News

Funding Competition for Digital Solutions in Retail Sector

11 January 2016

Innovate UK will fund successful proposals from companies with innovative digital ideas to enhance experiences, services and processes across the retail sector.

The £175,000 IC Tomorrow Programme will provide five businesses with up to £35,000 each (excluding VAT) to encourage innovation around ‘future retail’, and the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners to accelerate development of their technologies. Solutions should appeal to a wide commercial market and applicants will be expected to trial their proposed ideas/solutions with their industry partners for at least three months.

Projects should be aimed at one of the following challenges:

• New ways to fight food waste • Future of Fitting. Optimizing virtual fitting • Seamless shopping • Enhancing in-store experiences • Digital enhancement of street and covered markets

Timescale

This is a two-stage application process. Stage 1 will include application submission and a 2 minute video (this will be judged on the strength of the idea not quality of video). Stage 2 is a live pitch.

Dates

11 January, Programme Opens 21 January, Programme Briefing in London (this will be videoed and available online) 23 February, Stage 1. Submission of application and 2 minute video. Programme Closes 18 March, Finalists Notified 22 March, Finalists Practice Pitch Sessions 4-5 April, Stage 2. Live Pitch. One-to-one sessions 13 April, Final Panel Session 22 April, Winners Announced

Competition Information

• You must be a company registered in the UK • You may submit more than application in each challenge, however Innovate UK will only fund one per company • This competition is open to businesses, students and researchers. However if successful, they will be expected to trial the solution through an independent commercial organisation (separate from the University).

Registration

For more information or to submit an application Click Here

Download full Competition Brief

Download full Competition Guidance