AMBITION AND INNOVATION SOUGHT TO SAFEGUARD SCOTLAND’S MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

Ambition and Innovation sought to safeguard Scotland’s marine ecosystems. A total of £5.5 million available for eight Challenges as part of CivTech Round 11.

The Scottish Government is looking to find an innovative solution to the problem of managing the impact of marine pen fish farms more sustainably, just one of eight new Challenges set as part of the CivTech Scotland Round 11 Accelerator.

Up to £650,000 is available to develop a solution to the Challenge, which is being sponsored by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Anyone – an individual, team, start-up or established business, big or small – can apply.

This challenge focuses on developing a method or tool to assess impacts of marine pen fish farms (MPFF) on the ecological communities of rocky seabeds and protected marine habitats where it is neither possible nor appropriate to take a grab sample. The solution must offer a non-invasive and preferably quantitative method to monitor ecological effects. It should be scientifically robust and demonstrate its ability to detect whether MPFF operations remain within environmental limits, supporting sustainable aquaculture practices and the protection of sensitive marine ecosystems.

The Government and public sector sponsors are offering a total possible fund of £5.5 million for solutions to a range of generational and national level challenges.

Solutions are also being sought to address other challenges including how to reduce teacher workload, how to unlock the cultural and economic potential of the Gaelic language, and how to reduce the environmental and social impact of litter at Arrochar, designated a ‘litter sink’ by the Scottish Government in 2017.

CivTech is the world’s first Government-run accelerator for digital public services. It was launched in 2016 to inject innovation into how the public sector uses technology to improve the lives of Scotland’s citizens. At the heart of the programme is the Innovation Flow, which centres around an intense 15-week Accelerator. Innovative and ambitious teams or individuals, selected through an open and straightforward process, are paid to build working prototypes — and receive world-class business growth support.

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:

“Innovation is the backbone of our economy and our society. Where there are problems and challenges, there are solutions to be harnessed by tapping into the creativity and ingenuity of the start-up community and capitalising on rapidly-evolving technology such as AI.

“Now in its tenth year, CivTech has had a hugely positive impact on public sector services and beyond, with solutions ranging from a digital communication roll-out that could save the taxpayer £100 million a year, to products and services improving lives and prospects across healthcare, education and key front-line services.

“Success rates for the companies and products developed are very high with some 80% of the products created through the programme in use, far surpassing the average private sector accelerator rates. I look forward to another round of the programme continuing to revolutionise our public services while giving our brightest business minds the support and encouragement to develop their business ideas.”

More information about all eight CivTech Round 11 Challenges can be found here.

About CivTech

Launched in 2016, CivTech is the world’s first Government-run accelerator for digital public services.

As of March 2024, of the teams participating in the Accelerators from CivTech 1 onwards, over 80% are currently operational. This survival rate is far higher than the private sector norm in which 20% of new businesses go under within 12 months, and 60% within three years.

More than 90% of the Accelerator companies have received follow-on contracts with their Challenge Sponsor. This compares very favourably with the typical private sector accelerator, in which just 20-30% of the teams go on to win further investment.

CivTech companies have created over 400 well-paid jobs: the average salary stands at between £35,000 – £47,106 per year [from desktop research and as reported by companies respectively].

Around 100 businesses have progressed through the Accelerator since its launch, with just over £25 million of public sector funding provided directly through CivTech contracts over its 10 rounds to date. This public funding has leveraged an additional £125 million in private investment.

www.civtech.scot