Notice

Competition guidance: SBRI using data to better understand and respond to road congestion

Published 7 August 2018

This notice was withdrawn on 28 September 2018

This competition is no longer open for applications. Search current funding opportunities.

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens	13 August 2018
Briefing event	20 August 2018
Final date for registration	Midday 19 September 2018
Submission of full application including appendices	Midday 26 September 2018
Decision to applicants	16 November 2018
Phase 1 contracts awarded	14 December 2018
Feedback provided by	14 December 2018

These guidance notes complement the invitation to tender, which can be found on the FTP site, and are designed to help with completing the application form.

Please read the competitions scope and full set of competition documents on the FTP site before you make your application.

2. Funding

The Department for Transport will fund up to £1.25 million to generate innovative ideas to help ease road traffic congestion by using data.

This competition has 2 phases. We have allocated up £250,000 for phase 1 and up to £1 million for phase 2. This guidance relates only to phase 1.

3. How to apply

Before you apply into this SBRI competition, it is important to understand the whole application process. The information below is specific to this competition and may differ from Innovate UK’s general guidance for applicants.

All applications will be treated in confidence.

The application form should be completed and submitted as directed. We strongly advise you read the accompanying guidance notes before you submit.

You must follow the directions in the guidance when submitting your application. Do not send by post or any other means than as directed in the guidance.

Assessment: Once the competition submission deadline is reached, your application is sent for assessment.

Notification: We will notify you of the outcome of your application on the date stated in the timeline.

Feedback: We will give feedback to successful and unsuccessful applicants approximately 4 weeks after you have been notified of the decision. You can access the feedback by signing into the secure website where you uploaded your application documents. No additional feedback can be provided and there will be no further discussion on the application.

4. The application form

This section explains the structure of the application form and offers guidance on what to answer in each question. All sections are mandatory.

The structure is as follows:

• application details
• title and abstract for publication
• competition questions
• technical team and expertise
• application finances
• additional questions
• declarations

Please make sure that you upload the final version of your application by the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not upload a blank or incomplete application form.

These notes should be read together with the application form. They are designed to help you to provide the information required. Where text limits are indicated, please do not exceed these, as this will result in your application being rejected.

A reference number will be given to you once you have registered for the competition. You will be notified of this number by email. You will need to register separately for each application that you want to submit.

The application form should be completed using a font size no smaller than 10 (Arial). Keep the use of acronyms to a minimum and be sure to define them. Only use acronyms where a term is mentioned frequently throughout the proposal. Bear in mind that individual sections of the application may be read separately during the selection process.

In order for your application to be accepted you must submit all the required information. This includes all mandatory fields from the application form. Failure to complete these fields will result in your application being rejected on the grounds that it is incomplete.

5. Competition questions

All fields are mandatory.

Field	Guidance
1. Application
Project title	Enter the full title of the project. This must be descriptive and concise. It must contain keywords relevant to the project.
Contract duration (months)	Phase 1 projects must be completed within 3 months. Requests for more than 3 months will be rejected.
Total contract cost (£)	Proposed projects can request a maximum total cost of £50,000, including VAT, for phase 1. Requests for more than £50,000, including VAT, will be rejected.
Proposed start date	Enter the estimated start date.
What is the best way to describe your innovation?	Select from the options.
2. Application details	Please submit all the details requested in the application form.
3. Contact details	Please submit the lead applicant’s name, post held, company name, position and so on. Lead applicants are expected, before submitting applications, to have discussed their proposals with their own company or any other body whose co-operation will be required in the conduct of the project. By submitting the application you are confirming that the information given is complete, and that you are actively engaged in this project, responsible for its overall management and agree to administer the award if made. In addition, please provide details of where you heard about the competition.

4. Title and abstract for publication

Please provide a brief, public facing description of the project. Should your project be successful, this information will be made public once the award is confirmed. We reserve the right to amend the description before publication if necessary, but will consult you about any changes.

5. Description of proposed idea or technology

Avoiding the use of unnecessary technical jargon, describe clearly how the proposed project will deliver the outcomes as described in the competition documentation.

You can upload an image or diagram as an appendix with the application form. This can be a maximum of 2 A4 pages and must be submitted in PDF format.

6. Technical project summary

Please provide a structured summary of the technical basis of the project. This should outline the background to the technology, including what the innovation is, and the main deliverables. This would typically involve highlighting the research and development that will prove the scientific and commercial merit of the project. Also describe what might be achieved by deploying the innovation to address the technical challenges.

7. Current state of the art and intellectual property (IP)

Please provide details of any competing technologies or market alternatives and the relative benefits of the proposed technology. Include details of any existing IP and its significance to your freedom to operate.

8. Project plan and methodology

The project plan should identify the major packages of work within the project, with well defined milestones and deliverables. The plan for phase 1 must be comprehensive but for phase 2 only an outline is required.

The emphasis throughout should be on practicality – we are seeking evidence that the technology works, can be made into a viable product and can achieve the proposed benefits. Appropriate record-keeping and reporting are essential but reports are not in themselves the main goal of the project.

You must:

• supply a Gantt chart in PDF format
• indicate how you would handle any IP which might arise during the project
• allow for the preparation of a detailed plan for phase 2, towards the end of phase 1

Project management

Identify the project management processes you will use to ensure that milestones are achieved in a timely manner. Provide details of identified risks and mitigation actions.

If you are applying from a university or other non commercial organisation, please include details of your plan for commercialisation of the results of your project.

9. Technical team and expertise

Provide a detailed description of the skills, expertise and track record of the team, including the relevant knowledge and skills of each member and the proportion of their time that will be spent on the project. Include relevant commercial and management expertise.

10. Application finances

The costs quoted must reflect actual costs at a “fair market value” and not include profit.

Please provide a summary of costs for phase 1, including VAT, and justify each one. If there is significant use of subcontractors, please explain how these will be used and the costs of each.

Assessors are required to judge the application finances in terms of value for money. In other words, does the proposed cost for effort and deliverables reflect a fair market price?

The costs must cover the following, as applicable.

Directly incurred costs

These are costs that are specific to the project. They will be charged to the project as the amount actually spent. They must be fully supported by an audit record in justification of a claim. They comprise:

• labour costs for all those contributing to the project broken down by individual
• material costs (including consumables specific to the project)
• capital equipment costs
• sub-contract costs
• travel and subsistence
• indirect costs
• other costs specifically attributed to the project

Indirect costs

Indirect costs must be charged in proportion to the amount of effort deployed on the project. Calculate them using your own cost rates. They may include:

• general office and basic laboratory consumables
• library services and learning resources
• typing and secretarial
• finance, personnel, public relations and departmental services
• central and distributed computing
• cost of capital employed
• overheads

Itemisation of costs and methods of calculation may be requested to support the application at a later date.

You must give an indication of the potential costs involved in participating in phase 2.

Progression to phase 2 is dependent upon successful completion of phase 1 and on phase 2 application and assessment.

11. Commercial potential

Please provide details of:

• the clear commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service
• a clear plan to deliver that and
• a route to market

Describe the significance of the competitive advantage which this technology affords over existing and alternative technologies that can meet the market needs.

12. Declarations

The declaration must be completed by ticking the box or your application will be rejected.

Please note the data sharing declaration and draft contract terms to which you are agreeing when submitting this application.