Second round of GovTech Catalyst challenges revealed

Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden announced 5 challenges from public sector organisations for this year’s GovTech Catalyst.

The GovTech Catalyst, a £20 million fund set up to help private sector innovators tackle public sector problems, was launched in 2017.

There are 3 rounds of the Catalyst and following the first round earlier this year, the 5 successful challenges have included tackling Daesh online imagery, tracking waste and addressing loneliness and rural isolation.

At the TechUK Smarter State conference, Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden announced the next 5 successful challenges from public sector organisations to get funding. These challenges are:

1. How might we improve firefighter safety and operational response? Submitted by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service
2. How might we make better use of data to guide public sector audits? Submitted by Northern Ireland Audit Office
3. How might we automatically detect and identify illicit goods during the journey across the border without impacting fluidity of trade? Submitted by Home Office, Border Force Detection Services
4. How might we understand the overlaps between business regulations? Submitted by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Better Regulation Executive
5. How might we guarantee prescription continuity while people move between care providers? Submitted by Northern Ireland Prison Service & South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

These 5 challenges will be launched as¬†Small Business Research Initiative competitions¬†for tech companies, with the first competition on keeping emergency responders safe launching mid October. Keep an eye on KTN’s funding pages for updates.

The full list of all Round 2 submitted challenges, both successful and unsuccessful, can be found on GOV.UK.