Posted on 17th February 2016
Category: News
Innovate UK is offering 6 businesses up to £30,000 (excluding VAT) each to encourage innovation in the sharing economy, across the themes of trust, tourism and travel, opening up new sectors, home improvement, construction, and data and analytics.
The contest
Through our IC tomorrow programme, we are looking for proposals from companies with innovative digital ideas relevant to the sharing economy. The companies will not only benefit from funding, but also have the opportunity to collaborate with commercial partners to accelerate development of their technologies.
We want to see digital solutions with potential appeal to a wide commercial market. Successful applicants will be expected to trial their proposed solutions with their industry partners for at least 3 months.
The challenges
We are looking for innovative solutions to address one of our 6 contest challenges within the themes of trust, tourism and travel, opening up new sectors, home improvement, construction, and data and analytics. The solutions should explore ways of stimulating growth in digital innovation in the sharing economy.
Challenge 1
Trust in the sharing economy
Partner: Sharing Economy UK
Challenge 2
Next-generation tourism and travel in the sharing economy
Partner: Airbnb
Challenge 3
New sectors for the sharing economy
Partner: Nesta
Challenge 4
Sharing innovation in home improvement
Partner: Kingfisher (owner of brands such as B&Q and Castorama)
Challenge 5
Sustainable construction
Partner: Crossrail
Challenge 6
Data and analytics for sharing economy cities
Partners: Peterborough City Council and Cranfield University