Innovation in cycling and walking

This competition seeks proposals for innovations that encourage more people to make journeys by bicycle and/or on foot.

The government’s vision is for cycling and walking to become the natural choice for shorter journeys.

To meet these aims, DfT intends to focus on:

• better safety: safety and safety perceptions have been cited as the biggest barriers for people wanting to take up cycling and walking
• better mobility: to make cycling and walking normal, easy and enjoyable, we need better links and networks to key destinations
• better streets: well-designed and accessible streets can encourage people to walk or cycle more as part of their daily routine

DfT is looking to fund a portfolio of projects that propose innovative means of tackling the barriers to walking and cycling, leading to more journey stages being made by bicycle or on foot.

Specific competition themes

Key areas of interest include (but are not limited to):

Cycling

• making it easier for people to cycle to work
• improving the image of cycling so that more of people feel it is an activity they can incorporate into their daily routines
• improving road safety and helping people, particularly teenagers and women, feel safer. This follows that once children leave school there is a significant drop in the number who cycle, and women make less than half the number of trips by bicycle than men
• making it easier to undertake journeys that include both cycling and travelling by rail

Walking

• increasing walking among target groups, including those aged between 30 and 49, and over 60
• improving actual and perceived road safety for pedestrians through safer crossings, increased personal safety and design of objects and equipment installed on streets (street furniture)
• using open source data to encourage walking as part of a longer trip involving public transport

Further information

The competition is open to individuals, groups and organisations. It is particularly suitable for early-stage SMEs. Industry partners such as local government, independent and third sectors can carry out the project on their own or with others.

This competition has 2 phases. Up to £170,000 is allocated for phase 1, and up to £300,000 for phase 2.

Phase 1: proof of concept. Projects should last up to 15 weeks and range in size up to a total cost of £25,000 each

Phase 2: demonstrator projects. Projects should last up to 9 months. They can range in size up to a total cost of £100,000 per project