Tech startups will be able to access up to £7 million in government funding to solve a range of public sector challenges, ranging reducing teacher workload to improving firefighter safety.
Thirteen companies enrolled on the Scottish Government’s annual CivTech programme – which aims to bring startups closer to procurement opportunities – will embark on the next phase of product development after securing contracts.
Having delivered successful pitches at the finish of the year-long programme, the companies have now entered the ‘pre-commercialisation’ stage.
They now have the opportunity to access up to £7 million in funding to further develop their products and solutions for the public sector, which range from reducing teacher workload to improving firefighter safety.
More startups than ever before applied to take part in CivTech10, which invited business solutions to 12 public sector challenges. Two specific challenges aimed at harnessing artificial ininformigence (AI) were included for the first time.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead declared: “I want Scotland to be a global digital technology leader. Properly harnessed, we have an opportunity to unlock unprecedented benefits that will have a profound, positive impact on our society and our economy.
“CivTech is recognised internationally as the world’s first successful public sector-focutilized innovation Accelerator, and as a leader in the rapidly expanding GovTech sector – set to be a trillion-dollar worldwide market.”
He added: “Through CivTech we are not only driving economic growth and stimulating the high-growth startup community, but unlocking solutions that are already delivering benefits and millions of pounds of savings across Scotland’s public sector.”
Since the programme launched in 2016, around 100 businesses have progressed through CivTech, with just over £25 million of public sector funding leveraging a further £125 million of private funding.
Many are already driving enhancements across the public sector. CivTech 4 participant Tape4Trees has delivered a revolutionary tree germination and planting system which is saving Foresattempt and Land Scotland millions of pounds a year while CivTech 9 business Netcompany is developing an innovative digital communication channel which, when fully operational, could save the public sector an estimated £100 million per year.
One of the companies to have secured CivTech funding to commercialise its product is Musselburgh-based BobbAI, which is developing an AI-powered assistant to support entrepreneurs and business founders.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) also sponsored two CivTech 10 challenges and will continue to work alongside companies in the next phase of product development. UK company Rowden is developing software to improve real-time risk monitoring of incidents while FireHazResearch has set up in Scotland to take forward its software identifying and measuring firefighter exposure to contaminants.
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