Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency. It works with people, companies and partner organisations to find and drive the science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy.

Since 2007 it has invested over £1.5 billion in innovation, matched by a further £1.5 billion in partner and business funding. Innovate UK has helped more than 5,000 innovative companies in projects estimated to add £7.5 billion to the UK economy and create 35,000 extra new jobs.

Innovate UK is to invest up to £800,000 in technical feasibility studies that explore the operational and financial feasibility of integrating planned, new or retrofit infrastructure projects into other urban systems in a beneficial way. 

Infrastructure projects traditionally find it difficult to look beyond their own system – usually because integration into other systems is not seen as being critical to the success of a project. Yet, integration of infrastructure systems is a significant commercial opportunity. This competition seeks to take advantage of existing investment in major infrastructure projects to test out new concepts in integration across city systems, which create long-term success and maximise value for all stakeholders. 

Projects must be led by a business and be collaborative. Small businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs, medium-sized businesses 60% and large businesses 50%.

The latest challenge is a competition aimed at engineers and designers in Welsh construction. Often the purpose of these studies or competitions is not to implement a project itself, but to provide the resources for the project teams that they need to be able to collaborate with stakeholders in a facilitated manner to find new technical and business model solutions.

This time the competition will fund technical feasibility studies that demonstrate the business case for integrating infrastructure projects into other urban systems.

This competition opens on 12th October 2015 and the deadline for applications is at noon on 25th November 2015. There will be a briefing day for potential applicants in London on 13th October 2015. A webinar will also be available.

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