Work with local authorities to harness the potential of IoT, LPWAN-enabled solutions

As part of Digital Catapult’s Things Connected for Local Authorities Programme, South Kesteven and Herefordshire Councils are looking to collaborate with cutting-edge startups and scaleups to develop IoT, LPWAN-enabled solutions that solve challenges facing UK local authorities.

Would you like access to key decision makers within local authorities? This open call will provide successful applicants with the opportunity to work with senior representatives from South Kesteven and Herefordshire Councils. Following this open call both local authorities are keen to engage with successful applicants on an ongoing commercial basis to pursue ideas that demonstrate clear potential.

South Kesteven District Council Challenge:

For this challenge you’ll work together with South Kesteven District Council to create a network of intelligent street lights by updating the lights currently owned and maintained by the authority.

The council is in the process of planning a replacement programme to change all of the lights to LED lamps. At the same time it would like to take this opportunity to also enhance their utility by installing sensors and management capability as well as configurable additional capabilities.

The installed solutions will be required to monitor, on/off, power failure and illuminated hours. Additional features which would be desirable on some or all of the lights include air quality, noise levels and footfall counts.

Herefordshire Council Challenge:

Apply your solutions to real world challenges and pitch them to Herefordshire Council. In this challenge we’re looking for solutions to reduce hospital admissions among rural care home occupants. The council is looking for innovative IoT companies with strong data to show the effectiveness of IoT in reducing falls and hospital admissions.

The council is gearing up for a ‘Digital Switchover’ and would like to incorporate cutting edge sensor based solutions that can help prevent falls for the vulnerable, particularly the elderly who live on their own or in assisted care facilities. The council currently uses telephone lines, wearables, telecare devices to communicate with them. These devices are in the process of an upgrade and it would like to incorporate more sensor-based technologies particularly for the following two scenarios:
 

• 1. Use of a floor-based system that can detect potential falls and changes in gait in real time among its supported elderly population, notify support staff and enable them to check visually via video whether a fall has taken place before physically deploying staff to help. For privacy reasons, the video element should, therefore, be triggered only by the sensor activity and be securely inaccessible at all other times.
• 2. Replace the existing wearable pendant technology with digital low power alternative that is resilient to long periods without a direct power connection.

Who should get apply

Cutting edge startups and scaleups who can develop IoT solutions, potentially LPWAN-enabled, that address either of the challenges detailed above in intelligent street lighting and/or fall prevention in assisted living facilities.

Why you should get involved

Competition finalists will get to pitch their solution to a panel of experts and key decision-makers from South Kesteven, Herefordshire Councils and Digital Catapult and get feedback on their proposed solutions.

The winners of each challenge will then have the opportunity to work with either one or both local authorities and Digital Catapult to trial their solution in a live environment. This includes:

• Access to up to £10k investment funding from each council
• The opportunity to pitch their solution at the council head office in front of key stakeholders and decision makers

Additional info

Participation will be based on the strength of the application.

Companies are free to apply for more than one challenge.

Future commercial relationship

Both participating local authorities are looking to secure a commercial relationship with the successful startups/ scaleups to develop their solution further.

Shortlisted applicants will be given the opportunity to speak with the council and discuss what form of relationship may be most mutually beneficial for them and aligned to their business model.

Some potential options may be:

• An opportunity for further investment
• Preferential commercial rates when rolling out a larger scale solution in the district.
• A success-based commission agreement for introductions to other local authorities and potential commercial clients.

No equity would be taken by either of the councils.