IUK Launches First of a Kind (FOAK) 2023 Railway Competitions

UK organisations can apply for funding to deliver innovations that will address railway priorities across three themes.

The aim of the First of a Kind (FOAK) 2023 Rail Demonstrations Competition is to deliver high maturity demonstrations of innovations to the UK railways. The objective is to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector and enable technologies to be readily and efficiently integrated into the railway system.

The programme has an overall budget of £5.3 million to be awarded across three themes. Innovate UK (IUK) expects to fund between 10 and 20 projects across these themes:

  • Theme 1 – Customer Experience: projects can range in size up to total costs of £300,000. IUK is seeking projects which will help attract and retain rail passengers through an improved rail experience (including customers of international rail services).
  • Theme 2 – Reliable and Easy to Maintain Assets: projects can range in size up to total costs of £400,000. IUK is seeking projects which will help extend the life of rolling stock and passenger-facing assets, making their repair and maintenance easier and more cost-effective, or enable them to better deliver for customers.
  • Theme 3 – Optimised Train Operations: projects can range in size up to total costs of £400,000. IUK is seeking projects which will help improve train planning, decision making and services to support effective use of capacity and support train service delivery.

All projects must support the overarching principle for FOAK 2023: cost efficiency and increasing value for money.

UK organisations of any size can lead a project. They may work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector as subcontractors.

Applicants are welcome from all sectors. Projects must involve an owner of railway assets, for example stations, rolling stock or infrastructure; an experienced railway organisation; or a rail organisation that has the potential to become a customer.

The deadline for applications is 26 July 2023.

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)