Within the transport sector, Digital Catapult will consider solutions that apply to the following application areas:

• Aviation, Bus and Coach
• Light Rail
• Tram and Metro Services, Rail
• Personal Vehicles 
• Micro-mobility 
• Warehousing and Logistics

We strongly recommend that interested parties only apply to one of the three challenges. If you wish to present a concept for more than one challenge you can do so by completing one application form per challenge. Please keep in mind that ultimately you will only be selected to develop one of these challenge concepts.

Participants must be willing to commit to the following key obligations:

• Attend the kick-off event hosted by Digital Catapult in April 2024.
• Attend at least 70% of the workshops, support meetings, webinars, hosted by Digital Catapult from April to July 2024.
• Develop a technology solution addressing the appropriate challenge.
• Attend, present and demonstrate project outcomes at the Final Programme Event in July 2024.
• Attend meetings hosted by the Sponsor.
• Participant agrees to be visibly (name and logo) associated with the Programme, whilst in the Programme, and afterwards as a former participant and beneficiary.  This includes marketing collateral, such as website, print and digital materials.
• For a maximum period of five years following the Project end date, Participant shall use its reasonable endeavours to answer specific questions from Digital Catapult relating to its growth and progress to assist Catapult demonstrate the impact of its activities. This shall include: (i) participation in an annual telephone conversation of one hour, and (ii) participation in a two early survey issued by Digital Catapult.

It is your responsibility to have the necessary data ready or a plan to obtain the data required by your AI solution. Digital Catapult will not ask you to share your data and, if access is given, these will be regarded as confidential information. Digital Catapult will not be signing NDAs for this specific accelerator.

FutureScope BridgeAI accelerator’s activities are planned to be delivered remotely/online. We expect to organise a small number of in-person events, such activities may include programme kick-off and showcase events. Participants will be informed with plenty of notice and subject to updated COVID-19-related guidance on restrictions and best practices.

The participants will have full ownership of their intellectual property created. For full details, please refer to the programme terms and conditions.

Match funding is not required for this call but we do welcome cash or in kind match contributions. Please let us know in your proposal and budget if you already have confirmed income or are expecting it. We also know that you will bring your own time, money, resources and networks to the work – this is of huge value and we will work with you to capture and recognise this as a match

BridgeAI is an Innovate UK national programme seeking to stimulate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies in targeted sectors of the UK economy that have the highest growth potential for AI use cases – Agriculture, Creative, Transport, and Construction. 

BridgeAI is jointly delivered by Innovate UK KTN, Digital Catapult, The Alan Turing Institute, British Standards Institute and the Hartree Centre and funded by Innovate UK. More information about the programme can be found here.

The FutureScope High Growth AI Accelerator for Innovate UK BridgeAI is a 14-week accelerator delivered by Digital Catapult, funded by Innovate UK, as part of the activities in the BridgeAI programme.

It is targeted at UK-registered startups and SMEs to help them develop responsible, ethical, and desirable AI and ML deep-tech solutions in the Transport sector.

Participants will benefit from computational power, strategic guidance, holistic diagnostics, tailored support, and a showcase platform to accelerate the readiness of their AI/ML solutions.

Benefits

• Industry access and expertise
  • Collaborate with Industry Challenge Owners to address prominent challenges in the transport sector and benefit from their networks and expertise.
• Computational power access
  • Subject to availability and third-party terms, access to computational power provided by the Technology Partners: up to $25k for two years in AWS credits and one year of AWS business support (up to $10,000); up to $2,000 USD in Google Cloud credits, valid for two years (Start Tier) or $100,000 USD in Google Cloud credits for one year, with 20% off for the second year (Scale Tier);  free six months use of YellowDog platform; up to $5,000 credits MongoDB credits; up to $1000 Miro Credits.
• Holistic diagnostics
  • Diagnostic sessions with experts from the Digital Catapult Team and Industry Challenge Owners to address current AI/ML technological, commercial and strategic needs.
• Tailored support
  • Hands-on support to accelerate data and product readiness; and to develop and improve product, technical, business and ethical roadmaps.
• Workshops and masterclasses
  • Group sessions covering diverse topics, including data readiness and maturity, regulatory compliance, investment readiness and ethical best practices.
• Showcase
  • Exclusive demo day to present your progress to industry representatives, potential investors and customers.

• Open Call opens – 14 February 2024
• Open Call closes – 13 March 2024 at 23:59
• Briefing Webinar – 20 February 2024 
• Q&A Sessions – 23 February, 1, 8 March 2024
• Notification of shortlisted projects and Invitation to interview – 3 April 2024*
• Interviews – 9 – 10 April 2024
• Notification of successful projects – 11 April 2024*
• Contracting – 15 – 26 April 2024
• Programme Start Date – 22 April 2024
• Programme End Date – 26 July 2024
• Kick-Off Programme Event – 24 April 2024
• Final Programme Event – TBC*

*Dates and activities can be subject to change. Digital Catapult will endeavour to provide as much notice as possible to applicants/participants should any changes arise.

In general, attending all activities on FutureScope can be beneficial as it provides you with the opportunity to learn from experienced mentors, connect with other entrepreneurs, and develop your business skills. However, it is important to prioritise your time and focus on activities that are most relevant to your business goals.

If there are certain activities that you feel are not relevant to your business or that you already have a strong understanding of, you may choose to skip them to allocate your time and resources more effectively. However, it is important to consider the potential benefits of all activities before deciding to skip them.

We only use your application information for the purpose of the programme. If information is shared outside Digital Catapult (for example, with programme partners) this will be made clear in the application form and/or programme agreement.

Yes, you will be able to save it during the application process, so that you can complete it in more than one session if you need to.

Applications will be assessed and scored equally against five criteria. All applications must have an AI/ML use case to take part in the programme but we encourage applications that wish to integrate any other advanced digital technology.

1. Relevance and Feasibility
   • The applicant should demonstrate their solution can tackle the challenge selected and the company has the appropriate technical expertise to deliver the solution.
2. Business Strategy
   • The applicant should be able to articulate the company’s business model that drives their AI/ML solution implementation and commercialisation.
3. Data and Code Readiness
   • The applicant should demonstrate that their company has the necessary data ready and has an implementation plan that requires immediate access to computational power.
4. Ethical Impact
   • The applicant should exemplify a responsible use and understanding of the impact of their AI/ML solution and a strong commitment to ethical AI practices.
5. Growth Potential
   • The applicant should be capable of identifying clear goals and demonstrating their solution has the potential to scale after the programme.

The application form will seek more details about your:

• Company information and lead applicant
• Relevance and Feasibility
• Business strategy
• Data and Code Readiness
• Ethical Impact
• Growth Potential

Yes. We are holding a Q&A session every Friday morning during the application window. Please select a 15-minute slot here to speak to one of the FutureScope team about your application. They are intended to be informal, open, and accessible to anyone who wishes to participate in the programme, regardless of their background or experience level. They will not have an impact on the judging of your application.

Applicants are reviewed by the Digital Catapult team and several external judges and are assessed only on the information provided in the application. Following the first screening, successful candidates will be invited to an interview. For further information, please see the application process.

Because of the number of applications we receive, we can’t provide feedback on applications that do not progress to the interview stage.

Yes, you are welcome to apply for any other FutureScope programmes.

Unless the FutureScope or external programme brief or agreement states otherwise, you can still take part in FutureScope programmes, as long as the timings do not cause a conflict of interest and you are eligible to participate.

If you have been part of any previous Digital Catapult programme you are also welcome to join.

As well as meeting the selection criteria for this programme, you will need to be able to show that:

• Applicants must have the necessary skills in artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) to develop the proposed project.
• Applicants must be eligible to receive £18,000 in State Assistance (see Terms and Conditions for further details).
• Applicants must be a UK-based registered company, or prove they are a company that has an establishment in the UK, and undertake all activity in the UK.
• Applicants must develop solutions enabled by at least one of the technologies from the Advanced Digital Technology Stack: Artificial Intelligence, Immersive, Internet of Things, Distributed Ledger Technologies and 5G/Future Networks.

Applications from university teams are welcomed if they meet the eligibility criteria and are willing to incorporate as a company if accepted into the programme.