Competition Launched to Improve Rail Passenger Experience at UK Stations

UK organisations from all sectors can access support for innovations that improve passenger experience at railway stations.

The Station Innovation Zone Competition is part of Connected Places Catapult’s Station Innovation Zone programme. The programme’s vision is to use trials to pave the way towards the ‘station of the future’. Connected Places Catapult aims to do this working with innovators to develop solutions that improve a passenger’s experience when travelling through stations and that enable more efficient, safer use of rail assets.

Selected innovators will receive support in two phases. In the first phase, they will be awarded funds (£2,000 per innovator) to conduct a feasibility study which examines the suitability of their solution for trialling in a rail station environment. Connected Places Catapult will provide support to enable these innovators to write a proposal for testing their solution in a live environment.

In the second phase, up to three selected innovators will be granted further funding to trial their solution in Bristol Temple Meads Station, granting the opportunity to measure their effect on the challenge, demonstrate impact and build the commercial case needed to scale their solution.

This competition is open to public, private and third sector organisations, in addition to universities and research and technology organisations. However, the funder is particularly interested in offering funding to innovators from small to medium-sized enterprises.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 13 November 2022.

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)