Government-run IoT competition to give away £10m

published 14 July 2015

The government has launched a smart cities IoT competition that will reward the most innovative application of technology with a 10 million grant.

Led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Innovation UK, the funding will enable local authorities to build upon their ideas to roll out their plans on a larger scale.

The applications could include smart health, transport, traffic or energy applications that could ease congestion, save energy or reduce carbon emissions. To qualify, the ideas must be a collaboration between a local authority, a local enterprise partnership and cross-sector businesses.

"The Internet of Things is rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives," said Ed Vaizey, digital economy minister. "The UK technology sector is renowned for its creativity and pioneering research and development. This competition will be instrumental in discovering new connections between city services and their users, and identifying many more advantages that the Internet of Things could offer."

He went on to explain that the IoT will have transformative effects on societies, helping local governments improve the services available and therefore quality of life for citizens, enabling them to make better informed decisions much more quickly.

"The success of cities will depend on them working in new ways with new partners," he said.

The money for prizes comes from a fund announced in March by George Osborne, who emphasised the importance of the IoT to the economy.

Authorities wishing to put their ideas forward must register by 23 September and plans should be submitted by 30 September.

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.