This is an excellent opportunity for innovators in the smart city sector to work with middle sized European cities. The four cities involved in the SCIFI project, Mechelen, Bruges, Delft & Saint Quentin have together defined 9 open data challenges for this call. The goal behind the SCIFI project is establishing relationships and methodologies for cities to source smart, data-driven solutions to their urban challenges.
Nine challenges
The second call consists of nine challenges, set by the project partner cities, which prospective applicants are asked to address. Apart from funding to support pilots, the selected startups, SMEs and companies will receive extensive support during the pilot phase of 6 months. Successful pilots also receive the opportunity for a full solution implementation by the SCIFI cities and/or its ecosystem (>40 cities).
Click here for the challenges set under the programme.
Opportunities for entrepreneurs
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work closely and directly with cities and city clusters to develop open data-based solutions (pilots) to tackle key smart city issues. They receive funding and support for their data-centric Smart City solution, including:
• Funding of up to €10,000 to support pilot, proof of concept, minimum viable product or other solution development goal;
• Full solution implementation opportunity for successful pilots; • Co-creation of the solution and full access to and support from the relevant cities and stakeholders; • Six-month business accelerator powered by Faubourg Numerique, Agoria and Cambridge CleanTech; • Introduction to cities, investors and mentors • A range of data science, open data and business skills trainings; • Dissemination opportunities of your solution amongst peers and cities via SCIFI communication channels and events (in Belgium, The Netherlands and France); • Access to technology and datasets, as well as training and advice by SCIFI experts.
Open Data & Interoperability
SCIFI is looking for smart city solutions that are robust, interoperable and sustainable: a solution that works for one city must be technically easily replicable in other cities.
Replicability is key within SCIFI. The challenges must be addressed via the use of open data sets (existing or to be generated by design). The consortium will publish available and relevant data (open or that can be opened) based upon an open data guidance package for cities and on the SCIFI Data Portal to provide organisations with a federated entry point to SCIFI open data and IoT resources.
First call
The 1st call in 2018 was a major success with 6 innovators selected for pilot projects. The winners entered a 6-month accelerator programme with the four cities who are part of the project. http://smartcityinnovation.eu/pilots/
For more information on how to apply to the SCIFI open call, please visit: http://smartcityinnovation.eu/apply/
About SCIFI
SCIFI is funded by Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020, a European Territorial Cooperation Programme covering England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders) and is being delivered by the cities of Mechelen (BE), Delft (NL), Bruges (BE), Saint-Quentin (FR) and the supporting partners Agoria (BE), Faubourg Numérique (FR), Cambridge Cleantech (UK), University of Southampton (UK) and Bax & Company.
This open innovation accelerator programme brings together cities, citizens, corporate and public-sector organisations that have smart city needs, challenges and/or data with startups, companies and students that have innovative solutions with data for these needs/challenges. This programme facilitates joint and innovative cross-border procurement.
SCIFI enables medium-sized cities to create proof of concept that opening their data will create value and better services for their city and citizens. SCIFI enables startups, companies and students to work directly with cities to develop smart city, open data solutions and to scale easily their products and solutions.
Contact information
More information about the nine SCIFI challenges, application process and the project itself, visit: http://smartcityinnovation.eu
Twitter: @SmartCityInnov
Logos and the infographic of the project/open call can be found on: http://smartcityinnovation.eu/communication-materials/
For questions regarding the open call and/or SCIFI: hello@smartcityinnovation.eu
