HMGCC Challenge: Using AI to improve transport safety

Secure up to £120,000 to develop data processing systems that can sift large volumes of complex information, recognise patterns of interest and draw insights that could help to improve the passenger experience and increase people’s security.

Connected Places Catapult is working alongside His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) to deliver solutions to a co-creation challenge, to demonstrate how AI can assist with processing data more efficiently and effectively in the context of transport and cities.

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THE CHALLENGE

Ensuring that people remain safe and secure when travelling through busy urban areas is a primary aim of the Government, as well as transport and city authorities. In today’s connected world, vast quantities of data are being collected to ensure that happens, by monitoring and assessing people’s behaviours.

But processing it in order to spot patterns, and compare it with historical events to draw insights is a huge and often labour-intensive task.

This challenge recognises that AI has a huge potential to play in helping to improve the accuracy and speed with which complex, unprocessed data sets can be interrogated; allowing human resources to be focused more effectively elsewhere.

Monitoring in a transport setting in particular allows for the early detection of unsafe behaviour, and models can learn from instances where it is detected, allowing systems to become smarter so they can predict when future occurrences are likely. Intelligence gained can be applied to improve training, awareness and alerts to help improve safety.

OUTLINE OF THE OPPORTUNITY

Organisations who can successfully demonstrate systems that make the process of interrogating data simpler – and are accepted onto the programme – will be funded for a period of 12 weeks.

Solutions put forward could include horizon scanning exercises and details of what is possible using the latest and emerging technology. They might also demonstrate existing developments in another setting such as banking, insurance or social media.

Proposals should be around the midpoint on the Technology Readiness Level; where they have either been validated in a laboratory or relevant environment, or have a technology model or prototype demonstration ready.

Further Details

Whats on offer to SMES?

Funding

Access to up to £120,000

Investment Support

One-to-one sessions with an experienced investment coach.

Trial Support

This could include, but is not limited to trial design training, deployment support, trial monitoring and evaluation support.

Demonstration Day

An opportunity to showcase the success of your trials and meet investors, industry leaders, Government and academia at the end of the programme.

Business Development

Business development opportunities and introductions to potential customers.

Marketing Support

One-to-one sessions with an experienced marketing coach.

Who should apply?

This challenge is open to sole innovators as well as academic, industry and research organisations of all types and sizes. Entries are not possible from solution providers or those collaborating with countries that have trade sanctions or are under arms embargoes from the UK Government.

Commercial contracts and the funding of successful applications will take place through the project’s commercial collaborator Cranfield University.

There is a budget for each single organisation of up to £60,000, and the budget for each consortium is up to £120,000.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be scored 1 – 5 on the following criteria:

Scope: Does the proposal fit within the challenge scope, taking into consideration cost and benefit?

Innovation: Is the technical solution credible, will it create new knowledge and Intellectual Property, or use existing IP?

Deliverables: Will the proposal deliver a full or partial solution. If it is a partial solution, are there collaborations identified?

Timescale: Will the proposal deliver a minimum viable product within the project duration?

Budget: Are the project finances within the competition scope?

Team: Is the organisation / delivery team credible in this technical area?

Key dates

Competition Opens: 18 March

Online Briefing Call: 10am, 9 April

Clarifying question responses published: 23 April

Competition closes: 9 May

Notification of finalists: 22 May

Pitch day in London: 30 May

Expected start date: July 2024

Duration: 12 weeks

How to apply

Please register to receive full details of the challenge, how to respond and for the terms and conditions of the challenge and entry.

Applications close: 9 May

Apply now

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Further Information

HMGCC works with the national security community, UK government, academia, private sector partners and international allies to bring engineering ingenuity to the national security mission, creating tools and technologies that drive us ahead and help to protect the nation.

HMGCC Co-Creation is a partnership between HMGCC and Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), created to deliver a new, bold and innovative way of working with the wider UK science and technology community. We bring together the best in class across industry, academia, and government, to work collaboratively on national security engineering challenges and accelerate innovation.

HMGCC Co-Creation is part of the NSTIx Co-Creation network, which enables the UK government national security community to collaborate on science, technology and innovation activities and to deliver these in partnership with a more diverse set of contributors for greater shared impact and pace.

HMGCC Co-Creation aims to work collaboratively with the successful solution providers by utilising in-house delivery managers working Agile by default. This process will involve access to HMGCC Co-Creation’s technical expertise and facilities to bring a product to market more effectively than traditional customer/supplier relationships.