The Scottish Government’s CivTech programme has launched more than £7m worth of contract opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses of any size.
The programme is inviting companies and individuals from across the UK and beyond to develop solutions for 13 new challenges which have been set by public sector bodies, local councils, charities and the government itself.
Successful respondents are paid over a series of stages to work with public sector organisations to develop their proposals from ideas through to commercially viable products. The contract value available on each challenge is between £350,000 and £800,000.
This year's challenges have a 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 reveal in February 2023.
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee said: “This year the Scottish Government committed £6m to this programme, which attests to the confidence we have in the real world solutions which the accelerator produces.
“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.”
Launched in 2016, CivTech aims to inject innovation into the way that the public sector deploys new technology to improve the lives of Scotland’s citizens.
During its first six years, CivTech set 64 challenges for entrepreneurs and companies to solve, with 184 teams taking part in its initial exploration stage, and 71 teams going through to the accelerator. More than 90% of the teams engaged were pre-starts, start-ups and early stage SMEs.
George Eckton, director of advice services at Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “Taking part in the programme has allowed us to develop a unique, world-class technology suited precisely to our needs at the greatest value and benefit to Scotland, so we look forward to continuing our relationship with CivTech as sponsor of another two challenges this year, and relish the opportunity of working with new teams of innovators.”
Andy Bell, co-founder at SIDE Labs, added: “When we saw Citizen’s Advice Scotland’s challenge to create a more inclusive and efficient helpline, we knew we could help - CivTech’s guidance and financial support allowed us to properly explore the problem and build an intelligent, tailored solution.”
This year's CivTech 7 challenges:
Challenge 1: How can technology help us detect beaver burrows and assess the associated risk to public and private interests?
Sponsor: NatureScot
Challenge 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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 5: How might technology help match British Sign Language users and their required interpreters more easily and equitably?
Sponsors: Scottish Government (Directorate for Equality, Inclusion, and Human Rights)
Challenge 6: 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: 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 8: 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 9: 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 10: How can technology reduce the impact of giving evidence in court by helping victims and witnesses prepare for the experience?
Sponsors: Victim Support Scotland; Scottish Government (Directorate for Justice)
Challenge 11: How can technology support Citizens Advice advisors to quickly deliver the best possible outcome for their clients using data and collective expertise?
Sponsor: Citizens Advice Scotland
Challenge 12: How can technology transform Building Standards Compliance to empower our citizens and contractors to produce safer and more energy-efficient buildings?
Sponsor: Scottish Government (Directorate for Local Government and Housing) - Building Standards Division
Challenge 13: 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
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