New €100k Fund Launched To Find Ways To Increase Cycling In Dublin

A new €100k Small Business Innovation Research Challenge (SBIR) has been launched in an effort to find innovative ways to increase cycling use in Dublin.

The SBIR challenge is a joint initiative between Smart Dublin and Enterprise Ireland and is open for applications from today until 03 May 2016. Successful applicants will be selected by an open competition process run in two phases. The competition is open to any organisation, developers of ICT and software solution providers, universities and service providers.

Sarah Scannell, recently appointed Cycling and Walking Promotion Officer, Dublin City Council, said: "We want to increase cycling in Dublin, both across the Dublin Region and in the City Centre with a target for a quarter of all trips in the city centre to be taken by bike. Achieving this objective will require major investment in cycling infrastructure, increased promotion of cycling as an option, supportive policy decision making, and a step change in attitudes to cycling in our city. There are a number of short term improvements possible through the application of smart, low cost innovative technologies. The SBIR challenge will allow us to provide seed funding for companies and individuals to develop innovative and data driven proposals to accomplish this goal."

The SBIR challenge is seeking proposals which advance the use of existing cycling data; create new cycling data to enhance understanding of cycling issues; and develop methods to improve cycling safety and reduce bicycle theft in the city.  

Kevin Sherry, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland, added: "A key priority for Enterprise Ireland is to increase the level of innovation in businesses and the commercialisation of research in Ireland. We are delighted to support the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Challenge which will encourage the development of new and innovative solutions to increase the level of journeys taken by bicycle in Dublin and I would encourage entrepreneurs, developers and researchers who have solutions in this space to take up the challenge and enter the competition."

Interested parties can apply on SmartDublin.ie. The closing date is the 3rdMay 2016. An information session will be held on the 23 March in Enterprise Ireland from 10 -12am. Applicants will be required to demonstrate that their proposed solution can achieve the required technical performance, cost (capital and operating), scalability, ease of use and good customer experience amongst other aspects.

(MH/CD)