenge Title: How can technology unlock the power of the bike, stimulating demand for cycling infrastructure and support South of Scotland communities?
Sponsor: South of Scotland Enterprise and Censis Technology Solutions

Challenge 7.5
Challenge Title: How might technology help match British Sign Language (BSL) users and their required interpreters more easily and equitably?
Sponsors: Scottish Government (Directorate for Equality, Inclusion, and Human Rights)

Challenge 7.6
Challenge Title: How do we use Artificial Intelligence, data and digital technologies to enable more inclusive access to public services, starting with disabled people?
Sponsors: Scottish Government: Digital Directorate; Directorate for Digital Health & Care; Directorate for Social Care and National Care Service; NHS 24

Challenge 7.7
Challenge Title: How can technology help communities and households understand their energy needs and work with local suppliers towards sustainable energy solutions?
Sponsor: South of Scotland Enterprise and Censis Technology Solutions

Challenge 7.8
Challenge Title: How can technology aid parents through the admissions process for an ever-changing statutory entitlement to early learning and childcare?
Sponsor: West Lothian Council

Challenge 7.9
Challenge Title: How can technology enable organisations and volunteers to organise while expanding and evidencing the positive impact of their work across Scotland?
Sponsors: White Ribbon Scotland; Scottish Government (Directorate for Justice); Citizens Advice Scotland

Challenge 7.10
Challenge Title: How can technology reduce the impact of giving evidence in court by helping victims & witnesses prepare for the experience?
Sponsors: Victim Support Scotland; Scottish Government (Directorate for Justice)

Challenge 7.11
Challenge Title: How can technology support Citizens Advice advisors to quickly deliver the best possible outcome for their clients using data & collective expertise?
Sponsor: Citizens Advice Scotland

Challenge 7.12
Challenge Title: How can technology transform Building Standards Compliance to empower our citizens & contractors to produce safer and more energy efficient buildings?
Sponsor: Scottish Government (Directorate for Local Government and Housing) – Building Standards Division

Challenge 7.13
Challenge Title: How can we use technology to better understand the issues facing our town centres, and be a catalyst for revitalisation?
Sponsor: Scottish Borders Council and South of Scotland Enterprise

If you are an innovator, entrepreneur, team, start-up or established businesses and think you can take on one of these challenges, sign up for CivTech 7.

Also, keep an eye on our mailing list and social media for updates on CivTech 7!

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Tags: Accelerator, Challenges, CivTech 7, Public Sector

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