Potholes Challenge

The Potholes Challenge is a new way for local authorities to innovate with the SME community

Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, in collaboration with the Department for Transport (DfT) and local authorities, has launched an online portal to encourage SME involvement in the highways sector.

 

The Digital Intelligent Brokerage (DIB) is an approach that encourages technological and product innovation from SMEs into local authority supply chains to help define and address the most complex challenges in the highways sector. It has received DfT backing and supports multiple local authorities across the UK.

 

As its first foray into the highways sector, DIB will run a pilot phase in conjunction with Wiltshire Council. SMEs are invited to put forward ideas to help address the issues underpinning pothole management. All contributions will then be screened automatically using algorithms before being accessed by experts from Atkins. The four identified areas within the Potholes Challenge are:

• repair
• customers and communication
• design and prevention
• digital challenge

 

DIB’s benefit to SMEs is that it simplifies participation in local authority procurement through engagement with multiple local authority clients, free of charge, via a simple online process.

 

To find out more and to register to take part in the Potholes Challenge, visit DIB here.