National Highways has opened applications for a new Hazard Protection on Roads Accelerator, with winning bidders receiving up to £90,000 to “push the boundaries of your technology”.
The National Highways Hazard Protection on Roads Accelerator is a programme delivered by Connected Places Catapult that aims to stimulate innovation around the challenge of further helping to protect road users in England from hazards. This accelerator programme invites SMEs to address this challenge through the development of innovative solutions. For this accelerator, we see hazards as any circumstance on roads that drivers may not have anticipated and will need to react to.
This programme will be run in two stages. In stage one, up to 10 SMEs will be selected to work with National Highways, Connected Places Catapult and Tier 1 suppliers to design trials that address one of the programme challenges, over a 3-month period. The SMEs can be awarded up to £15K – £30K of funding during this phase to cover their costs. Following a down selection, approximately 5 SMEs will be awarded up to £60K in stage two to deliver their trials over a 5-month period.
Alongside the trialling of their solutions, the SMEs will be guided through a bespoke programme tailored to their requirements, which could include procurement readiness, product development support and business modelling coaching. These activities will be co-designed with each SME to support them in growing their businesses and adapting their propositions to National Highways’ requirements.
(Picture – Connected Places Catapult)
