How to get funding for an Internet of Things project: UK government offers £10m fund to create connected cities
Got a good idea for the future of the connected city?
The government is offering a £10m fund to businesses that can demonstrate how the Internet of Things (IoT) can benefit citizens and cities.
With a competition put up in a bid to “revolutionise” how IoT is put to use in cities, this collaboration between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Innovate UK is looking for projects that demonstrate the future potential of the IoT.
Read more: Here's a glimpse into the future of the Internet of Things
This is a catch-all phrase that covers the growing number of devices and products in our lives that are all connected to each other and can share data between them.
Connected devices are already at work in plenty of ways across UK cities, from tracking our daily commutes to speed up journey times and ease congestion, to gathering information on air and noise pollution to reduce emissions.
Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey said:
The Internet of Things is rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives. The UK technology sector is renowned for its creativity and pioneering research and development.
Future projects that benefit from the funding could be in any sector, whether it’s transport, healthcare or energy. The only rules are that it must benefit citizens and cities, and have economic benefits for businesses or local authorities.
Read more: Three ways the Internet of Things is about to make your life easier
The competition for the £10m funding is open until 30 September, and forms part of a bigger £40m investment into the Internet of Things announced in the March Budget.