Challenge Us! 2024 Competition
Frequently asked questions – MK:Smart Business
1. What are the OUs overall objectives for this competition?
The MK:Smart OSC programme aims to create research teams that can help tackle some of the key societal challenges of our time. The OU proposes to create an environment where new interdisciplinary teams can form with businesses contributing to the research to achieve long-term improvements across our City.
2. What does the OU mean by projects using 'technology’ and ‘data’?
Together the OU and MK City Council are launching this competition open to companies to create challenges that we can tackle through the use of technology and data. Challenges can focus on any aspect of life in MK including helping people live healthy lives, improving transportation, enhancing education and delivering environmental sustainability. To enter the competition, you need to explain why the challenge is important to MK and suggest an innovative approach to tackling it. (examples 127 and 138, 158)
3. What is MK:Smart?
MK:Smart started as an £18m research and innovation project that ran from 2013 to 2017 and continues as a vehicle for capturing all things Smart City that happen in the Milton Keynes region. MK:Smart was a core collaboration of the OU, MKCC and BT, working with a consortium of 20 partners from industry, Education, Citizens and Government that considered the use of data and IoT to enhance performance of city infrastructure and sought innovation in citizen led projects.
MK:Smart catapulted the city into the limelight as a world leading smart city, attracting new partnerships and investment in activity from traffic management to data driven art installations. Smart city thinking has developed in the last 10 years and MK:Smart now includes OU research in sustainable development and urban bio infrastructure, including living labs, urban regeneration and the use of digital twinning. Many organisations are attracted to Milton Keynes as a leading innovator in city development and the umbrella of MK:Smart is a useful place to gather activity, research, ideas and inspiration that continues to place MK at the forefront of smart city innovation.
4. How much funding is available? How many projects are OU looking to fund?
Projects will be funded from a prize pot which currently stands at £50,000. More funding may be made available if additional donors or sponsors come forward.
5. What is the funding for?
The funding is to pay for the additional direct costs of the project for the research team, but not the academic’s time.
6. What are the Timescales and Deadlines?
MK:Smart OSC competition will start receiving entries from 8th March. Panels will meet to shortlist after May 15th. Finalists will be notified by the end of May and the Winners will be notified at the end of July and announced at the Research Excellence Event on 12th September 2024.
7. How can I get support if I’m experiencing technical problems in making an application?
Contact us by email and someone from our team will contact you directly.
8. Does the OU accept collaborative projects?
We accept that your challenge may affect more than one organisation, or citizen and may need a wider team to develop the idea. We may look to group challenges together if they are similar.
9. What happens if our submission is successful?
You will be contacted by an academic lead to discuss the idea in more detail and work with you to co-design a research team and a research plan.
10. Will we have to sign a contract?
Yes, an agreement will be put in place to protect any background IP for both parties.
11. How do you expect to measure impact? Is an evaluation required?
This will be part of the co-design with the academic team who are experienced in measuring the impact of our activities.
12. Are there specific obligations which come with this funding?
We will ask for consent to publicity, with an opt-out. Each co-designed challenge will have its own set of obligations for both parties, which will be agreed at the outset.