Contracts for Innovation: Accessible Information on Coaches

To lead a project you can:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or with the subcontracted skills and expertise of others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector (charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups)

Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. The majority of the project work and key deliverables must be completed by the applicant and be carried out in the UK. Subcontractors can be used, but only for specialist skills.

Your project must involve and work with a coach or bus company and disability stakeholders, throughout the project, to trial and demonstrate the solution.

Projects must:

• start on 1 May 2025
• end by 31 March 2026
• last between 9 to 11 months
• have costs of between £50,000 and £170,000, inclusive of VAT

The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (AIR), require operators of local services to provide Audible and Visible (AV) route destination and location information helping all passengers, in particular disabled people, to travel confidently.

The Regulations came into force on 1 October 2024 on a phased basis, based on when a vehicle was first used on a local service. This means that AIR will first apply to newer vehicles, those first used from 2019, and then in subsequent years to older vehicles.

The regulations apply to buses and coaches when they are providing ‘local services’, as defined in the Transport Act 1985. This includes many rail replacement services commissioned by Train Operating Companies (TOCs).

To increase the supply of AIR compliant coaches, the Department for Transport (DfT) will fund the development of innovative technical solutions.

The aim of the competition is to develop an affordable, user friendly hardware and software solution, which provides accessible audio visual information on coaches, particularly rail replacement coaches.

This document will provide further information on Providing accessible information onboard local bus and coach services.

Your proposed solution must meet the following requirements:

• support operators to comply with AIR by either adapting or integrating with existing hardware and software solutions, or by providing new hardware and software solutions
• be straightforward to install and use, being quick to mount or dismount within a vehicle, to support the transfer of systems between vehicles
• be interoperable, scalable and affordable
• ensure compatibility and integration with other vehicle systems, both hardware and software, regardless of existing suppliers
• not lock operators into excessive licensing, maintenance or software fees, representing value for money across the complete solution lifespan
• work with the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) dataset, where possible, and avoid creating a parallel system or duplicative dataset if existing data is available
• have a solution which is at Technology Readiness Level 5 at time of application
• have a clear scale up, manufacturing, and commercialisation plan to be ready for the market as soon as possible, at the latest 31 March 2026

Alongside the core AIR requirements, your proposed solution can:

• incorporate Auracast Bluetooth technology in addition to hearing loop technology
• incorporate speech to text technology, to provide a visible relay of drivers’ manual announcements
• allow central management of technology installed across vehicle fleets, and the sharing of route and announcement files between different parties
• incorporate the ability to collate data on usage of the solution across vehicle fleets
• include consideration of future technologies and developments

Your project must involve and work with a coach or bus company and disability stakeholders, throughout the project to trial and demonstrate the solution. The demonstration and scale up plan of the solution must be a deliverable within the project.

The DfT will work with Innovate UK, to organise a supplier showcase day in 2026. If you are successful, you will demonstrate your solution to the wider industry. You must attend this event if your application is successful in receiving funding from this competition. Further details will be shared nearer the time.

The following stakeholders have an interest in the outcomes of this competition and must be kept informed of progress where appropriate:

• The Real Time Information Group (RTIG): a not for profit organisation promoting the improvement of information on and about public transport services; RTIG has expertise in the identification and use of technological solutions, and the development of protocols for data sharing and use
• The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT): the largest bus and coach operator association
• UK Coach Operators Association: a coach operator association, with a particular insight into the needs of smaller coach operators
• the Rail Delivery Group: the membership organisation for Rail Operators in the UK

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

Contracts will be given to successful applicants.

We will not fund projects that:

• are not compliant with AIR
• rely on passengers possessing their own smartphone technology
• are unable to demonstrate a clear scale up and manufacturing plan
• lock operators into excessive licencing fees
• are not compatible with other vehicle systems, both hardware and software, regardless of existing suppliers

Innovate UK Business Connect hosted a briefing webinar on Tuesday 17 December: Watch the event recording here.

If you would like help to find a subcontractor, coach/bus company, or disability transport group to work with, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Transport team.